Construction Technology Degree Curriculum

(1 Credit)

Technology plays a large part in how we all learn and work. Some of our interactions with modern technology are obvious and intentional—most students and workers come in contact with a computer every day. Often, however, we interact with highly complex technologies without even realizing it’s happening. For instance, turning on lights in our home is something we do dozens of times a day. But how many times have you wondered about the complex equipment and computer programs that make the lights come on?

 

This course discusses the fundamentals of various technologies, which people encounter in their daily lives, such as smart buildings, the Internet and web, and the traction control system in cars. You’ll also learn how electricity and natural gas are generated and transported. Finally, this course will help you to understand the requirements of various types of technician jobs related to your degree.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Identify skills needed to be a confident and independent online learner
• Categorize the infrastructure used in building automation, active traction control, web, and fire alarm systems
• Analyze the processes of generating electricity, transporting natural gas, and designing fire sprinkler systems

(3 Credits)

In this course, you'll learn the essential math skills necessary for future success in an AS technology program. The course of study includes a review of basic math functions, including trades-based examples, the metric system, formulas, introductory algebra, applied geometry, and some practical applications of trigonometry.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

 

• Define basic math skills to solve real-world skilled trades–related problems
• Illustrate your ability to effectively use the metric system
• Identify your knowledge of formulas to solve problems
• Identify algebraic concepts to solve problems
• Solve perimeter, area, and volume for a variety of geometrical shapes
• Define basic trigonometry functions such as sine and cosine to perform trades-related calculations

(3 Credits)

In this course, you’ll describe the process of writing, as well as the parts of speech and how to use them. You’ll then explain various types of punctuation, rules for capitalization and spelling, and documenting sources for research. You’ll construct complete, correct sentences and well-organized, coherent paragraphs and recognize how to plan, develop, revise, and present your work. Finally, you’ll prepare for the various kinds of writing most likely needed for a job.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Describe the process of writing, as well as the parts of speech and how to use them
• Explain various types of punctuation, rules for capitalization and spelling, and documenting sources for research
• Construct complete, correct sentences and well-organized, coherent paragraphs
• Recognize how to plan, develop, revise, and present your work
• Prepare for the various kinds of writing most likely needed for a job

(3 CREDITS)

 

Microsoft® Office allows people to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and databases. This course will teach you how to use three popular tools from the Microsoft® Office Suite — Word™, Excel®, and PowerPoint®. In this course, you'll learn how to use Word™ to create and edit text documents, insert figures and tables, and format pages for a variety of uses. You'll then learn how to use Excel® to organize and format data, including charts, formulas, and more complex tables. Next, you'll learn how to use PowerPoint® to create and deliver slide shows. Finally, you'll complete a graded project, which will test the skills acquired in Word™, Excel®, and PowerPoint®.

 

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

 

• Create various Microsoft® Word™ documents.
• Produce a thorough Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheet.
• Identify the basic skills needed to use Microsoft® PowerPoint®.
• Synthesize what you’ve learned by integrating Word™, Excel®, and PowerPoint®.

(3 Credits)

This course provides an overview of visual communication skills necessary to successfully complete the wide range of courses in technology programs that require learning to read and interpret technical drawings. You’ll learn print reading, interpretation of symbols and abbreviations, dimensioning, tolerancing, and the application of these skills to actual print reading. The course also contains an overview of computer-aided drawing and its role in modern technology.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Describe perspective drawing, projection drawing, and features of mechanical parts
• Differentiate between the various concepts of dimensioning and tolerancing
• Point out the various symbols and abbreviations used in technical drawings
• Categorize the purposes of CAD technology and the different elements in it
• Distinguish between the different sketching methods and their importance
• Analyze the geometries and print-reading applications involved in various drawings and prints
• Categorize the various types, layouts, specifications, and codes in construction drawings

(3 Credits)

This course will introduce you to concepts that affect your daily life, including applications and devices you encounter throughout your day. You’ll review various types and properties of bodies in motion, how things move, the rate at which they move, and what affects their motion. You’ll learn how to describe these properties and relationships through both text and calculations. You’ll also explore properties and sources of heat, temperature changes, and modes of transmission. You’ll be tasked with calculating unknown variables for heat-related problems and investigating heat-related substances and devices, such as engines. After you complete this course, you’ll better understand musical sounds and how sound waves work. You’ll also be able to classify matter while looking at laws that govern how matter interacts. The technology and products you use every day result from nuclear and organic chemistry. You’ll review the development and properties of electricity, magnetism, currents, and circuitry.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Explain mechanics and properties of matter
• Describe heat and its effects on matter
• Analyze sound
• Apply the principles of chemistry
• Describe light
• Determine what scientific principles apply to electricity and electronics

(3 Credits)

Those who manage construction projects must first understand the tasks and materials that make up each phase of the construction process. This course explains how several major operations in the building-construction process work, from excavation and site development to working with concrete and framing with wood or steel. You’ll learn how to apply industry-established techniques to plan, estimate, and direct these construction operations while achieving the best results possible.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Identify the basic principles of construction
• Analyze construction materials, techniques, and processes
• Define foundations and wooden structures in construction
• Differentiate between construction methods in concrete, masonry, and steel
• Analyze elements of exterior and interior construction

(3 Credits)

In this course, you’ll explore the computer-aided drafting and design system, AutoCAD. AutoCAD provides a variety of features and functions including; file and entity creation; drawing organization; displaying, modifying, and annotating drawings; data exchange and output methods. This course will provide an overview of general commands, as well as advanced commands to draft projects.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Describe the fundamental elements of the AutoCAD environment
• Describe the different commands used to view drawings
• Identify procedures for creating line drawings and objects using commands, layers, and macros
• Identify procedures for selecting and modifying objects
• Describe how to modify object properties and drafting settings and perform object snaps in AutoCAD
• Describe how to use AutoCAD dimensioning tools and text tools
• Describe how to use templates, blocks, external references, and attributes in AutoCAD
• Describe AutoCAD layouts, viewports, and plotting tools, and use AutoCAD utility commands
• Describe how to create traditional isometric drawings and 3D modeling files in AutoCAD
• Describe how to perform 3D rendering and create walkthroughs in AutoCAD
• Create a drawing using various AutoCAD tools and settings

Learn about the various methods of organizing material for a professional setting. Compose business documents using the ABC method such as memos, emails, outlines, reports and proposals, descriptions, and organizing materials. Discover how to improve your grammar skills.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Produce a well-constructed interoffice memo, workplace email, and business letter
• Produce a brief business report based on findings obtained using research techniques and methods of documentation
• Produce an informal report that lists findings of an investigation and provides recommendation for issues raised in the findings
• Describe procedures for creating proposals, descriptions, instructions, and manuals for the workplace
• Create a detailed proposal designed to solve an internal human resource issue

(3 Credits)

Algebra is the mathematical language used to interpret and represent patterns in numbers by using variables, expressions, and equations. Algebra is an essential tool used in business, science, and computer technology. Throughout this course, you’ll be introduced to algebraic concepts, along with real-world application problems from a variety of fields. In addition to providing a springboard to the discovery of underlying mathematical properties, these applications illustrate the importance of mathematics in your world.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

 

• Demonstrate effective quantitative skills
• Solve algebraic equations, linear equations, inequalities, and absolute value equations
• Solve and graph linear equations and inequalities
• Solve polynomials
• Apply algebraic operations to rational expressions and rational equations
• Solve problems involving radicals and complex numbers
• Solve quadratic equations, rational inequalities, nonlinear equations, and nonlinear inequalities
• Calculate exponential and logarithmic functions
• Solve binomial expansions, sequences, and arithmetic and geometric series
• Prepare for the final exam

(3 Credits)

This course introduces a wide range of construction materials, describes variations available, and explains why one type of material might be chosen over another for a given application. It also explains how these common materials are made and, in most cases, installed.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Identify the major components and materials used in building construction, site preparation, foundations, structure framing, systems, and finishing
• Describe the evaluation and testing processes used to determine the strength and applicability of materials for various building applications
• Interpret specifications, markings, and standards used to identify and rate materials
• Appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of major building components such as asphalt, concrete, wood, steel/iron, and masonry

(3 Credits)

This course covers precalculus concepts that all college students need as prerequisites to calculus and other related courses required in many undergraduate majors. Specific topics include exponents, logarithms, sequences, series, trigonometric functions, analytic trigonometry, systems of equations and inequalities, matrices, conic sections, polar coordinates, and limits.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Solve and graph exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric equations
• Convert angles from radians to degrees and vice versa
• Verify trigonometric identities
• Use right triangle trigonometry, the Law of Sines, and the Law of Cosines to solve problems and plot points in the polar coordinate system
• Use multiple techniques to solve and graph systems of linear equations and inequalities
• Recognize, graph, and use equations for parabolas, hyperbolas, and ellipses
• Solve basic concepts of derivatives
• Demonstrate various analytical and problem-solving skills that involves math calculations related to precalculus

(3 Credits)

In this course, you’ll learn how to analyze the strength and force balances of structures, such as trusses, columns, and frames. You’ll understand the forces, moments, applied stress and strain, and the properties of materials required to support these structures. Mathematically, you’ll be able to manipulate vectors, separate forces into their component parts, and convert between SI and imperial units.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Analyze forces and moments at equilibrium
• Solve stress and strain problems based on materials properties and physical dimensions
• Design beams, columns, and vessels to provide structural integrity
• Explain deformations and the effects of stress concentrations and temperature

(3 Credits)

This course covers a topic that should be interesting and useful to every building professional. As the title suggests, this is a “basics” course. While you’ll have a much better understanding of the duties and practices required of surveyors, you won’t consider yourself a surveyor after completion of this course. Becoming a professional surveyor often requires a specific four-year college degree, years of experience, and state licensing. Your objectives for this course are to learn the language of surveying, the tools used to conduct surveys and other large-scale construction measurements, how to manipulate the data obtained from surveys to determine related data and measurements, and possibly how to knowledgeably assist a surveying team on the job site if required.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Describe the functionality of basic surveying equipment
• Identify the main parts of a transit
• Describe the proper methods of transit care and handling
• Explain the processes for making measurements in the field using basic surveying equipment
• Create a simple topographic map from collected or supplied data
• Distinguish the three types of surveying errors
• Take and calculate differential level notes
• Explain applications of GPS and GIS to modern surveying

World Civilizations

(3 Credits)

This course serves as an introduction to many of the major events of the fifteenth through twenty-first centuries. It also examines the causal relationships between events and trends all across the globe.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

 

• Identify the causes and consequences of global trade and its conflicting worldwide impact
• Describe the impact of social and industrial revolutions, fifteenth century onward, on various nations
• Recognize the conditions that led to the World Wars, decolonization, and the Cold War
• Summarize post–World War II effects on the economic and political structures around the world
• Discuss an event that occurred after the fifteenth century and had an impact on a world civilization
• Explain the effects of World War II on the world population

 

Introduction to Sociology

(3 Credits)

In this introduction to the field of sociology, you’ll learn about social structure, forms of power, and social relationships, as well as deviance, crime, and social control. You’ll explore issues of identity and inequality regarding class, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, and sexuality. Social institutions including the family, religion, education, work, and the media are examined, as well as the topics of health, politics, social movements, globalization, and social change.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

 

• Demonstrate effective written and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrate a high level of inquiry, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrate an understanding of the liberal arts, natural sciences, and social sciences
• Examine foundational concepts and theories of sociology and recognize how they inform research
• Analyze the ways in which culture, social structure, and power influence daily life
• Evaluate the effects of socialization, interaction, deviance, and social control on human behavior
• Develop an essay reflecting on the importance of cultural traditions amid increasing globalization
• Examine the ways in which class, race, gender, and sexuality influence identity and inequality
• Distinguish the various social institutions and issues in the current global system
• Develop an essay examining the ways in which social inequality informs social change and movements

 

Essentials of Psychology

(3 Credits)

This course covers the psychology of biology and behavior, consciousness, memory, thought and language, intelligence, personality and gender, stress, and community influences.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

 

• Describe the science of psychology, basic structure and function of the human nervous system, and basic structure and function of the sensory system
• Explain various states of consciousness, learning theories, and thought processes and development
• Summarize the nature of human motivation and development, the human development cycle, and approaches to understanding and assessing personality
• Prepare an essay on the topic of conditioning, memory, or motivation and emotion
• Recognize psychological disorders and available treatments
• Explain social psychology as it relates to attitudes, influences, behaviors, and stress
• Use critical thinking skills to determine the likely causes of behaviors of individuals and groups discussed in case studies

(3 Credits)

Students are presented with a broad introduction into 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional Computer-Aided Design (CAD) focused on construction-specific applications. Students will use AutoCAD® in hands-on exercises, assignments, and projects.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Describe the basic features of the AutoCAD user interface
• Create floor plans, interior and exterior elevations, and wall sections for your residential project using AutoCAD
• Create schedules and a site plan based on site conditions from a survey using AutoCAD

Architectural Drawings

(3 Credits)

All jobs in the construction industry require some amount of blueprint reading. The word blueprint, or simply print, is used interchangeably with the term architectural drawing. Those who manage construction projects must regularly read, interpret, and clarify the fine details found in architectural drawings.

You’ll begin your study of architectural prints by understanding the purpose served by basic components common to most prints. You’ll also learn to identify and work with many different types of drawings, including plot plans, framing prints, and mechanical/electrical system drawings. This course aims to provide you with a variety of different blueprint-reading experiences, including common residential prints, material schedules, and commercial site and structural plans. Along the way, you’ll also learn how to use sketching skills as a way to communicate design ideas and indicate “as built” changes on existing prints. The primary goal of this course is to help you develop your abilities to interpret a wide range of drawings.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Utilize print to calculate area and volume of objects by using different scales and units
• Identify the symbols and lines to get the views and dimensions of the construction project
• Utilize the building codes to know the material and the location of building in the site
• Analyze the symbols and procedures of plumbing, welding, heating and cooling system from the plans

Building Systems

(3 Credits)

In this course you’ll learn how building systems function, the role played by their major components, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of system, and why one system might be chosen over another. Finally, you’ll study the basics of how each type of system is installed.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Describe how a building is supplied with the energy required for mechanical and electrical systems
• Define refrigeration cycles and how interior spaces are cooled
• Describe the operating principles of water supply and treatment systems, domestic water distribution systems, and related load calculations
• Describe the fundamental properties of electricity and use associated formulas
• Identify various electrical light sources and the factors to consider when selecting lighting equipment

Codes and Specifications

(3 Credits)

Students learn the essentials of construction specifications and how they relate to national, state, and local building codes. The course also provides in-depth coverage of job safety and OSHA regulations as they apply to the modern construction environment.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Demonstrate a high level of inquiry, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrate computer and information literacy
• Explain the purposes of the IBC and how to apply it to buildings with different uses and occupancies
• Describe the requirements based on the height and area of buildings and classifications of construction types, as well as those for fire-resistive construction and interior finishes
• Recognize the importance of code compliance in terms of fire-protection systems, means of egress, accessibility, and interior environments
• Use the IBC to find requirements related to exterior walls, roof assemblies, and structural provisions
• Identify how to locate requirements concerning special inspections and tests, soils and foundations, building materials and systems, and existing structures

Architectural Design

(3 Credits)

You’re about to begin an interesting course of study that will introduce you to the basic theories and practices of architectural design. You’ll learn that architecture, in addition to being highly technical, is at its essence a form of art like music, dance, or painting. Much like a course about art or music, this is very much an appreciation course. You won’t be learning the actual science that architects apply to their craft, but you’ll learn to appreciate the elements and facets of what they try to accomplish with their designs.

Some students may wonder about the value of this type of course. How will they apply an appreciation of architectural design and the practice of architecture? In fact, there are many ways that this course will add value to the education of any student involved in the construction industry. If you participate in design meetings, it will be important to have a basic knowledge of different architectural styles that might be mentioned. It will also be valuable to understand and appreciate the flow of the design process the architect will use to develop the concept. Obviously, it’s helpful to be fluent in the language of architecture when specific components of buildings need to be reviewed. An appreciation for architects and architecture is essential for all practitioners who participate in the world of building technology. Conflicts often arise between builders and architects when the builder has to deal with the practical difficulties of executing the architect’s vision in the real world. It’s always easy to criticize after the fact, but if you have a better understanding of the design goals and demands that the architect attempts to satisfy, you’ll better understand why concept and reality aren’t always in perfect synch.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Master the basic fundamentals of architectural design.
• Learn proportion, relationship of masses, figure, ground, shades, color and symmetry with emphasis on the physical properties of architectural design.

Construction Estimating

(3 Credits)

This course covers unit-price cost estimating - quantity takeoff, labor, material, mechanical and electrical systems; equipment unit pricing and computer-aided estimation applications. Students will also examine bidding strategies, worker and equipment productivity, and value engineering.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Demonstrate effective written and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrate a high level of inquiry, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrative effective quantitative skills
• Demonstrate Computer and information literacy
• Explain how estimating affects the bottom line of a successful business
• List the tools used during the estimating process
• Describe the four main stages of the estimating process Describe the components included in a bid package, and list the steps required to complete one
• Explain how to perform basic calculations using the Excel software, including managing and testing worksheets
• Describe the importance of estimating waste
• Prepare a basic quantity takeoff
• Explain how to develop a basic work package
• List the basic methods used to determine the quantities for counted items
• Calculate the area of a roof plane, given the roof plan dimensions and slope
• Estimate the number of 4′ × 8′ sheathing sheets required for a wall with a gable area
• Calculate the number of 12′ × 12′ sheets of soffit material, given an overhang dimension
• Explain how product size availability affects waste factors
• Determine the number of hangers, fittings, and valves required for a given run of piping
• Define the terms bank quantity and loose quantity as they apply to soil states
• Explain the importance of a soil report
• Describe a formula to calculate the weight amount of asphalt needed for a given square foot area
• Explain how pipe beddings affect backfill volumes
• Define profit and overhead and explain why it’s an estimating cost variable
• Explain the purpose of a performance bond
• List five payroll-related labor costs that add to a base wage
• Design a materials quote request for a supplier
• Design a quote request for a subcontractor
• Explain the observed affect of overtime labor on productivity
• Create a pricing extension from gathered materials and labor costing
• Design a bid checklist
• Draft a basic proposal for submitting an estimate
• Explain the relationships and documentation involved in subcontracting
• Create a duration schedule based on estimating data
• List the basic provisions in the code of ethics for estimators
• Create an Excel form based on an existing paper form
• Write a macro in Excel to automate a data entry task
• Define the Excel functions that produce data validation
• Plan and sketch a spreadsheet design from scratch

Construction Planning and Control

(3 Credits)

Failing to plan is planning to fail. It seems necessary to work this old adage into this course on construction planning and control. All of the complexities of construction projects, including residential, commercial, and massive industrial or municipal facilities, demand careful planning and scheduling.

Construction planning and scheduling is now a very computer-based process, and this course introduces several commercial scheduling software packages, some basic terminology, and practices related to using computers to schedule and monitor construction projects. But this course focuses primarily on manually creating building schedules and making a wide range of management decisions using the assembled data.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Review and analyze requirements and preparation of construction planning and scheduling.
• Discover software for scheduling and planning.

Green Building Practices

(3 Credits)

Students learn building techniques and practices aimed at reducing the consumption of traditional fossil fuels and energy sources. The course includes focused units on improved insulation practices and materials, alternative energy adaptations for residential and small commercial buildings and efficiency adaptations to traditional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Recognize where and how energy is consumed and wasted in a building
• List benefits and drawbacks of choosing green construction
• Describe techniques that reduce the amount of concrete used in residential foundations
• Identify ways to reduce dependence on electrical power generated by burning fossil fuels
• Explain how choices in insulation, building materials, and furniture can improve a building’s green characteristic
• List advantages and disadvantages of various types of PV systems
• Describe the functions and features of components used in photovoltaic systems Identify the types of installation and attachment methods available for photovoltaic systems
• Describe the common permit, labeling, and commissioning requirements for PV system applications

(6 CREDITS)

(Choose two) ...

Music Appreciation

In this course, you'll practice the skill of active listening. Learning to listen differently will allow you to experience all kinds of music in a new way. Most listeners are familiar with how music makes them feel, and we often say we like a particular piece of music because it has a "good beat" or a beautiful melody. This course will allow you to go deeper. You'll identify what the composer might have been trying to convey and listen for the way elements of musical composition and performance make each piece unique.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Identify the building blocks of music a composer can use to create a piece, such as rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, form, and timbre
• Differentiate between the music of the baroque era and the musical styles of previous time periods
• List the major characteristics of classical music, including form, melody, and instrumentation
• Describe the musical trends and innovations that occurred during the romantic era
• Relate musical styles of the early twentieth century to comparable movements in art and literature
• Explain the evolution of American popular music in the twentieth century
• Describe the influence of world music on modern western composition
• Synthesize research comparing composers' influence in their respective genres

Textbook: Experience Music

Introduction to Literature

This course will allow you to develop your critical thinking skills and broaden your knowledge of the main genres of literature — fiction, poetry, and drama.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Explain how to effectively read fiction for both knowledge and enjoyment
• Identify different styles and forms of poetry
• Use what you've learned in this course to discuss, write about, and understand literature
• Prepare a critical interpretation of fiction or poetry based on what you've learned in this course
• Discuss how literary dramas differ from fiction and poetry
• Identify different strategies of critical literary analysis

Art Appreciation

In this course, you will gain an understanding of artistic media, historical periods and artistic movements, the roles of the artist and the viewer, and the principles of art criticism.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Define the language, visual elements, and principles of design of art
• Identify two-dimensional media
• Identify three-dimensional media
• Explain the evolution of art from ancient Mediterranean cultures through eighteenth century Europe
• Identify features and popular examples of art throughout the history of African, Asian, Pacific, and American cultures
• Compare the genres of the Modern and Postmodern eras of art from around the world

In this course you’ll learn how to prepare drawings using AutoCAD for the four drafting disciplines: structural drafting, civil drafting, HVAC/sheet metal drafting, or electrical/electronic drafting. This course explains how civil drafting correlates with surveying and reviews the methods, laws, and procedures used in engineering mechanics.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

 

• Prepare a set of structural drawings that include mechanical and architectural methods by using AutoCAD
• Explain structural drafting with basic architectural applications
• Prepare a set of civil drawing plans using AutoCAD for a parcel of land on which a driveway and a residence will be built
• Explain civil drafting and how it correlates with surveying
• Explain the methods, laws, and procedures used in engineering mechanics
• Describe the calculations of balanced concurrent and nonconcurrent forces and the laws and effects of friction
• Apply the principles of operation of a basic machine in regard to the linear and angular velocity of its parts
• Explain kinetics and the methods used when applying Newton’s law of motion
• Explain the design of simple parts of a structure or a machine
• Explain the conditions needed to determine the support of beams
• Describe stresses in beams, torque and torsional stresses in shafts, and theory of column design
• Demonstrate how to use a transit to take accurate measurements in various surveying operations