The Field

Educating leaders in the field of sustainable design and construction of the built environment is the core mission of the Building and Construction Technology (BCT) program. Green building is a rapidly emerging field that is remaining an essential tool in efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, improve air and water quality, enhance urban biodiversity, and conserve natural resources. These steps are needed to maximize both economic and environmental performance in built environments. Despite the cyclical nature of the construction industry, demand for graduates of the BCT Bachelor of Science degree program is strong, in both the residential housing and the commercial building sectors. Graduates of the BCT program take on leadership roles through their understanding of this technically complex field. Students participate in coursework covering science, technology, business, and design to support the basis for advancing their careers. The design, construction, and in-service use of residential and commercial buildings are complex and BCT students are offered exceptionally varied instruction to cover the necessary elements of sustainable design and construction. Graduates of BCT are involved in virtually every aspect of the built environment: construction management, sustainable building planning, engineered wood design, building energy performance evaluation, building products distribution, and research and development. They assure the materials and systems used in our buildings are best suited to the needs of each project in terms of safety, efficiency, sustainability, and cost effectiveness. It is the integration of technical understanding with general business acumen that makes graduates of the Building and Construction Technology program uniquely desirable to employers.