48-731 Sustainable Design Synthesis Prep
12–18 units, Carnegie Mellon University
MSRSD Synthesis Prep is an independent 12-18-unit course focused on preparing students for a focused MSRSD Synthesis effort the following semester. During this course, students will explore and refine areas of interest within the greater framework of the MSRSD program. These areas of focus vary greatly in scale, but emphasize regenerative design methods that connect ecological and natural patterns with social sustainability and the decarbonization of the built environment. The course introduces students to tools for critically evaluating existing literature within their area of interest, equipping them to both analyze single research publications while mapping the broader field of related literature. Students will iteratively develop a literature review diagrams that helps identify gaps in knowledge, relevant methodologies, work to extend, and societal and ecological dimensions that demand, constrain, and inform a set of thesis questions. Students identify essential skills to deploy and develop to conduct their synthesis work, conduct initial tests of materials and methodologies, draft a research plan, and build a framework for a research paper to further fill out the following semester.
Prerequisites: none listed
Offered: Spring 2027, Fall 2026, Spring 2026, Fall 2025
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