University of California, Berkeley

DISC (Design & Innovation for Sustainable Cities) is an intensive five-week summer program offered by UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design. DISC is designed for current college students who are interested in learning how to address the urgent issues of climate change, urban health and social equity through design of the built environment. 

Through a combination of studio sessions, lectures, seminars, digital workshops, and field work, students engage in the discourse of urban innovation while gaining hands-on experience developing design proposals.

Program dates: July 7 – August 8, 2025

To secure a seat in the program, we recommend you apply at your earliest convenience.

DISC program provides unique opportunities

The program fosters a multidisciplinary and international learning environment that empowers students with the tools and expertise necessary to craft innovative design-based solutions.

Guided by UC Berkeley faculty, expert professionals, designers, and entrepreneurs, DISC students confront the most pressing challenges facing cities. Through studio sessions, lectures, workshops and field work, students have the opportunity to test their own creative ideas while working with some of the most renowned researchers and practitioners from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Through a combination of studio sessions, lectures and seminars, demos and workshops, field work and field work, students engage in the discourse of urban innovation while gaining hands-on experience developing design proposals.

After graduating from DISC, you’ll join a cohort of more than 300 program alums from 30+ countries. DISC alums have been accepted to graduate programs at Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Rice, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington, Yale and at UC Berkeley.

A comprehensive curriculum empowers students

An intensive, challenging program built on four main platforms empowers you with the skills and expertise to shape our built environment.

• Seminars in Urban Innovation and Global Cities / Global Challenges provides you with a theoretical framework.
• Studio sessions and digital workshops hone your fundamental making skills and empower you to craft your own design solutions.
• Field work and site visits give you an opportunity to engage directly with the dynamic built and natural environments of the San Francisco Bay Area, using it as a living laboratory for study.
• Guest lectures expose you to some of the most renowned and forward-thinking researchers and practitioners in the Bay Area.

Attending DISC has many benefits

• Identify and explore the major debates around global urbanization and sustainability
• Develop a project from concept to final design
• Conceptualize and communicate your design ideas in 2D and 3D
• Collaborate on group projects with other college students passionate about design
• Connect with experienced faculty and renowned local practitioners
• Use the San Francisco Bay Area as a living laboratory for creative design
• Develop compelling materials for your design portfolio
• Earn college-level credit on an official UC Berkeley transcript