Our BCT Summer 2026 online courses are now available on UMass University+. These are open to you whether you are a matriculated student or not and can provide valuable skills as well as credits towards your major or minor. Want to complete a BCT Minor? You can use these courses for that.

Available Courses:

Energy Efficient Housing (BCT 211)

Energy conservation in contemporary residential construction. Emphasis on: energy efficient building materials, products and construction technology; alternative energy sources; passive solar design; environmental concerns, regulatory issues and building codes.

Construction Estimating (BCT 314)

Any successful building construction project relies on accurate and consistent cost estimates. This course provides students with the skills and background to perform construction estimating, bidding, and cost management. Lectures will cover quantity take-off from construction documents and estimate costs for material, labor, equipment, overhead, and profit. Students are required to prepare and submit a formal bid which details an estimate for a building construction project. Furthermore, students will also be introduced to leading construction estimating software utilized in the construction industry.

Introduction to CAD & BIM in Construction & Architecture (BCT 320)

This course provides students with a broad introduction into Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) with a focus on construction- and architecture-specific applications. By using industry-standard AEC software (such as Autodesk AutoCAD, Trimble SketchUp, and Autodesk Revit) in hands-on exercises, assignments and projects, students gain the capability to model construction projects and create and distribute industry-standard architectural drawings.

Construction Project Management (BCT 353)

Introduces business concepts to students interested in design and fabrication of structures. Managing a project, contracts, marketing, scheduling, personnel, leadership, interpersonal communication, human behavior, finance, budgeting, ethical and legal considerations.

Sustainable Building & LEED Certification (BCT 414 & ECO 614)

The LEED Professional Credentials indicate professional excellence and a strong depth of knowledge as well as practical understanding of the LEED Rating Systems and how they apply to the high-performance design and construction of the built environment. Preparing to take the LEED Green Associate and AP exams requires more than taking one course; it is a process that involves acquisition of disciplinary knowledge and understanding of complex building and environmental systems. This course introduces core concepts of the USGBC LEED Rating Systems and assists students in study and preparation for the LEED Green Associate exam.

Construction Internships (BCT 398 & 498)

Matriculated BCT students can get credit for their internships by following the instructions on this page.

Enroll by May 8!

Find more information and enroll at: umass.edu/universityplus/classes/explore/summer-2026

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BCT is this year again offering a summer pre-college program for high-schoolers that are interested in construction and in finding out how to make buildings sustainable! Rising 10th–12th graders get a feel for what college is like while earning two (2) college credits that can be applied towards the Building and Construction Technology Program (BCT) at UMass, or others. Enroll NOW to save your child’s spot in these exciting programs!

BCT’s Sustainable Building Lab

Discover how buildings shape the world – and how to make them better!

Join us for two action-packed weeks at UMass Amherst where high school students will dive into the world of building design, construction, and sustainability. This isn’t just sitting in a classroom – it’s about designing, building, and exploring the future of the built environment.

This pre-college course is dedicated to investigating sustainability in the Built Environment with a series of hands-on activities that will explore: 

• Digital design using the computer-aided design (CAD) software Sketchup
• Energy efficiency in residential and commercial buildings
• Water conservation strategies
• Sustainable material uses in contemporary buildings
• How the UMass campus incorporates elements of sustainability
• Analyzing buildings for sustainability and identifying solutions that address any shortcomings

Daily activities will include short field trips to a variety of locations, including sustainable material manufacturers, various recently built campus buildings, the UMass Power Plant, a Living Building, and the Trimble Technology Lab. Other locations on campus will illustrate energy efficiency, water conservation, and material use and disposal will be explored.

Throughout this program, we will explore the issues of sustainability and resilience from the perspective of the built environment. This will consist of a series of experiential learning exercises where students are exposed to examples of sustainability on campus and locations that are a short drive away. This program will examine the built environment and how humans interact with it.

When? July 12 – 25, 2026

Where? This course is offered at the UMass Amherst campus with commuter and residential options available.

Instructor: Michael McNally

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Invest one year into exploring a facet of sustainable construction that is most interesting and intriguing to you. Our professional, course-only Master’s program allows you to do that! Or consider our part-time graduate certificate if you are not ready to commit to a full graduate prgram. For those wishing to advance their academic career, we are also offering research M.S. and Ph.D. prgrams.

Professional Master’s (M.S.):

A professional Master’s (M.S.), which allows students to complete a graduate coursework-based direction of study that does not include research or a thesis. This degree usually takes 1-2 years to complete.

Learn More: Professional Master’s (M.S.)

Research Master’s (M.S.) or Ph.D.:

A research Master’s (M.S.), which centers on a research thesis project and combines it with graduate coursework. This degree usually takes 2-3 years to complete.

A doctoral degree (Ph.D.) with its main focus on an independent, advanced dissertation research topic. Course requirements are set mainly by the advisory committee. This degree usually takes 3-5 years to complete.

Learn More: Research Master’s (M.S.) and Ph.D.

All of these are offered through the “Sustainable Building Systems” concentration of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s graduate program.

Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Construction:

Not sure yet if a Master’s or PhD is for you? You can start in our Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Construction (one course at a time) and decide later whether you want to count all credits towards our Master’s program.

Learn More: Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Construction

Apply Now!

Applications are accepted until March 1st for the Fall semester. Deadline for Spring semester starts is October 1st.

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Peggi L. Clouston and Alexander C. Schreyer, professors in the Building and Construction Technology program at UMass Amherst and experts in wood engineering, have written a comprehensive new book, “Mass Timber: Materials, Design, and Construction,” an extensive 576-page volume that serves as a one-stop resource for the rapidly evolving field of mass timber construction.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, the book arrives at a critical time as the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry increasingly turns to sustainable wood products to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment.

Clouston and Schreyer’s book bridges the gap between traditional timber knowledge and modern engineering, covering a wide array of topics essential for students and professionals alike, including:

• Sustainability: Exploration of the climate-related benefits of wood and forest health
• Material Science: In-depth technical details on Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), Glulam, and structural composite lumber
• Practical Design: Guidance on building codes, gravity and lateral loads, and complex connection detailing
• Construction Excellence: Insights into procurement, risk management, and on-site hoisting and storage.

The book also features detailed case studies of pioneering projects, including the John W. Olver Design Building at UMass Amherst, one of the most technologically advanced CLT buildings in the United States.

“We designed this to be both a classroom companion and a valuable desk reference,” says Clouston. “It includes many illustrative examples to make the material relevant for current practitioners as well as the next generation of builders.

For more information about the book, or to order copies, visit the John Wiley & Sons website.

View the entire news item on the UMass News site…

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The start of a new semester brings with it a new series of public lectures. We are happy to announce the four speakers mentioned below, who will present on various current topics in the built environment as part of our Spring 2026 BCT Lecture Series.

All lectures are open to the public and are held on Mondays from 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm in the Olver Design Building Room 170. Attendees can get continuing education credits (AIA/USGBC). Zoom options will be available, too.

Want to get notified when these are? Sign up for our email list.

Speakers:

Consigli Construction: Applied Construction Fundamentals

Scott Drumm, Project Manager, Thomas Duszlak, Senior Project Superintendent
02.09.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170

CORA Structural: Curiosity, Collaboration, & Carbon-Conscious Thinking

Michael Gryniuk. P.E., Founder and Principal of CORA Structural
04.06.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170

Construction Challenges and Solutions in Polar Environments

David Malpas, Construction Manager, Antarctic Support Contract
03.30.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170

Tools of the Trade for Building Diagnostics

Kohta Ueno, Principal, Building Science Corporation
04.27.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170

Lectures are free and open to all.

You can find the calendar entries for these on our Calendar page.

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November 13 was moving day at the DesignBuild Site at UMass Amherst—which means that three giant flat-bed trucks and three enormous tow trucks, plus a crane and a crew of a dozen hard-hatted operators to manage it, were ready for work. Instead of people moving into a house, though, moving day for the undergraduate and graduate DesignBuild students means lifting the small, high-performance, high-efficiency house they built over the course of a year off its blocks, hoisting it 40 feet in the air, placing it gently on those flatbeds, driving it down to its final resting place in Holyoke, and then putting it back together so that it can become the permanent home of one of the many Holyokers currently facing housing insecurity.

Read the full UMass News story here…

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A little while ago, Dr. Peggi Clouston and Alex Schreyer joined Galen Nelson, MassCEC’s Chief Climate Officer, to talk about mass timber. This was part of their Thoughtful Climate Live Interview Series, which is a dialogue that features experts, pioneers, and practitioners from a variety of existing and emerging climatetech sectors and disciplines, as well as subject matter experts who can provide insights into broader economic, social and technological dynamics shaping our industry.

This interview gave them a great opportunity to talk about mass timber buildings like the John W. Olver Design Building and also discuss where the mass timber Industry is heading – especially here in the Northeast.

You can watch the full interview below.

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The annual Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 1 Competition offers a unique learning environment for students, significantly enhancing their educational experience. ASC organizes regional competitions sponsored by construction companies, with many programs across the U.S. The BCT program recognizes and supports the benefits of student participation in intercollegiate competitions like this and we have sent teams to this competition for a few years now. In this competition, students submit proposals to construction industry executives, who serve as judges, and then defend their proposals in front of an audience during the event.

Throughout the competition, students face real-world scenarios that challenge their skills.

The BCT program began participating in the ASC Competitions in 2019, finishing last in our first year. We improved to 6th place in 2020. In 2021, we created a dedicated course (BCT 392C) to better prepare our students, resulting in a 3rd place finish. We continued to climb the ranks, achieving 2nd place in 2022 and finally securing 1st place in 2023. In 2024, we placed 4th, and in 2025, we returned to the podium with another 2nd place finish in the Preconstruction track.

The UMass team under the guidance of Professor Fernando Romero that achieved this year’s 2nd place consisted of:

• Brennan Ibbitson (Project Manager)
• Omer Mian (Safety Manager)
• Matthew Bombara (Estimator)
• Kylie Horne (Assistant Superintendent)
• Paige McGettrick (Schedule Manager)
• Quinn Redpath (Superintendent)

At the ASC Competition, our UMass team once again demonstrated excellence, earning 2nd place in the Preconstruction track. We are proud of this team’s consistency, determination, and skill.

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Our BCT Winter 2025-26 online courses are now available on UMass University+. These are open to you whether you are a matriculated student or not and can provide valuable skills as well as credits towards your major or minor. Want to complete a BCT Minor? You can use these courses for that.

Available Courses:

Construction Estimating (BCT 314)

Any successful building construction project relies on accurate and consistent cost estimates. This course provides students with the skills and background to perform construction estimating, bidding, and cost management. Lectures will cover quantity take-off from construction documents and estimate costs for material, labor, equipment, overhead, and profit. Students are required to prepare and submit a formal bid which details an estimate for a building construction project. Furthermore, students will also be introduced to leading construction estimating software utilized in the construction industry.

Introduction to CAD & BIM in Construction & Architecture (BCT 320)

This course provides students with a broad introduction into Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) with a focus on construction- and architecture-specific applications. By using industry-standard AEC software (such as Autodesk AutoCAD, Trimble SketchUp, and Autodesk Revit) in hands-on exercises, assignments and projects, students gain the capability to model construction projects and create and distribute industry-standard architectural drawings.

Sustainable Building & LEED Certification (BCT 414 & ECO 614)

The LEED Professional Credentials indicate professional excellence and a strong depth of knowledge as well as practical understanding of the LEED Rating Systems and how they apply to the high-performance design and construction of the built environment. Preparing to take the LEED Green Associate and AP exams requires more than taking one course; it is a process that involves acquisition of disciplinary knowledge and understanding of complex building and environmental systems. This course introduces core concepts of the USGBC LEED Rating Systems and assists students in study and preparation for the LEED Green Associate exam.

Construction Internships (BCT 398 & 498)

Matriculated BCT students can get credit for their internships by following the instructions on this page.

Enroll by December 12th!

Find more information and enroll at: www.umass.edu/universityplus/classes/explore/winter-2026

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Join the BCT and Architecture faculty and help grow our design-build program. See below for the position description. For questions, reach out to the search co-chairs L. Carl Fiocchi (fiocchi@eco.umass.edu) and Robert Williams (roblwilliams@umass.edu). 

Position: Director of Design-Build Program (Lecturer Calendar Year)

Job no: 528394
Work type: Faculty Full Time
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Environmental Conservation
Union: MSP
Categories: Faculty, College of Natural Sciences, College of Humanities & Fine Arts, Lecturer/Non-Tenure Track

About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.  

About the Departments at UMass Amherst

Building and Construction Technology (BCT) is one of the programs in the Department of Environmental Conservation (ECo) within the College of Natural Sciences and the School of Earth and Sustainability at UMass Amherst. BCT is co-located in Amherst with the Departments of Architecture and Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning in the UMass John W. Olver Design Building, a nationally acclaimed sustainable building on the Amherst campus.

The ECo department hosts a multi-disciplinary group of faculty with programs in Building and Construction Technology, Natural Resources Conservation, Environmental Science, and Sustainability Science. Unifying themes across these programs include conservation of natural resources, sustainable development, and reconciliation of humans with the natural environment. Special emphasis is placed on faculty-student interaction, interdisciplinary activities, and cooperation among faculty. We commonly teach interdisciplinary classes and share a fundamental commitment to serving a diverse student body and the broader public, and we are committed to recruiting, supporting, and retaining a diverse faculty.

Department of Architecture is part of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. The Department is responsible for an undergraduate degree (BS-Architecture), a graduate professional degree (Master of Architecture), and a graduate post-professional degree (Master of Design). The Department Architecture provides an accessible, intellectually rigorous design education that firmly grounds students in the art and science of the built environment. The interdisciplinary, collaborative program embraces spirited, socially progressive, and environmentally responsive design. As New England’s first public architecture program, UMass Amherst Architecture seeks to significantly broaden interest in and access to a professional training in architecture throughout the North Atlantic region. The Master of Architecture program, accredited by NAAB, provides the path to licensure.

The Department teaches a creative process that will enable students to tackle complex interdisciplinary problems of varying scales. Students learn to create a wide range of interventions informed by human and environmental systems. Students learn a design process that seeks to envision approaches, conducting research, and enlisting appropriate stakeholders.

Job Description

The Building and Construction Technology Program (in the Department of Environmental Conservation) and the Department of Architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a full-time lecturer position to be the director and primary instructor for the UMass DesignBuild program. The successful candidate will provide the core organizational, administrative, and instructional role in the UMass DesignBuild program, which is a service-learning effort that allows students from multiple disciplines to construct a small house or other project each year as an academic exercise and then provide that structure to a local community partner and/or the University for their affordable housing efforts. It is a co-operative effort by the Building and Construction Technology program in the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Architecture, and the Five Colleges Architectural Studies program.

Successful candidates will have a strong interest in design-build pedagogy and experience in both architectural design and full-scale construction.

This position is a calendar year Lecturer (100% appointment, 12 months), joint hire between the Department of Environmental Conservation (ECO) as primary department and the Department of Architecture as secondary.

The initial appointment will be for two years but is renewable based on performance and program need. The successful candidate will be a core faculty member of the Building and Construction Technology (BCT) Program in the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Architecture, and will interface with other academic groups at UMass and industry throughout the region. The ECO and Architecture departments and UMass Amherst place special emphasis on faculty-student interactions and a commitment to teaching and mentoring. We value the retention of new faculty, and the successful candidate will be provided with a departmental mentoring committee and have access to extensive university programs and mutual mentoring opportunities through the Colleges of Natural Sciences and Humanities and Fine Arts and the University’s Office of Faculty Development.

The presumed start date is September 1, 2026.

Essential Functions:

Teaching Duties:

• Spring: Teaching a 6 credit undergraduate and graduate level DesignBuild design studio that leads to the construction documents for the upcoming project.
• Summer: Instructor for two 6 credit (each) DesignBuild build courses during which the  structure will be built.
• Fall: Teaching the BCT 313 course (3 cr.) on light-frame, residential construction. This may coincide with instructional duties for the completion of the design/build project.

Service Duties:

Construction Management Duties

Perform all necessary tasks required for the successful construction of the proposed design-build project as specified in the UMass DesignBuild Design Studio, including but not limited to the following:

• Prepare UMass DesignBuild site in preparation for student arrival for the start of the Build, i.e., tools, materials, construction equipment, safety equipment, etc.
• Procure all materials and equipment necessary for the build.
• Instruct students in all aspects of construction procedures including both tool and job site safety.
• Communicate and coordinate as necessary with assorted code officials, municipal authorities, specialty contractors, and materials suppliers.
• Complete construction as needed following the conclusion of the summer build courses, and ensure delivery to community partner.

Program Management Duties

Primary management of the UMass Design Build program including, but not limited to the following tasks:

• Solicitiation and procurement of projects for the DesignBuild program.
• Negotiations and agreements with community partners, the University, and/or other potential collaborators for DesignBuild projects.
• Fundraising for the projects and in support of the grant-funded faculty position.
• Overseeing program and construction finances and interfacing with University accountants.
• Interfacing with UMass Legal as necessary for annual agreements with recipients of DesignBuild projects, and managing agreements between all involved parties.
• Student recruitment.
• Outreach to media, donors, town officials, AEC professionals, faculty, UMass Administers, etc.
• Campus construction site supervision (maintenance and updating).

The successful candidate will need to work collaboratively and effectively to promote teamwork, diversity, equality, and inclusiveness. They need to work in partnership with colleagues within the CNS and HFA communities and across the campus to support the University’s strategic priorities, especially as it pertains to experiential learning. They may also need to perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of the College of Natural Sciences.

Other Functions

• Work collaboratively and effectively to promote teamwork, equality, and inclusiveness.   
• Work in partnership with colleagues within the CNS community and across the campus to support the Dean’s strategic priorities. 
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of the College of Natural Sciences. 

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. architecture, building science, construction technology, construction management, civil engineering, or similar).
• Construction Supervisor License (CSL) in Massachusetts or equivalent (by the time of hire).
• OSHA 10 Safety License (by the time of hire).
• Previous onsite experience in light-frame construction.
• Previous teaching experience in construction and/or design programs.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Architect license in Massachusetts (by the time of hire).
• OSHA 30 safety license.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions 

All work on the DesignBuild Site and project destination site occurs within a construction environment. The candidate must be comfortable in that environment and should be able to perform reasonable physical duties as appropriate.

Salary Information

It is expected that the salary range for this position is between $80,117.00 and $118,067.00.

Please note:

• The low-end of the pay range in all faculty searches at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the minimum salary for the rank included in the collective bargaining agreement between the University and the Massachusetts Society of Professors, UMass Amherst/MTA/NEA.
• The high-end of the pay range reflects an increase above the median of salaries at this rank within the department for faculty who may have multiple years of faculty experience.
• The specific pay for this position will be determined by the University based on consideration of all relevant factors when and if it decides to extend and offer of employment.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with the application, please submit the following:

• Cover letter of no more than 1000 words that describes your interest in the position, qualifications and teaching philosophy
• Comprehensive CV
• Documentation of required licenses, as applicable
• Portfolio of design work or construction project listing, not to exceed 25MB.
• Contact information of three references (including name, title, address, telephone number, and email address).

Application review will begin January 15, 2026.

At UMass Amherst and in CNS, we strive to be a community where every individual feels a sense of belonging, where every individual is included, and where every individual is valued. You can find these values and goals at: Inclusive Excellence : College of Natural Sciences : UMass Amherst, and For the Common Good – 2024-2034 : Strategic Plan : UMass Amherst).

The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

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