04/2003

Six Schools Now Offer Design/Build Degrees

 

A new survey from the Design-Build Institute of America indicates that five universities now offer design/build master’s degrees, while a sixth school offers an undergraduate minor in integrated project delivery. Programs currently available are located at:

Georgia Institute of Technology: Students attending Georgia Tech can earn an MS in integrated facility management or in integrated project delivery systems with the College of Architecture’s Building Construction Program. The school’s objective for both options is to prepare students to become professionals or managers for senior management positions in the industry. Slanted toward established professionals, most of the graduate courses are taught in the evenings.

Stanford University: Stanford’s Design/Construction Integrated Program prepares students for multidisciplinary, collaborative teamwork in an integrated design and construction process. Students pursue an MS in design construction integration through the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The program encourages students to get involved with professionals working with design/build projects.

University of Oklahoma: Students at the University of Oklahoma’s Construction Science division (under the architecture department) may pursue an MS in construction administration (design/build). The program is designed for people who “desire an educational background focusing on the interaction among all parties involved in the construction process, including the owner, architect, consultants, general contractor, and subcontractor. The core studies focus on theories and practical knowledge of the design/build delivery process. The university structured the program for nontraditional students: most classes meet once a week for three hours.

Washington State University: Washington State’s School of Architecture and Construction Management offers an MS in architecture with a design/build management option. The course caters to practicing design and construction professionals who wish to obtain a post-professional advanced-specialization degree in design/build management.

Worchester Polytechnic Institute: WPI offers a professional practice-oriented degree for engineering and construction students. Students earn an MS in civil engineering in the Master Builders Program. The program “encourages students to overcome the traditional separation of design and construction, consider life-cycle cost-benefits to evaluate design strategies, and share project information and knowledge in a timely manner.”

California Polytechnic State University: Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo will begin offering a new 30-unit undergraduate minor in integrated project delivery in the fall. Its stated purpose is “to provide an education opportunity to undergraduate students in the design and construction disciplines who desire to have a comprehensive understanding of the unique relationships between the disciplines and the goals and concerns of many project stakeholders.” The school emphasizes that the new degree is neither a construction, architecture, nor engineering minor. Rather, it is truly integrated.

Copyright 2003 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved. Home Page

 
 

For more information and for periodic updates on the study, visit the Design-Build Institute of America’s Web site.)


 
     
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