Certificate Programs
Certificate programs are a way in which students in the College of Architecture and Planning can choose to enhance their education while focusing on an area that deepens their training and professional readiness. While our Design Build Certificate and Classical Studies Certificate are only open to select students enrolled in our Master of Architecture program, our other certificate programs are open to degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students.
Current Students:
Talk to your academic advisor about how adding a certificate can complement and overlap with your degree program.
Complete the Certificate Program Application for Current Admitted Graduate Students
Non-Degree Seeking Students:
Are you interested in advancing in your current job or transiting into a new one, our certificate programs provide great opportunities to add to your knowledge in your particular area of interest, develop new skills, and expand your network.
Individuals with any prior bachelor’s degree are able to earn a graduate certificate as a non-degree-seeking student. Additionally, credits earned in certificate programs can be applied toward our master’s degree programs.
Non-degree seeking graduate students must apply to CU Denver and to your certificate program of interest.
NEW: Affordable Housing Certificate
12- or 13-credit certificate program*
Housing affordability is a significant problem across the U.S. that is driving communities to reconsider policy and regulations, zoning and design guidelines, and the implications of housing affordability for society. The College of Architecture and Planning, the School of Public Affairs, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are partnering to offer a graduate Affordable Housing Certificate that will enable students to grow their expertise and become specialists equipped to address housing challenges.
*For those who have completed a 1-credit finance and development class, the program requires 12-credits. For those who have not completed the finance and development course, the program requires 13-credits.
NEW: Climate and Environmental Justice
12-credit certificate program
The Climate and Environmental Justice (CEJ) Certificate provides graduate students throughout the University of Colorado Denver, as well as non-matriculating professionals who already possess a BA or BS degree, with the essential skills to integrate CEJ insights and practices into their professional career plans. This will require understanding 1) climate and environmental impacts and their governance, 2) their social and environmental causes, 3) the dynamics of power and authority that influence how these issues are studied, represented, addressed, and experienced, and 4) practical skills for engaging CEJ topics. Through the certificate program, students will gain an understanding of how climate and the environment intersect with justice at different sites, scales, and sectors, as well as be introduced to the community practices and climate-environmental solutions required to build a just world.
Geospatial Information Science Certificate (GIS)
15-credit certificate program
Geospatial Information Science (GIS), known to some as “computer mapping,” is used to store, manage, analyze, synthesize, and display spatial data and information. In the College of Architecture and Planning, we use GIS to analyze and understand
space, to answer the place-based questions posed by our stakeholders and our clients, and to create the planning- and research-oriented maps that are critical to communicating with our stakeholders. Our work with GIS in the college is built on the many
advances in Geospatial Information Science over the last 40 years.
Design Build
18-credit certificate program
The College of Architecture and Planning offers a graduate certificate in the emerging area of design build as an extension of the Master of Architecture program.
The design build certificate centers on the practical application of architectural theory and promotes a blend of hands-on skills, creative design, and cutting edge materials to construct buildings for communities in need. Participants receive a graduate certificate in design build that requires a total of 18 semester hours, all of which count toward the MArch curriculum requirements.
ColoradoBuildingWorkshop is the design build initiative of the Department of Architecture that serves the broader community by partnering with non-profit organizations on a variety of innovative projects. Learn more about the program and its projects on the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop website.
Admission into the Master of Architecture Program does not guarantee admission into the Design Build Certificate, and an additional application is required for the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop. The number of spots available is determined by the community partner and projects to be delivered.
All interested students should plan to enroll in ARCH 6370 Introduction to Design Build in the fall semester that coincides with enrollment in ARCH 5130 Design Studio III. Through the Intro course, students will be able to learn more about design-build generally, as well as the specifics for the featured community build project; students may apply for the remainder of the certificate coursework during the fall semester, and final ColoradoBuildingWorkshop rosters will be announced prior to the start of enrollment for the spring term.
Historic Preservation Certificate
15-credit certificate program
Historic Preservation is significantly more than the restoration of buildings from the past. It is frequently a part of dynamic and inviting public spaces. It is at the forefront of the green building movement and environmental sustainability, and it
can advance social equity while celebrating cultural diversity.
The Historic Preservation Certificate is designed for students and professionals who are pursuing or already hold a Master of Architecture, Master of Urban Planning, Master of Landscape Architecture, or anyone who wants to explore the diverse issues around Historic Preservation.
The Certificate is a 15 Credit Hour Program which can be completed in conjunction with other CAP programs or as a separate area of study for students or professionals who are already in the work environment.
The Historic Preservation Certificate is designed for students and professionals who are pursuing or already hold a Master of Architecture, Master of Urban Planning, Master of Landscape Architecture, or anyone who wants to explore the diverse issues around Historic Preservation.
The Certificate is a 15 Credit Hour Program which can be completed in conjunction with other CAP programs or as a separate area of study for students or professionals who are already in the work environment.
Interior Design Certificate
15-credit certificate program
The certificate provides aspiring interior designers with the professional knowledge, competency, and applied skills necessary for the practice of interior design. With a focus on sustainability, environmental stewardship, and health and wellness, this certificate integrates human-centered approaches with critical thinking, creativity, and innovation for interior environments.
For students interested in obtaining National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) Certification, please visit the NCIDQ website for more information on exam eligibility requirements.
Classical Studies Certificate
15-credit certificate program
In collaboration with the Institute for Classical Architecture and Arts (ICAA), the College of Architecture and Planning offers graduate certificate in classical studies.
The Classical Studies Certificate offers a sequence of elective courses founded on the Beaux Arts paradigm. Upon successful completion of this optional sequence, students qualify for a Classical Studies Certificate and may apply for a Certificate of Classical Design from the Institute for Classical Architecture and Arts. Students interested in the classical traditions in architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, and allied arts graduate with a distinct, highly valued skillset.
Classical Studies will provide students with the intellectual and practical skills necessary to position themselves as discerning practitioners and critical thinkers in a particular sector of architectural practice, as well as within allied fields such as traditional urban design, historic preservation, the building arts, interior, and landscape architecture. The course content will merge theoretical inquiry with skill-based learning to provide a solid foundation for a successful professional career.
The Classical Studies Certificate offers a sequence of elective courses founded on the Beaux Arts paradigm. Upon successful completion of this optional sequence, students qualify for a Classical Studies Certificate and may apply for a Certificate of Classical Design from the Institute for Classical Architecture and Arts. Students interested in the classical traditions in architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, and allied arts graduate with a distinct, highly valued skillset.
Classical Studies will provide students with the intellectual and practical skills necessary to position themselves as discerning practitioners and critical thinkers in a particular sector of architectural practice, as well as within allied fields such as traditional urban design, historic preservation, the building arts, interior, and landscape architecture. The course content will merge theoretical inquiry with skill-based learning to provide a solid foundation for a successful professional career.
Landscape Architecture Certificate
21-credit certificate program
The certificate in Landscape Architecture provides an overview, foundational knowledge, and skills for students and professionals who want to engage landscape practices without a full master's degree. The certificate will provide the foundation to understand and design landscape as a tool for meaningful cultural, social, and environmental change and to communicate with the people and communities that are inhabiting it. Upon successful completion of the course sequence students will graduate with a highly valuable skillset and knowledge.
The Certificate in Landscape Architecture will provide students and professionals with the intellectual and practical skills necessary to bring critical landscape practice to a broad range of fields from design fields to geography, engineering, and the humanities among others. The course content will merge theoretical inquiry with skill-based learning to provide a solid foundation.