Education of Architects and Engineers for Careers in Facility Design and Construction (1995)

Prepared by Kweku K. Bentil

A large number of 2- and 4-year colleges and universities in the United States offer programs of study related to construction management or construction technology. Information on 172 4-year undergraduate and 97 graduate-level construction programs in the United States has been published by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). The latest AGC directory does not include information on two-year programs; however, the AGC estimates that more than 200 such programs are offered by community colleges (AGC, 1992).

The 172 4-year programs included in the AGC directory are divided into two categories: (1) those that have a high level of construction emphasis (as indicated, for example, by the word “construction” in the program name, awarding a degree that includes the word “construction,” and being accredited as a construction program) and (2) those programs in which construction is an option or area of specialization in another program, such as architecture or civil engineering. The AGC directory includes 67 programs in the first category and 105 programs in the second category. Of the 67 programs, 37 are located in the colleges of engineering and engineering technology, 15 in the colleges of industrial technology and industrial science, 9 in the colleges of architecture, and 6 in other colleges (business administration, agriculture, etc.).

The AGC directory also includes information on 96 graduate programs in construction at 57 universities. All of the universities have at least one master's degree program, and some have several programs; 21 universities also offer one or more doctorate-level degrees in construc-

tion. The overwhelming majority of graduate programs are administered by a school, department, or college of engineering or architecture; none are in schools of business administration.

Undergraduate construction education programs in the United States are accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) and by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Of the 67 programs listed in the 1992 AGC Collegiate Construction Education Directory, 38 are accredited by the ACCE and 22 by ABET, including three programs with accreditation from both organizations. The remaining seven programs are either not accredited or are candidates for future accreditation. According to the 1993 ACCE annual report, 1,587 undergraduate professional degrees were awarded by the 38 ACCE accredited programs (ACCE, 1994). Since the ACCE accredits the majority of construction programs, the following discussion of the accreditation of construction programs will focus on the ACCE.

ACCE is a private, non-profit corporation with a board of trustees composed of representatives of the Associated General Contractors of America, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Associated Schools of Construction, Construction Financial Management Association, The American Institute of Constructors, Construction Management Association of America, National Association of Home Builders, National Electrical Contractors Association, Mechanical Contractors Association of America, construction educators, and the construction industry at large.

The ACCE, established in 1974, is recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education as the accrediting agency for 4-year bachelor's degree programs in construction, construction science, construction management, and construction technology. The primary goal of the ACCE is the promotion and continued improvement of postsecondary construction education. ACCE does not currently accredit graduate programs.

In order to respond to the needs of the construction industry and aid educational programs, the ACCE established the following specific minimum standards and criteria for bachelor's degree programs in its 1993 annual report (ACCE, 1994):

• general education (including humanities, social science, and communications skills): 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours;

• mathematics and science (including mathematics, physical sciences, and other sciences): 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours;

• construction sciences (including materials, statics, strength of materials, soil mechanics, analysis and design of construction systems —plumbing, HVAC, electrical, etc.—surveying, design of tem-

porary structures—scaffolding, formwork, etc.—and project development): 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours;

• business and management (including economics, accounting and finance, industrial relations, business management, law and marketing): 21 semester hours or 41 quarter hours; and

• other requirements (electives): 12 semester hours or 18 quarter hours.

The goal of the construction programs accredited by the ACCE is to prepare students for employment at the professional level in the construction industry. The minimum criteria established by ACCE are intended to aid its accredited programs in developing graduates to meet the needs of the construction industry: graduates with a well-balanced education who are also well prepared to understand the basic construction process and knowledgeable in practical skills involving building technology, business, and communications and in accomplishing tasks through teamwork.