Design-build education at associated schools of construction undergraduate programs

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 stand-alone 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 design-build education at the undergraduate level is curricular restraints primarily associated with accreditation and general education requirements.