2026-2027 Academic Catalog

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Building Construction (BC)

BC 1014 - Building A Strong Foundation for Success (2 credits) 
Exploration of career options within the built environment and construction industry. Professional development, digital literacy, which will include creation of media and “personal brand” identity. Exploration of ideas from multiple viewpoints and perspectives. Oral, written, and visual presentation of ideas such as resume development. Introduction to ethical considerations. Reflection on “Self-as-Learner.” Critical-Thinking skills as they apply to construction projects. Development of group roles as they apply to construction projects. Identification of universities resources, policies, procedures, academic and social engagement opportunities.
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Crd) 
BC 1114 - Introduction to Building Construction (3 credits) 
Introduction to construction with understanding of different market sectors, specializations, career path opportunities, industry stakeholders, and processes. Comprehension of quality assurance, control, project delivery systems, basic estimating, and scheduling. Application of communication skills to professional settings and use of basic calculations to solve construction math problems.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 1124 - Construction Documents and Safety (2 credits) 
Role of construction drawings and specifications. Interpretation of construction documents and creation of basic project documentation. Health, safety, and environmental hazards encountered in the construction industry. Design Lab Studio (1H, 2L, 2C)
Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 2 Lab, 2 Crd) 
BC 1214 - Introduction to Building Construction I (3 credits) 
Introduction to construction with an overview of construction drawings and specifications, construction terminology, building codes and building systems, cost estimating and bidding, construction management processes, construction documents, load paths and foundations, construction health and safety, and hands-on experiential learning through lab exercises. Strategic career success factors and introduction to ethical decisions in construction management.
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 3 Lab, 3 Crd) 
BC 1224 - Introduction to Building Construction II (3 credits) 
Overview of the important areas of contracting and the workings of the construction industry. Application of construction management theory, processes, and terminology including, definable building systems, building code interpretations, the reading and preparing of basic construction drawings and integrating construction details and project specifications to derive safe construction means and methods, equipment section, cost estimates and time schedules.
Prerequisite(s): BC 1214 or BC 1114 
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 3 Lab, 3 Crd) 
BC 2004 - Construction Surveying (1 credit) 
Surveying in context of the construction process, basic surveying methods, equipment, emerging technologies, topographic surveying, and application to construction layout.
Prerequisite(s): BC 1124 
Instructional Contact Hours: (1 Lec, 1 Crd) 
BC 2014 - Construction Principles I (3 credits) 
Fundamentals of the construction technology and process emphasizing project management/operations, materials and methods. Utilization of industry-specific technology/software applications, techniques and sequences/project loading for the construction of buildings in compliance with Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Divisions 00-05, 31, 32, 33. Planning, scheduling, materials cost analysis, job-appropriate equipment and labor requirements, masonry applications, concrete and formwork. Site preparation and utilization, use of construction industry-specific software, interpretation of project drawing documents. Integration of project safety and health issues. Quantity surveying for the management of construction resources, according to current principles and industry standards.
Prerequisite(s): BC 1224 or (BC 1124 and BC 1114) 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 2024 - Construction Principles II (3 credits) 
Continuation of the fundamentals of construction technology and process emphasizing materials, methods, techniques and sequences for the construction of buildings using Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Divisions 01, 06-14, 21. Interpretation of construction details relevant to a construction project. Cost impact of building codes and inspections. Development of presentation skills using project-based learning. Planning, scheduling, labor needs, and quantity surveying for the management of construction resources. Development of safety and quality assurance plans, including building systems for fire suppression.
Prerequisite(s): BC 2014 
Corequisite(s): BC 2064 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 2044 - Construction Materials (3 credits) 
Introduction to the life cycle, properties, behaviors, failure modes and sustainability impacts of common construction materials including wood, insulation, asphalt, ferrous and nonferrous metals, aggregate, concrete, masonry, glass, and plastics. Theory of materials including material properties; behavior under physical, thermal, and environmental loads; and interfaces between dissimilar materials. Methods and criteria for material comparison and selection for sustainable construction. Preparation of professional written reports as a team and individually; Project management for materials selection/application.
Corequisite(s): BC 2214 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 2064 - Integrated Construction I (3 credits) 
Application of construction means, materials and methods related to quantity take-off, cost management, scheduling, resource management, document drawing, building information modeling in support of a selected project. Project cost impact of building code requirements. Emphasis on structural components of selected project.
Prerequisite(s): BC 2014 and BC 2114 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 2104 - Building Effective Construction Teams (3 credits) 
Introduction to leadership behavior styles and their impact on construction management team performance, including analysis of how ethical behavior and individual strengths support positive relationship-building. Development of management strategies to maximize positive conflict outcomes through trust-building between construction project stakeholders. Identification of the role that implicit bias plays in decision-making within diverse project teams. Development of presentation skills for a construction audience.
Prerequisite(s): BC 1224 or BC 1124 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 2114 - Information Technology in Design and Construction (3 credits) 
Building delivery and project management improvements through the use of information technology (IT) are explored, including scheduling software, building information modeling (BIM) tools, and virtual design and construction (VDC) simulation software and their corresponding theories and concepts that integrate design and construction. Use BIM/VDC tools for graphical presentations, databases, and spreadsheets.
Prerequisite(s): (BC 1114 and BC 1124) or CEM 2104 or BC 1224 
Corequisite(s): BC 2014 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 2134 - Construction Data Analysis (2 credits) 
Identification and use of various types and sources of construction market data and the tools for analyzing construction data to support managerial decision making. Different forms of applying mathematics to the construction market for better productivity and processes across the construction industry. Develop insights to inform management and investment decisions. Use of cost-benefit analysis as applied to construction management in determining feasibility of projects.
Prerequisite(s): MATH 1025 
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Crd) 
BC 2214 - Why Buildings Stand Up (3 credits) 
Overview of fundamental principles explaining why structures remain stable under various loading conditions. Explores different types of structures and applied loads and analyzes both determinate and indeterminately supported structures. Calculation of shear, bending moments, deflections in beams, and buckling. Discussion of ethical impacts on user safety and hazard avoidance, in project design and construction methods, materials, etc. Explores different types of soil composition and their strength properties.
Prerequisite(s): (BC 1224 or BC 1124) and (MATH 1025 or MATH 1225) 
Pathway Concept Area(s): 5A Quant & Comp Thnk Adv., 10 Ethical Reasoning 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 2354 - Residential Construction Technologies (3 credits) 
Identify and evaluate conventional construction materials, methods, building systems, and products to less-familiar, innovative technological alternatives for a specific residential construction project. Compare innovative technological alternatives with material and cost estimates. Overview of conventional materials, equipment, designs, and processes in residential construction. Investigate recent literature on emerging technologies to determine best practices. Strengthen understanding of the primary building systems in residential construction applications.
Prerequisite(s): BC 2064 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 2974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 2984 - Special Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 3014 - Building Physics and Environmental Systems (3 credits) 
Theory and analysis methods relative to performance of envelope systems and the design and integration of mechanical and electrical building systems. Topics covered include: envelope systems and performance metrics, conceptual and technical design theory, operational principles, and maintenance issues, all necessary for determining the selection of passive and active environmental control systems within a building including: envelope system, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, and acoustical systems.
Prerequisite(s): PHYS 2205 and PHYS 2215 or PHYS 2305 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 3064 - Integrated Construction II (3 credits) 
Application of construction means, materials and methods as they relate to quantity take-off, cost management, scheduling and resource management, document drawing, building information modeling in support of a selected project. Emphasis on building systems components of selected project.
Prerequisite(s): (BC 2064 or CEM 2104) and (PHYS 2205 and PHYS 2215 or PHYS 2305) 
Corequisite(s): BC 3114 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 3114 - Building Systems Technology (3 credits) 
Emphasis is placed on the integration and physical installation of passive and active environmental control systems including: heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, acoustics, plumbing, and fundamentals of thermal loads.
Prerequisite(s): BC 2024 and (PHYS 2305 or PHYS 2205 and PHYS 2215) or (CEM 2104 and PHYS 2305) 
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 3 Lab, 3 Crd) 
BC 3134 - Temporary Structures in Construction (3 credits) 
Introduction to temporary structure systems used to support construction operations. Concrete formwork, scaffolding systems, excavation shoring systems, dewatering techniques, and hoisting operations. Assessment of systems, cost, quality, safety, sustainability, and schedule impacts.
Prerequisite(s): (BC 2044 and BC 2024 and BC 2214) or CEE 3684 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
Course Crosslist: CEM 3134 
BC 3954 - Study Abroad (1-19 credits) 
Study abroad in Spain.
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 3984 - Special Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 4024 - Estimating, Production, and Cost Engineering (3 credits) 
Interpretation of plans and specifications, preparation of construction estimates, and cost control. Methods analysis, resource requirements, and resource costs in building systems, including system components, and in large-scale civil engineering works such as highways, bridges, and hydraulic structures.
Prerequisite(s): CEE 3014 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
Course Crosslist: CEE 4014 
BC 4064 - Integrated Construction III (3 credits) 
Application of construction means, materials and methods as they relate to quantity take-off, cost management, scheduling and resource management, document drawing, building information modeling in support of a selected project. Emphasis on administrative/general contractor functions (such as project safety, budget development, and permitting) of the selected project.
Prerequisite(s): BC 3064 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4114 - Building Information Modeling in Design and Construction (3 credits) 
Introduction to means and methods to enrich the geometric information of a building model with semantic data such as, material, structural and performance values. Concept of interoperability in architecture, engineering and construction industry. Overview of approaches to information modeling such as Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (STEP), Industry Foundation Classes (ifc), Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie) and Green Building XML (gbXML). Key concepts of object-oriented modeling and programming.
Prerequisite(s): BC 2114 or (ENGE 1215 and ENGE 1216) 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4124 - Digital Construction & Manufacturing (3 credits) 
Explore working principles, design projects, & experiment with construction digital information modeling, computer numerical control (CNC), and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) processes. Fundamentals of digital prototyping. Analysis of the industry tools such as 3D scanners, 3D printers, CNC manufacturing techniques, and others, used to provide familiarity with technologies & provide understanding of their benefits & limitations.
Prerequisite(s): BC 2114 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4164 - Production Planning and Process Design for Construction (3 credits) 
The course deals with the planning and design of construction processes. Course topics include production systems, behavior of construction systems and workers, the relationships between subsystems in the construction process, queuing systems, process modeling and simulation. The major emphasis is on production and productivity. Production problems that typically occur in construction systems are discussed. The course also explores recent innovations in construction system design such as lean construction and agile construction.
Prerequisite(s): BC 3064 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4174 - Decision Making and Risk Management (3 credits) 
Explores the theories, methodologies, and tools used in decision making and risk management, with a focus on applications in the construction industry. Students will gain insights into the complexities of making decisions in uncertain project environments and learn strategies to identify, assess, and mitigate risks effectively throughout the project lifecycle. Pre: Junior/Senior Standing
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4314 - Building Performance and Energy Management (3 credits) 
Fundamentals of building performance mandates for the built environment. Practical means and methods for evaluating building performance metrics within integrated design including acoustic performance, visual performance, and indoor air quality and management. Specific focus on energy resources consumed by thermal, hygrothermal, lighting, and other environmental building systems. Assessment of building energy consumption and analysis of retrofit scenarios through performance evaluation over the entire building life cycle.
Prerequisite(s): BC 3014 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4324 - Innovation in Residential Construction (3 credits) 
Mechanisms of historical and current innovations in the residential construction industry. Theory and application within the realms of innovation, diffusion, technology, adoption, new product development, housing innovation literature, supply chain management, sustainability, information technology, commercialization, and housing policy. Innovation theories and applications to residential construction through the analysis and utilization of data-driven hypotheses typical to the industry.
Prerequisite(s): BC 2354 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4334 - Sustainable Building Performance Management (3 credits) 
Introduction to means and methods for managing the sustainability of buildings and their performance over the life cycle. Best practices for sustainable projects in the areas of planning/development, site design, project management, energy and water conservation and green building assessment tools and methods; Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system; economic analysis of green building alternatives; and implementation planning.
Prerequisite(s): BC 3064 and BC 3014 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4364 - Lifecycle BIM for Facility Management (3 credits) 
BIM (Building Information Modeling) concepts and tools that are critical for facility operation and maintenance. Identifying, capturing, analyzing, exporting and exchanging facility lifecycle data. Spreadsheet-based and BIM based facility management platforms. Case studies and real-life application for understanding mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems from an owner or facility manager perspective. Workflow processes for data exchange.
Prerequisite(s): BC 2114 and BC 3114 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4374 - Residential Housing and Land Development (3 credits) 
Application of means, methods, and strategies for delivering single and multi-family residential housing in urban and suburban contexts. Project planning, including market analysis to determine highest and best use of an identified property, marketing and sales strategies, site and product design and procurement, infrastructure requirements, zoning and government agency regulations, financial analysis and feasibility study, financing strategies, and delivery control systems. Roles of developer and project team in preparing formal proposals for a housing development to be submitted for financing. Identification and application of interfaces with project stakeholders. Overview of contemporary topics such as green development and affordable housing.
Prerequisite(s): BC 2354 and BC 3064 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4434 - Construction Practice I (3 credits) 
Explores advanced business and management practices and applications to vertical construction projects. Topics include scope, planning and scheduling, assemblies estimating, cash flow controls. Creation of work breakdown structure, application of concepts of assemblies estimating and general conditions to interpret insurance and contract requires along with digital construction practices.
Prerequisite(s): BC 3064 and BC 3114 and BC 3134 
Corequisite(s): BC 4064 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 4444 - Construction Practice II (4 credits) 
This course explores and applies the business and construction practices related to operation of a construction company to a capstone experience. Construction operation is examined as it relates to construction, financial and personnel management. Project management topics studied in this course are applied in the corequisite lab. This course is formally designated as a writing intensive course. Formal written and edited and oral presentations are presented and critiqued by the BC faculty team, the writing resource center, students and industry professionals.
Prerequisite(s): BC 4434 and BC 4064 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Lab, 4 Crd) 
BC 4754 - Internship (1-3 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: (1-3 Lec, 1-3 Crd) 
Repeatability: up to 3 credit hours 
BC 4974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 4984 - Special Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 4994 - Undergraduate Research (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 5024 - Cost Management of the Building Process (3 credits) 
A study of cost management procedures applicable to the building process from concept through owner operations. Cost considerations in the decision process, concepts for monitoring and controlling costs, and the determination of accountability are examined. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 5114G - Advanced Building Information Modeling In Design and Construction (3 credits) 
Introduction to means and methods to enrich the geometric information of a building model with semantic data such as material, structural and performance values. Concept of interoperability in architecture, engineering and construction industry. Overview of approaches to information modeling such as Standard for the Exchange of Product model data (STEP), Industry Foundation Classes (ifc), Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie), and Green Building XML (gbXML). Key concepts of object-oriented modeling and programming. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 5124G - Advanced Digital Construction and Manufacturing (3 credits) 
Explore and experiment with construction from the perspective of digital information, computer numerical control (CNC), and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) processes. Tools like 3D scanners, 3D printers, CNC manufacturing techniques, and others will be used in a lab setting intended to provide familiarity with these technologies and a sense of their benefits and limitations. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 3 Lab, 3 Crd) 
BC 5134 - Sustainable Facility Systems (3 credits) 
Introduction to means, methods, and analytical practices associated with sustainability in the built environment. Best practices for sustainable projects in the areas of planning/development, site design, project management, energy and water conservation and efficiency, green building materials, and indoor environmental quality. Analytical methods include green building assessment tools and methods; Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system; economic analysis of green building alternatives; and evaluation for innovation and organizational change. Graduate standing required.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 5144 - Sustainable Infrastructure Systems (3 credits) 
Relevant issues and state of the art technologies for sustainable civil infrastructure systems, including energy generation, water supply and treatment, wastewater systems, solid waste systems, and transportation/mobility systems. Analytical methods include development-scale sustainability assessment tools and methods; green materials performance assessment and evaluation; economic analysis of system alternatives; demand assessment/optimization; and conceptual design approaches for different system types. Graduate standing required.
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 2 Lab, 3 Crd) 
BC 5154 - Modeling in Design and Construction (3 credits) 
Concepts, theory, and practice of building information modeling during design and construction. Building delivery and project management concepts in relation to building information modeling. Computer applications for visualization, modeling, simulation, scheduling, and estimating. Analyze models for critical analysis and problem solving in the design, planning, and management of a construction project. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (2 Lec, 3 Lab, 3 Crd) 
BC 5174 - Advanced Decision Making and Risk Management (3 credits) 
Explores the theories, methodologies, and tools used in decision making and risk management, with a focus on applications in the construction industry. Students will gain insights into the complexities of making decisions in uncertain project environments and learn strategies to identify, assess, and mitigate risks effectively throughout the project lifecycle. Pre: Graduate standing
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 5314 - Applied Building Sciences (3 credits) 
Fundamentals of building physics and other sciences dealing with the built environment, scientific means and methods for evaluating and simulating building performance in various contexts, emphasis is put on thermal, hygrothermal (moisture and mold), lighting, daylighting, acoustic performance - all performance topics are evaluated over the life cycle of a building and their impact on sustainability. Graduate standing required.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 5374 - Advanced Lifecyle BIM for Facility Management (3 credits) 
BIM (Building Information Modeling) concepts and tools for identifying, capturing, analyzing, and delivering facility life cycle data. Data-centric and model-centric workflows for data handover. BIM models for a system-oriented model review and case study utilization. Advanced tools and programming language to search the BIM model. Workflow process. Apply case studies to assess MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) systems from a facility manager perspective. Pre: Graduate standing.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 5514 - Principles and Practices of Construction I (3 credits) 
Using a case study approach coupled with several term projects to achieve its objectives, this course covers the principles and practices of construction means and methods for CSI divisions 1-6 with emphasis on concrete, masonry, and steel construction. The course also integrates topics in project management, including project contract types and delivery methods, bonds and insurance, conceptual and detailed cost estimating methods, planning and scheduling techniques, and resource/cost scheduling. Graduate standing required.
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 5524 - Principles and Practices of Construction II (3 credits) 
Using a case study approach with various term projects, this course builds on concepts covered in BC 5514, focusing on the principles and practices of construction means and methods for CSI divisions 7-13. Emphasis is given to finishing works, thermal and moisture protection procedures, curtain wall construction, and special construction methods. The course integrates advanced topics in project management including schedule updating techniques, resource and cost tracking and control tools, and linear scheduling.
Prerequisite(s): BC 5514 or BC 55514 
Instructional Contact Hours: (3 Lec, 3 Crd) 
BC 5904 - Project and Report (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 5954 - Study Abroad (1-19 credits) 
Study Abroad in Spain.
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 5974 - Independent Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 5984 - Special Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 5994 - Research and Thesis (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course 
BC 6984 - Special Study (1-19 credits) 
Instructional Contact Hours: Variable credit course