Building Construction Technology, AS

Program Mission, Goals, and Outcomes

Program Mission

The mission of the Building Construction Technology Program (BCD and BCM) is to provide an Associate Degree program to prepare students in all facets of the residential, and some facets of the commercial building trade, as well as all aspects of the cabinetmaking and design trade. The program also focuses on the role of computers in the estimating, designing, and manufacturing components of the industry.

Program Goals

Building Construction & Cabinetmaking (BCM)

1. The BCM program gives students an entry-level knowledge of both building construction and cabinetmaking.
2. The BCM program will prepare students in the appropriate use of machinery and tools, wood as a material, basic cabinetmaking joints and assemblies.
3. The BCM program will prepare students to estimate, perform site preparations, basic stair, roof, sill, joist, wall layouts; and complete interior finishes.
4. The BCM program will introduce students to CAD software to design and develop working drawings for select cabinetry and furniture projects.
5. The BCM program will prepare students to enter the bachelor’s program in Business Management.

Building Construction and Design (BCD)

1. The BCD program gives students an entry-level knowledge of building construction and design.
2. The BCD program will prepare students in the appropriate use of machinery and tools and wood as a material.
3. The BCD program will prepare students to estimate, perform site preparations, stair, roof, sill, joist, wall layouts; and complete interior finishes.
4. Students may also participate in off-campus internships to gain industry experience and develop speed in construction applications.
5. The BCD program will prepare students to enter the bachelor’s program in Construction Management with all of the necessary ABT pre-requisites for the Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.
6. The program will prepare students with an understanding of the basic concepts of a building’s structural system and operating systems.

Program Outcomes

Graduates in Building Construction and Cabinetmaking will be able to:

1. Successfully frame a house including wall construction, headers, center beams, floor and ceiling joists, stairs and common rafters.
2. Successfully use computer estimating to develop a detailed construction cost estimate from a blueprint or specifications.
3. Successfully complete projects using routers and templates, veneering, frame, panel construction, radius work, compound angles and dovetails.
4. Optionally, graduates may also select courses that will enable them to:
5. Successfully set-up, program, and operate a Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) router.
6. Successfully identify the appropriate use of HVLP and HP spray techniques, differentiate between lacquer and water-based products, as well as explain mixing proportions and colors and the variety of clear finishes.

Graduates of this program with a Degree in Building Construction and Design will be able to:

1. Successfully frame a house including wall construction, headers, center beams, floor and ceiling joists, stairs and common rafters.
2. Successfully explain a building’s structural system as well as understand the primary concept of strength of materials.
3. Successfully use computer estimating to develop a detailed construction cost estimate from a blueprint or specifications.
4. Successfully use architectural drafting and graphic communications techniques for both two- and three-dimensional exercises.
5. Successfully operate surveying equipment and techniques in leveling, completing horizontal and vertical measurements, angles and construction layout.
6. Explain typical plumbing, heating, air conditioning, lighting and electrical systems in buildings.

Courses Offered

For the latest listing of courses offered, please review our University Catalog here.

Q&A and Technical Standards

Questions & Answers

1. When do my classes meet?
   Day Classes:  Technical classes normally meet for at least three hours a day for up to five days a week. Classes normally begin in the early morning (7:45 a.m.), late morning (usually 11:25 p.m.), or mid-afternoon. A technical time slot may vary from term to term.Evening Classes:  Technical classes meet on the average of three nights a week, although there may be times when they will meet four nights a week. Classes normally begin at 5:45 p.m.In addition, to achieve your associate degree, you will take a total of approximately eight liberal arts courses, which will be scheduled around your technical schedule over the course of your entire program. Each liberal arts course meets approximately four hours per week. Liberal arts courses are offered days, evenings, and Saturdays.
   At the beginning of each term you will receive a detailed schedule giving the exact time and location of all your classes. The College requires that all students be prepared to take classes and receive services at any of NEIT’s locations where the appropriate classes and services are offered.When a regularly scheduled class falls on a day which is an NEIT observed holiday (Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Memorial Day), an alternate class will be scheduled as a make up for that class. The make up class may fall on a Friday. It is the student’s responsibility to take note of when and where classes are offered.
2. How large will my classes be?
   The average class size is approximately 20 to 25 students; however, larger and smaller classes occur from time to time.
3. How much time will I spend in lab?
   Almost half of your technical courses consist of laboratory work. In order for you to get the most out of your laboratory experiences, you will first receive a thorough explanation of the theory behind your lab work.
4. Where do my classes meet?
   Students should be prepared to attend classes at any of NEIT’s campuses: either at the Post Road, Access Road, or East Greenwich campus or at an off-campus clinical/fieldwork/internship location.
5. I have not earned my high school diploma or GED: can I enroll in an Associate Degree Program?
   A candidate for admission to an associate degree program must have a high school diploma, have earned a recognized general equivalency diploma (GED), or meet the federal home school requirements.
6. How long should it take me to complete my program?
   To complete your degree requirements in the shortest possible time, you should take the courses outlined in the prescribed curriculum. For a typical six-term curriculum, a student may complete the requirements in as little as 18 months.To complete all your degree requirements in the shortest time, you should take at least one liberal arts course each term. Students who need more time to complete their curriculum may postpone some of the liberal arts courses until after the completion of the technical requirements. Students are provided up to two additional terms of study to complete the liberal arts requirements without any additional tuition assessment fee. During these additional terms of study, students are required to pay all applicable fees.
   Students may also elect to complete some of their liberal arts requirements during Intersession, a special five-week term scheduled between Spring and Summer Quarters. Students will not be assessed any additional tuition for liberal arts courses taken during the Intersession but may be assessed applicable fees.Students wishing to extend the number of terms needed to complete the required technical courses in their curriculum will be assessed additional tuition and fees.
7. Is NEIT accredited?
   NEIT is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Accreditation by NECHE is recognized by the federal government and entitles NEIT to participate in federal financial aid programs. Some academic departments have specialized professional accreditations in addition to accreditation by NECHE. For more information on accreditation, see NEIT’s catalog.
8. Can I transfer the credits that I earn at NEIT to another college?
   

   The transferability of a course is always up to the institution to which the student is transferring. Students interested in the transferability of their credits should contact the Student Affairs Office of the institution that they are transferring to for further information.

9. Can I transfer credits earned at another college to NEIT?
   Transfer credit for appropriate courses taken at an accredited institution will be considered upon receipt of an official transcript for any program, biology, science, and mathematics courses in which the student has earned a “C” or above within the past three years and for English or humanities courses in which the student has earned a “C” or above within the last ten years. An official transcript from the other institution must be received before the end of the first week of the term for transfer credit to be granted for courses to be taken during that term. Students will receive a tuition reduction for the approved technical courses based on the program rate and will be applied against the final technical term of the curriculum’s tuition amount. No tuition credit is provided for courses which are not a part of the technical curriculum.

10. What is the “Feinstein Enriching America” Program?
    New England Institute of Technology is the proud recipient of a grant from the Feinstein Foundation. To satisfy the terms of the grant, the university has developed a one-credit community enrichment course which includes hands-on community enrichment projects. The course can be taken for a few hours per term, spread over several terms. Students who are already engaged in community enrichment on their own may be able to count that service towards course credit.

11. How many credits do I need to be eligible for Financial Aid?
    In order to be eligible for the maximum financial aid award, you need to maintain at least 12 credits per academic term.

12. What does my program cost?
    The cost of your program will be as outlined in your enrollment agreement, along with your cost for books and other course materials. Students who decide to take more terms than the enrollment agreement describes to complete the technical courses in their curriculum will be subject to additional fees and possible additional tuition costs. Students who elect to take the technical portion of the degree requirements at a rate faster than the rate prescribed in the curriculum and the enrollment agreement will be assessed additional tuition.Students who require prerequisite courses will incur additional tuition and fees above those outlined in their enrollment agreement.
    If a student elects to take a course(s) outside of the prescribed curriculum, additional tuition and fees will be assessed.Remember, students who withdraw and re-enter, one time only, pay the tuition rate that was in effect for them at the time of their last day of attendance for up to one year from their last day of attendance. Second re-entries and beyond pay the tuition rate in effect at the time they re-enter. The most economical way for you to complete your college degree is to begin your program now and continue your studies straight through for the six terms necessary to complete your degree requirements.
13. What kind of employment assistance does NEIT offer?
    The Career Services Office assists NEIT students and graduates in all aspects of the job search, including resume writing, interviewing skills, and developing a job search strategy. Upon completion of their program, graduates may submit a resume to the Career Services Office to be circulated to employers for employment opportunities in their fields. Employers regularly contact us about our graduates. In addition, our Career Services Office contacts employers to develop job leads. A strong relationship with employers exists as a result of our training students to meet the needs of industry for over fifty years. No school can, and NEIT does not, guarantee to its graduates’ employment or a specific starting salary.
14. Where will job opportunities exist?
    Graduates have obtained employment in the local area. However, one of the most exciting aspect of this program is the ability to look nationally for employment opportunities.
15. Are there any additional costs/activities associated with this program?
    New England Tech supplies all portable power, and power tools and most material. Students are given a hand tool list (spreading purchase over three quarters), for tools that they are required to provide. These tools will form the basics of the tools they will eventually be required to have in the trade. Purchased at retail, the tools value at approximately $300.00. The tools do not have to be new as long as they are safe and functional. Material for all required projects is provided. If a student wants to build a required or final project using material not stocked in the department, they may purchase that material individually.
16. What kind of jobs will I be qualified to look for?
    Generally, you will be prepared for entry-level positions in carpentry and cabinetmaking. However, the real value of your degree and training will be evidenced after you have been employed in your field for a period of time. The technical knowledge gained at school coupled with the practical knowledge gained on the job will allow graduates to stand above those without the technical training.
17. Is there any state or federal licensing required in my field?
    No license is required in Rhode Island, although Rhode Island does require contractor registration.Some states do require licensing. You should check with the state in which you plan to work. Rhode Island does require contractor registration. Frequently, appropriate state boards are listed in the phone book’s blue pages under “licensing.”The NEIT Construction/Cabinetmaking program will provide a solid foundation of knowledge about the field. Because requirements vary from state to state, some additional preparation beyond the NEIT Construction/Cabinetmaking associate degree may be necessary to prepare for the license exam of the state in which you plan to work.
18. Do I have to find my own internship position if I choose either the Construction or Cabinetmaking concentrations?
    Yes, students are responsible for finding their own internship positions subject to department chair approval. Any established construction or cabinetmaking company will usually qualify as long as it agrees to the program’s internship agreement.

Technical Standards

These technical standards set forth by the Building Construction/Cabinetmaking Department, establish the essential qualities considered necessary for students admitted to this program to achieve the knowledge, skills and competencies to enter this field. The successful student must possess the following skills and abilities or be able to demonstrate that they can complete the requirements of the program with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

Cognitive Ability

• Good reasoning and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment.
• Ability to use abstractions in specific concrete situations.
• Ability to understand spatial relationships.
• Possession of basic math skills through addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers and fractions.

Communications Skills

• Ability to read technical manuals, installation instruction, technical service bulletins, and blueprints.

Adaptive Ability

• Ability to maintain emotional stability and the maturity necessary to interact with other members of the faculty and students in a responsible manner.
• Ability to exercise judgment in changing situations or conditions.

Physical Ability

• Ability to perform tasks requiring bending, stooping, squatting, kneeling, lying, climbing and walking.
• Ability to lift, lower, push, and pull using both arms and legs.
• Ability to grasp, lift, maneuver and carry tools and equipment weighing up to fifty (50) pounds 50 – 500 feet from truck to work area.
• Ability to climb stairs and ladders to 25 feet.
• Agility and strength sufficient to allow bodily maneuvering in small spaces..
• Sufficient strength and agility to grasp and maintain tension for long periods of time.
• Ability to wear and tolerate ear plugs, safety glasses and other protective equipment.
• Ability to perform learned skills, independently, with accuracy and completeness within reasonable time frames in accordance with procedures.
• An ability to lift, lower, push, and pull using both arms and legs.

Manual Ability

• Ability to manipulate saws, screwdrivers, and other tools.
• Sufficient motor function and sensory abilities to participate effectively in the classroom laboratory.
• Sufficient manual dexterity and motor coordination to coordinate hands, eyes and fingers in the operation of tools and other equipment.

Sensory Ability

• Visual
  • Acute enough to read plans, printed materials, measuring devices.
  • Acute enough to operate tools and equipment safely.
  • Acute enough to maneuver in the lab and on jobsites safely.
  • Acute enough to read small numbers on precision measuring instruments.
• Auditory
  • Acute enough to hear and understand words spoken by others in an environment with a high level of noise in the background (such as, but not limited to: saws, planers, drills, radios etc.)
  • Acute enough to detect abnormal sounds in equipment operation as a result of malfunction or improper use.