Learn about Summer 2023 Pre-College opportunities at UMass Amherst. 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. Our programs feature faculty-led courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and the #1 campus dining in the U.S., as ranked by the Princeton Review.
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The BCT CityLab is a two-week immersive pre-college program for high school students interested in exploring building construction, building science, sustainability, engineering, architecture, technology, and discovering related career paths. Rising 10th – 12th graders get a feel for what college is like while earning two (2) college credits that may be applied towards the Building Construction Technology Program (BCT) at UMass.
Students learn by doing - they explore and apply building science and sustainability principles in the real-world classroom of the Boston Metro region, while based at the Mount Ida Campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, located in Newton, MA.
The BCT CityLab course format includes a series of daily hands-on activities that may include:
- Construction site tours
- Use of emergent technologies (drones, infrared cameras, air quality testing, AR/VR)
- Software (Fusion 360, SketchUp, Minecraft, AutoCAD)
- Fabrication tools (specialty 3D printers/lasers, hand/power tools, CNC equipment sewing machines)
Students may also conduct science lab experiments, participate in service-learning activities, and engage with real-world practitioners and sustainability experts.
This course is offered at the UMass Mount Ida campus with commuter and residential options available.
Dates: July 23 - August 5, 2023
Two-Week Residential Intensives: $3,454 residential / $2,050 commuter
*Program fees listed above include tuition and room & board; materials and software may be required.
*All programs require submission of $35 application fee.