Brick Partnership

The partnership between the Satish Misal Education Foundation's Brick School of Architecture in Pune, India, and Thomas Jefferson University’s MS in Sustainable Design program provides an alternative study path for earning an MS in Sustainable Design degree from Jefferson. This path allows students to start their graduate degree in a hybrid / online format from India and to join the program in person in the United States in Year 2.

Students study for the first two semesters online in India, with one class in person at the SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture in Pune. In Year 2, students will move to Philadelphia in the U.S. and take classes on Jefferson’s East Falls campus. After completion of this STEM-designated program, international students are eligible for an extension of the Optional Practice Training period and may reside in the United States for three additional years to work in their field.

Students in the BRICK / Jefferson Partnership Program benefit from studying with their peers in the U.S. in an online synchronous setting while cutting down on cost-of-living expenses. They are part of a cohort of highly motivated students and enrolled in the same high-quality courses offered by our expert faculty in the U.S. and in Pune.  

Contact us to learn about available scholarships.

Curriculum

Year 1 – In India

Fall semester (6 credits):

• Principles & Methodologies of Sustainable Design (online)
• Adaptive & Resilient Design (online)

Spring semester (6 credits):

• Master Studio: Resilient Cities & Communities (in person on Brick campus)
• Studio Companion: Ecosystems for Resilient Cities (online)

Summer semester (3 credits):

• Building Information Modeling for Sustainable Design (online)

Year 2 – In Philadelphia

Fall Semester (9 credits):

• Master Studio: Living Buildings (on campus)
• Studio Companion: Sustainable Systems for Living Buildings (on campus)
• Thesis 1 (on campus)

Spring Semester (9 credits):

• Life Cycle Assessment & Circular Economy (online)
• Thesis 2 (on campus)