Skip to main content
Search the University of Sydney website

Master of Building Performance and Sustainable Design

This page was first published on 13 November 2025 and was last amended on 20 November 2025.
View details of the changes below.

Unit of study table

Master of Building Performane and Sustainable Design

Students must complete 96 credit points, including:
(a) 54 credit points of core units of study; and
(b) 12 credit points of capstone units of study
(c) 30 credit points of elective units of study
(i) With the permission of the relevant delegate, a maximum of 12 credit points can be taken as elective units outside those listed in the table, including units of study offered by other faculties.

Graduate Diploma in Building Performance and Sustainable Design

Students must complete 48 credit points, including:
(a) minimum of 36 credit points of core units of 5000 level; and
(b) maximum of 12 credit points elective units.
(i) With the permission of the relevant delegate, a maximum of 6 credit points can be taken as elective units outside those listed in the table, including units of study offered by other faculties.

Graduate Certificate in Building Performance and Sustainable Design

Students must complete 24 credit points of core units, including:
(a) minimum of 18 credit points of core units of 5000 level;
(b) maximum of 6 credit points elective units.
Unit of study Credit points A: Assumed knowledge P: Prerequisites
C: Corequisites N: Prohibition

Core units

BPSD5000
Sustainable Design: Principles and Frameworks
6 A Fundamental knowledge of building design
N DESC9147
BPSD5010
Designing with Culture
6  
BPSD5020
Sustainable Building Technology Fundamentals
6  
BPSD5030
Indoor Environments
6 N DESC9201
BPSD5040
Building Performance
6 N DESC9015
BPSD5050
Data Science for the Built Environment
6  
BPSD6010
Social Sustainability in the Built Environment
6 P BPSD5010
BPSD6020
Building Lifecycles
6 A BPSD5020
P BPSD5000 and minimum 24 credit points of core units of study
BPSD6030
Building Systems
6 P BPSD5030 and BPSD5040 and BPSD5050

Capstone (Master of Building Performance and Sustainable Design)

BPSD6100
Integrated Design Capstone
12

P Completion of 48 credit points

Research

The following research unit (ARCH9031) may replace the capstone unit with the permission of the Program Director
DESC9300
Research in Arch. and Design Science
6

N ARCF9001

It is strongly recommended that students wishing to enrol in ARCH9031 complete this unit first.

ARCH9031
Research Report
12  

Electives

Sustainable Design electives
MARC5330
Regenerative Design Technologies
6 N DESC9148
MARC5340
Advanced Building Envelopes
6 P MARC5300
ARCH9100
Urban Design Foundations Studio
6  
IDEA9106
Design Thinking
6  
Building Performance electives
PHYS5032
Techniques for Sustainability Analysis
6  
PHYS5033
Environmental Footprints and IO Analysis
6  
SUST5003
Energy and Resources
6  
PHYS5034
Life Cycle Analysis
6  
ARCH9110
Code to Production
6  
Urbanism electives
PLAN9075
Urban Data and Science of Cities
6 A Basic mathematics and statistics; all required programming and mathematics needed for the unit will be taught from the basics
ARCH9075
New Design in Old Settings
6  
ARCH9080
Urban Ecology, Design and Planning
6  
Sustainability and Project Management electives
SUST5006
Sustainability: Business and Leadership
6  
PMGT5896
Sustainable Project Practice
6 N PMGT5888
PMGT5872
People and Communications
6 N PMGT6872
PLAN9045
Economics for the Built Environment
6  
ARCH9090
Dialogue, Deliberation and Engagement
6  
PMGT5873
Project Economics and Procurement
6 N PMGT6873
PMGT5875
Project Innovation Management
6  
PHYS5031
Ecological Econ and Sustainable Analysis
6  
Audio & Acoustics electives
DESC9090
Audio Systems and Measurement
6  
DESC9011
Audio Production
6  
DESC9115
Digital Audio Systems
6  
DESC9117
Sound Design for New Media
6  
Illumination Design electives
DESC9164
Lighting Technologies
6 N DESC9063
DESC9166
Photometry and Colorimetry
6 N DESC9072
DESC9167
Light and Vision
6 N DESC9085
DESC9198
Subjective Analysis in Lighting Design
6 A Fundamental knowledge of lighting
Other electives
DESC9152
Practice of Lighting Design
6 A DESC9164
P At least 12 credit points of core advanced units of study in Illumination Design
DESC9153
Industry Placement
6 Masters students only. Graduate Diploma students with permission of the Program Coordinator. Advanced Standing will not be granted for this unit of study.
DESC9154
Lighting Design Software
6 A DESC9166, fundamental knowledge of lighting

Post-publication amendments

Date Original publication Post-publication amendment
20/11/2025 No Assumed Knowledge (A) for DESC9152 Assumed Knowledge (A) for DESC9152 added:
"A DESC9164"
20/11/2025 No Pre-requisites (P) for DESC9152 Prerequisites (P) for DESC9152 added:
"P At least 12 credit points of core advanced units of study in Illumination Design"
20/11/2025 No Assumed Knowledge (A) for DESC9154 Assumed Knowledge (A) for DESC9154 added:
"A DESC9166, fundamental knowledge of lighting"