2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Amid decreasing undergraduate university enrollment, development of highly applicable and in-demand engineering specialty programs stands as one possible technique for increasing program relevancy and appeal for potential students. Furthermore, with the growing awareness for the need for sustainable and resilient infrastructure solutions to mitigate climate change effects and energy crisis demands, the genesis of sustainability-focused civil engineering programs could fulfill the needs of both universities and society. Within this paper, the authors document their methodology for the joint design of a graduate-level specialist training program at the University of Pécs as well as a graduate certificate at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, both entitled Sustainability Engineering for the Built Environment. To note, this work builds upon a previous partnership between the two universities in the establishment of an Architecture Minor at MSU Denver that has been in successful operation for over 8 years. Within this paper, the motivations for spawning the two collaborative programs are expanded upon, followed by a detailed comparative analysis of both program’s requirements and constraints. Of critical importance, the authors share their process of forming a cooperative program under which both universities can most efficiently organize and operate their individual academic programs. In particular, the program design includes the formation of a lecturer pool, whereby faculty expertise can be matched with specific course modules. The program plans to utilize a “no travel”, synchronous online platform for those distant learning modules. In terms of curriculum, a common core of courses is specified as well as a differentiated set of courses to satisfy the individual requirements of both universities. In conclusion, the expected benefits, challenges, and long-term visions of both programs are discussed, and throughout the paper, the authors share their obstacles and successes they encountered during the design process.