The building process is one of enormous satisfaction for those who enjoy a creative challenge and like to see the results of their work. While on-the-job- training was once the most common path of entry to a career in the building industry, the need today is for individuals with the academic background that will enable them to advance. As technology gives rise to new materials, new products, and new techniques for using them, the building industry needs people at all levels with technical knowledge and skills. In an increasingly competitive environment, business skills are essential for those who manage today's complex construction projects.
The Associate degree Construction Practice and Management program at Vermont Technical College was developed with these needs in mind. The program is designed to serve both recent high school graduates with limited experience in the construction field and adults already employed in the building industry who want to prepare themselves for project management and supervisory roles.
The first year of the program focuses on the skills entailed in the practice of building construction. In addition to the materials and methods of residential and light commercial construction, students study drafting, print reading, electrical and mechanical systems, math, and physics.
Nontraditional students (primarily adults already working in the construction industry) may be able to receive credit for many of the first-year courses through satisfactory completion of equivalence examinations.
In the second year of the program, students acquire the management skills needed by those in supervisory positions in the building industry. Second-year students take courses in construction project management, estimating, field engineering, small business management, finance, and related topics.
Graduates of the program qualify for a range of positions in the construction field: small business owners, building materials representatives, construction supervisors, estimators, and entrepreneurs. Some students may decide to further their education in management, architectural, or civil engineering. Graduates who expect to run their own construction companies are encouraged to explore continuing their educational path in Vermont Tech's bachelor's degree program in Business Technology. Students in this program are required to have their own hand tools. Contact the program director or Admissions Office for details.
The minimum number of credits required for the associate's degree is 65.
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