Environmental Design

University at Buffalo Environmental Design addresses the arrangement, appearance, and functionality of neighborhoods, towns, and communities. In addition, environmental design is concerned with the way these places are experienced and used, as well as other aesthetic elements that contribute to the quality of community environments. Environmental design promotes the best use of a community's land and physical resources for residential, commercial, institutional, and recreational purposes.

Environmental Design provides students with the skills to understand, analyze, and solve development problems with a view toward community planning and the design of sustainable environments. The purpose of environmental design is to gain a better understanding of community environments, and then apply that knowledge to improve physical surroundings.

University at Buffalo Environmental Design addresses issues in the dynamic bi-national Buffalo-Niagara region as a laboratory for planning, design, and development.

Upon successful completion of all requirements, the student will have knowledge of:

• Fundamental Skills: Ability to effectively use basic planning and development principles in environmental design;
• Investigative Skills: Ability to gather, assess, record, apply, and comparatively evaluate information related to environmental design challenges;
• Communication Skills: Ability to effectively read, write, speak and listen, and visually communicate ideas;
• Critical Practice Skills: Ability to apply evidence-based design, development, and planning methods and precedents to environmental design processes and proposals; and,
• Graduate School & Entry Level Job Preparation Skills: Students will be well prepared to enter graduate school or an entry-level position in an environmental design related field of study.

For students with no previous postsecondary education experience, University at Buffalo Environmental Design uses similar requirements for departmental admission at the freshman level as the university uses: high school grade point average, completed high school courses, rank in high school class, and standardized exam scores (SAT/ACT). Prospective high school students interested in University at Buffalo Environmental Design must submit an application early in the fall of your senior year of high school. First-time freshman applicants are notified of Environmental Design program acceptance by UB Undergraduate Admissions. Environmental Design students are placed into mathematics, physics, and English courses based upon the following criteria: SAT/ACT/TOFEL scores; Advanced Placement scores; or, completed college courses. 

UB requires a minimum TOEFL score of 79 (Internet-based) or 550 (paper-based) in order to be considered for admission. Students scoring between 70 and 78 or 523 and 547 on the TOEFL may be admitted to the university on the condition that they register for and successfully complete additional English courses in their first semester.

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

The University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning in partnership with the university, our alumni, our faculty and staff, and our philanthropic supporters, provides support to our undergraduate students. In addition to tuition scholarships, stipends for travel and supplies, and support for study abroad, our students, like our faculty, are actively engaged in teaching, research and service — and are rewarded for their hard work.