Design-Build Education at Associated Schools of Construction Undergraduate Programs: Fid-Bau Portal

Design-Build Education at Associated Schools of Construction Undergraduate Programs

Jackson, Barbara J.

This study discusses the results of a survey conducted in 2001-2002 designed to determine the extent to which design-build project delivery is taught at four year construction programs within the membership schools of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) and to identify existing limitations and barriers to design-build education at these programs. A questionnaire was sent to all 4-year ASC construction programs. Forty four schools or fifty percent of the member schools responded. The study focused on three primary questions (1) Do you offer design-build education in your program and if you do, do you offer it as a stand alone course or as part of another course, (2) what elements of design-build are addressed in the course(s), and (3) what are the major barriers to delivering design-build education at the undergraduate level? A majority of ASC programs responding teach components of design-build project delivery at some level. Only 17% of the programs responding indicated that they taught design-build project delivery as a standalone course and 17% of the responding programs indicated that they do not teach design-build project delivery at all. Programs offering design-build project delivery as a stand-alone course address significantly more topic areas than do programs that teach design-build as part of another course. The top three topic areas addressed within those programs indicating that they teach design-build are (1) advantages and disadvantages of design-build, (2) owner’s objectives and needs, and (3) conceptual estimating. The number one barrier or limitation to delivering designbuild education at the undergraduate level is curricular restraints primarily associated with accreditation and general education requirements.