Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design
INTRODUCTION
Admissions are now open for the August 2024 intake. Admission period will close on 28 February 2026.
Click here to apply!
The Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD), is a one-year, post-professional programme that addresses the global sustainability challenge by tackling both the building and urban scales, and integrating knowledge from the disciplines of architecture, engineering, landscape design, planning, urban design and biological science. The curriculum delves into material, technical, spatial and social systems, linking them directly to the urbanisation of Asian cities. Students come from varied disciplinary and cultural backgrounds; most are from Asian countries, with a few from Australia, Europe, North and Central America.
After graduation, many MSc ISD alumni return to their core disciplines as sustainability-trained professionals. A degree from NUS enhances their standing and marketability; the MSc ISD experience gives them a newfound capability to frame problems from an Asian perspective. With these, they are well placed to carve out unique positions in the building and planning sectors in the region. Some graduates segue into research, education or specialist consulting. Others have gone on to pursue PhDs.
Brochure
Please click here to download the brochure.
Regenerative Design Workshop in Spain
The Regenerative Design Workshops, conducted in collaboration with the University of Navarra (UNAV) in Madrid, Spain, is an exciting highlight of the ISD programme. Building on the success of the past three editions, these workshops will continue to bring ISD students face-to-face with some of the world’s most respected voices in sustainability and regenerative design.
Held annually in the first week of June, the workshops are anchored by globally renowned experts. Past editions have been led by Chrisna du Plessis (2023), Bill Reed (2024), and Bill Browning (2025). Each week-long programme combines hands-on sessions with these experts and curated site visits to exemplary projects across Madrid. Equally enriching is the opportunity to engage with fellow graduate students from UNAV. This cross-cultural exchange of ideas and experiences makes the workshop a truly well-rounded and transformative experience.
Expect the same and much more in the Fourth Workshop in Madrid in 2026. Participation in the workshop is voluntary and self-funded by participating students. This workshop is a value-add to the MSc ISD curriculum that is optional. It is not assigned course units and does not factor into a student’s final GPA. Further details will be provided later.
NEW INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
MSc ISD facilitates internship opportunities in Singapore firms:
As of 2023, the programme directors of the MSc ISD programme will recommend several top students from each semester to several Singapore firms for hire as interns during semester breaks. We have reached an informal agreement with noteworthy local firms such as WOHA, CPG Corp and SAA Architects – a member of the Surbana Jurong Group. They will review our recommendations and consider the applicants for full-time internship positions. Other firms will be added to this list in due course. While the final decision to hire rests with the firm – depending on their needs at the time – what is exciting for our students is that this initiative will create a learning opportunity, outside the classroom, to learn firsthand at the offices of some of the leading practices in Singapore.
Alumni Testimonial
Student Works and Publication
Part & Whole – Reconciling Scale, Density and Sustainability in Asian Megapolises
Year: 2020 | Publisher: CASA + MSc ISD |
The book documents the work of the consecutive MSc ISD urban studios between 2015 and 2017, which examined three cities in Asia: Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The works demonstrate the adoption of a multi-disciplinary systems-based approach that tackles each city at multiple scales – the metropolitan scale, the city scale, the district scale and the block scale.
Click here to download a pdf copy of the book.
Form Intelligence – Reimagining the Industrial Landscape for a Circular Economy
Year: 2021 | Publisher: CASA + MSc ISD |
The book presents the works carried out over two years by students and professors of the MSc ISD programme. These works revolve around the principles of circularity and how these principles affect decisions during the planning stages.
The book is organized into three parts to present the ideas emanating from the studio works and their implications on urban form. The first parts outlines the larger canvas of Singapore and the global context; the second part explores circularity of an actual site in Singapore- the Sungei Kadut industrial estate; and the third part presents expert views on circularity replying in part on the Sungei Kadut study.
Click here to download a pdf copy of the book.
Apply Now
Apply now to our Master of Science in Integrated Sustainable Design Program.
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ACADEMICS
– Research Associate: Mr Alakesh DUTTA (adutta@nus.edu.sg)
ADDRESS
Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design Programme, Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, 4 Architecture Drive, Singapore 117566