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The Portland State University School of Architecture will soon offer a graduate certificate in public interest design.

The new program will be led by architecture school’s Center for Public Interest Design, which provides design services to a variety of domestic and international projects that serve the common good.

The aim of the certificate curriculum is to provide an educational foundation in public interest design through academic studies and hands-on experience in the field. Participants in the program will work directly with communities in need, addressing issues such as inadequate shelter, food and water scarcity, disaster preparedness and recovery and economic well-being.

PSU will soon accept applications for the program from current and incoming PSU graduate students as well as professionals seeking continuing education. The first courses are scheduled to start this spring.

The 18 credits of coursework to earn the certificate will be geared toward preparing future professionals in the fields of architecture, urban planning, sustainability and community development to aid underserved populations through thoughtful design.

At the conclusion of the program, students will participate in a real world public interest design project led by the Center for Public Interest Design. The center’s work includes international design-build projects in Haiti, Mongolia and Argentina. Domestically, the center has led planning and development work with disadvantaged neighborhoods in California’s Central Valley and along the U.S.-Mexico border.

To learn more about the program, email [email protected].