Master Builder Program
Professional Practice-oriented Degree
The Master Builder Program is designed for engineering and construction professionals who wish to better understand the industry's complex decision-making environment and to accelerate their career paths as effective project team leaders. The keys to competitiveness in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry increasingly involve the efficient integration of planning, design, construction and facility management. The successful integration of these functions depends on the capabilities of the project team members to overcome the traditional and artificial separation of design and construction, to use life-cycle cost-benefit studies to evaluate design alternatives, and to share information and knowledge for timely decision-making. The Master Builder Program is a professional practice-oriented degree. It uses a multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving that incorporates the integrative aspects of engineering design and construction, teamwork, project management, finance, and information technology.
Key Features:
- Practice Oriented and Project-Based Curriculum
- Multi-disciplinary Approach to Problem Solving
- Integration of Design, Construction and Facility Management
- Hands-on Experience with Information Technology and Teamwork
Professional Associations & Student Chapters:
- American Society of Civil Engineers
- CIB, 1996 - 2003
- Society of Value Engineering, 1998 - 2003
- Design Building Institute of America, 1998 - 2003
Contact Person:
- Guillermo Salazar (salazar@wpi.edu)
Master Builder Program Classes
The Master Builder program requires thirty credit hours of graduate study including 9 credit hours of required graduate courses and 21 credit hours of balanced course-work as approved by the academic advisor.
The Master Builder program allows students to pursue graduate level study on a part-time or full-time basis. Full-time students should be able to complete the program in 3 semesters.
Required Courses:
- CE 501 Professional Practice
- CE 585 Computer Integrated Methodologies in Civil Engineering
- CE 593 Adv. Study Project *
* This activity requires the student to demonstrate the capability to integrate a systems approach to planning, design, construction and management of a facility. Individuals or small groups of students work with an industrial sponsor. This practicum requires the student to prepare detailed, written technical reports and make oral presentations to communicate the results of their work.
Electives:
- CE 531 Adv. Design of Steel Structures
- CE 532 Adv. Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures
- CE 535 Integration of Design and Construction
- CE 536 Construction Failures: Analysis and Lessons
- CE 580 Adv. Project Management
- CE 583 Contracts and Law for Civil Engineers
- CE 586 Building Systems
Courses from at least two of the following areas must be taken: Construction Project Management, Structural/Geotechnical Engineering, Building Systems, and Environmental Engineering. Some suggested courses are listed here, though students may choose from other courses in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department to develop a balanced program.
Master Builder Program Research
Advanced Study Projects:
The capstone project requires the student to use and integrative, design systems approach to planning, design, construction and management of a facility. Students may work individually or in small groups to complete this project. Often, students work in conjunction with industry sponsors. Some examples of recently completed projects are as follows:
- Design-Build Feasibility Study for Union Station Parking Garage
- Design-Build Proposal for Warehouse Building
Funded Research
- "Integrating Value Engineering into WPI Educational Activities" (L. Albano, G. Salazar, R. Fitzgerald) - To Mr. Fred Sherwin, August 97-99 (10 years)
- "A Multimedia Shared Database for Integration of Structural design and Project management Undergraduate Courses in Civil Engineering" (L. Albano & G. Salazar) - Equipment Grant - To Structural Steel Fabricators of New England, March 1997
- "A Multimedia Shared Database for Integration of Structural design and Project Management Undergraduate Courses in Civil Engineering" (L. Albano & G. Salazar) - To Davis Educational Foundation, January 1997
- "Systems Approach to Evaluating Innovations for Integration into Highway Practice" (R. Pietroforte & T. El-Korchi) To NCHRP, Project 20-46, July 98 to September 1999
Faculty Information
Leonard Albano - Design and Construction; Value Engineering; Constructability, Computer Simulation; Intelligent Systems; Database Models; Web-Based Models; CAD-Based Models; Probabilistic Models; Multi-Attribute Decision-Making & Operations Research; Project Management ldalbano@wpi.edu +1-508-831-5262
Bob Fitzgerald - Performance building codes; evaluation of building firesafety performance; risk management for fire; building analysis for fire department operations.rfitz@wpi.edu +1-508-831-5271
P. Jayachandran - Structural Engineering jayachan@wpi.edu +1-508-831-5298
Robert Pietroforte - Construction engineering and management; Organization and economics of the construction industry; Prefabricated building systems and building design; International construction.roberto@wpi.edu +1-508-831-5295
Guillermo Salazar - Design and Construction; Value Engineering; Constructability, Computer Simulation; Intelligent Systems; Database Models; Web-Based Models; CAD-Based Models; Probabilistic Models; Multi-Attribute Decision-Making & Operations Research; Project Management salazar@wpi.edu +1-508-831-5262
Master Builder Program Conferences and Presentations
To view the activities of Faculty, please click on the name to link to the Faculty Home Page.
- Leonard Albano
- Roberto Pietroforte
- P. Jayachandran
- Guillermo Salazar
- Robert Fitzgerald
Last modified: May 25, 2007 10:46:43