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Construction and Building Science Certificate (CBC)

Type: Career, Certificate (C1)

Open Admissions

Division: Stem And Education


Construction and Building Science Certificate is a one-year program which is designed to prepare students to enter careers in the design, construction, operation or maintenance of the built environment.  Graduates are prepared for careers in the building design, construction, testing, operation, and maintenance of building systems; they have the abilities to produce and utilize basic construction documents and to perform basic analysis and design of system components. 

Through lecture, case study, demonstration, hands-on testing, and design exercises, students will gain introductory knowledge of the science behind building performance and begin to explore how to design in accordance with the laws of physics and the forces of nature. If you are a designer, builder, project manager, property owner, or policy professional, or are moving toward one of these careers, a firm understanding of building science and the path to net-zero buildings is fast becoming a critical credential for any successful practitioner

Earning the Construction and Building Science certificate proves students worth to potential employers and helps prepare students for internships and other work. This certificate demonstrates students’ knowledge of residential energy efficiency and the importance of house-as-a-system building science.

The Program enable students to focus on technical courses that may align with individual educational and career goals in Building Design & Construction; Construction Management; Interior Design and Architectural; and Pre-Architectural program.

For students interested in continuing their education in Construction and Building Science, courses in this certificate count towards the STEM Foundation: Construction and Building Science Associate Degree.

 

If you have questions related to program admissions or applications, please contact info@northshore.edu or call 978-762-4188.

If you have program advising related questions, please contact cad@northshore.edu or call 978-762-4048.

 

First Year

Fall

CAD105Computer Aided Design: AutoCAD

3
CBS101Introduction to Sustainable Building and Construction Science

3
CBS103Blueprint Reading for the Building Trades

2
MET103Introduction to Manufacturing

3
MAT151Precalculus 1

3
Total Credit Hours:14

Spring

CAD106Computer Aided Design: 3D AutoCAD & Revit

3
CBS102Construction Materials and Methods

3
CMP101Composition 1

3
MAT152Precalculus 2

3
Total Credit Hours:12

 

Program Notes

Communications and Mathematics proficiencies required to graduate.

See guided pathway sheets for advising information specific to your area of focus.

Total Credit Hours: 26

 

Program Student Learner Outcomes

● Demonstrate competency in the residential and industrial construction areas of basic safety, methods and materials.
● Demonstrate competency in OSHA 30-hour construction safety.
● Demonstrate competency in trade fundamentals, adhesive selection and use, properties of fasteners, concrete, and green building standards.

 

Program Mission:

  • Earning the Construction and Building Science certificate proves students' worth to potential employers and helps prepare students for internships and other work. This certificate demonstrates students’ knowledge of residential energy efficiency and the importance of house-as-a-system building science.
  • The CBS Certificate program will prepare students for further education in the NSCC STEM Foundation: Construction and Building Science degree, and transfer programs in the Architectural, and Construction and Building Science degree at UMASS Amherst.

This program also provides introductory knowledge for a variety of careers including:

  • Construction Managers
  • Architects
  • Building Consultants

 

Labor Market Data

  • Buildings constructed today are very different from those built 100 years ago. As interest in protecting the environment grows, "green," or sustainable buildings have become more commonplace. At first glance, these buildings might not appear very different from their predecessors, but they feature specialized designs and materials to limit their environmental impact. Creating these new buildings requires skilled workers—such as architects, construction managers and carpenters—with knowledge of new design and construction techniques.
  • Green construction is the practice of erecting buildings and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource efficient. Green buildings limit their environmental impact by conserving as much energy and water as possible and are constructed of recycled or renewable materials in order to achieve maximum resource efficiency.
  • Green construction has grown dramatically over the past few years. McGraw-Hill Construction estimated the value of green nonresidential building construction in the United States to be $3 billion in 2005.[1] In 2010, McGraw-Hill placed the value between $43 billion and $54 billion, more than 14 times the value just 5 years earlier.[2] The value grew despite a slump—the recession of 2007–09—in the overall construction market. McGraw-Hill estimates that by 2015 the green nonresidential building market will be worth between $120 billion and $145 billion.[3] The construction of new, large projects, such as hospitals, office complexes, and federal buildings—increasingly built to green standards—will continue the growth of green construction.

Source: https://www.bls.gov/green/construction/