UMass Amherst: Building and Construction Technology

Program Description

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 will remain an essential piece in the changes that need to occur to combat global warming. Despite the cyclical nature of the construction industry, demand for graduates of the BCT Bachelor of Science degree program remains strong, in both the residential housing and the commercial building sectors. Graduates of the BCT program take on leadership roles with 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 a wide array of instruction to cover the necessary elements.

Graduates are involved in virtually every area of building technology including sustainable design practices, energy conservation, wood science, construction and project management, and sales and marketing of building materials. Career paths span technical and research disciplines through sales and construction management. It is the experience of integrating scientific and technical understanding with general business acumen that makes graduates of the program especially desirable to many hiring firms.

Don’t forget to review the program requirements and the undergraduate advising FAQs.

Declaring BCT as your major

To declare BCT as your major, simply bring a “Change of Major” form to any BCT faculty member and ask us to sign it.

For general UMass admissions procedures, follow the links on this page.

If you have any questions, contact Dave Damery (information is in the page sidebar), Program Director of BCT.

Sample Schedule

Freshman | Sophomore | Junior | Senior

Freshman Year:

Sophmore Year:

Junior Year:

Senior Year:

You can view a complete list of the graduation requirements here.