UMass Amherst Summer Pre-College: Building & Construction Technology: BuildingLab Recently Updated

The BCT BuildingLab is a two-week immersive pre-college program for high school students interested in building, design, sustainability, engineering, and related careers. Our residential and online pre-college programs are designed to give you a preview of the UMass student experience, including college-level academics and being part of a learning community of high school students from all across the U.S. and the world. 

In this program, rising 10th – 12th graders get a feel for what college is like while earning two (2) college credits that can be applied towards the Building Construction Technology Program (BCT) at UMass, or other colleges.

Students in this program learn about the built environment by doing - they explore and apply building science and sustainability principles in the real-world classroom of the Amherst area (including the UMass Amherst flagship campus and its surrounding college-town area).

The BCT BuildingLab course format includes a series of daily hands-on activities that may include:

• Building projects, including the use of our shop
• Use of emergent technologies (drones, infrared cameras, air quality testing, AR/VR)
• Construction site tours
• Designing with software (SketchUp, Minecraft, AutoCAD)
• Fabrication tools (3D printers, laser cutters, hand/power tools, CNC equipment)

Students may also conduct science lab experiments, participate in service-learning activities, and engage with real-world practitioners and sustainability experts.

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This course is offered at the UMass Amherst campus as a residential program. Local students may apply to attend as a commuter.