Online Construction Technology Degree

The overall program goal for the A.S. in Construction Technology Degree is to prepare students to enter positions in residential and light commercial construction, applying the learned technical and managerial expertise that will allow for future advancement.

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate effective written and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrate a high level of inquiry, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrate effective quantitative skills
• Demonstate proficient computer and information literacy skills
• Demonstrate an understanding of the liberal arts, natural sciences, and social sciences
• Recognize appropriate techniques for administering and evaluating construction contracts, documents, and codes
• Estimate costs and quantities, and determine how to evaluate materials for construction projects
• Demonstrate the methods of surveying measurements and perform calculations to determine the strength of various construction materials
• Develop and interpret various types of engineering drawings used in the construction field, including computer-aided design (CAD)
• Describe types of materials and management and building practices used in the construction industry
• Interpret and identify nationally accepted code requirements and industry standards necessary for application of construction materials

All degree applicants are required to complete two Basic Skills Assessments, one in reading and one in math, to determine the level of readiness for beginning their selected program. Additional studies may be required.

Succeed by learning how to use your Penn Foster program, and learn the basics of engineering technology.

Objectives:

• Understand how to use your Student Portal, including your My Homepage and My Courses pages.
• Access the Penn Foster Community and use it to find answers.
• Connect with Penn Foster on various social media sites.
• Use a scientific calculator.
• Learn about the development of engineering and engineering technology.
• Understand technical mathematics.

Objectives:

• Learn the basic math skills you’ll need to succeed in your program.
• Practice math functions using real-life examples.
• Use the metric system and formulas.

Objectives:

• Review basic grammar.
• Use action verbs.
• Learn how to construct paragraphs.

Objectives:

• Study the basics of computers and the Internet.
• Manage files and digital electronics.
• Use basic functions of Windows® and word processing.
• Search the Internet successfully using helpful techniques and shortcuts.

Objectives:

• Read and interpret technical drawings.
• Interpret symbols and abbreviations.
• Apply dimensioning and tolerancing to actual print reading.
• Get an overview of computer-aided drawing and its role in modern technology.

Objectives:

• Define the physical universe as you know it.
• Get the foundation you need to understand chemistry, physics, and earth and space sciences.

You will be required to complete a proctored exam on selected courses each semester. These assessments will evaluate the knowledge and skills that you learned during the semester. You choose the time, the location, and the qualified exam supervisor.

Objectives:

• Learn management and building practices used in the construction industry.
• Plan and excavate sites.
• Study methods that apply to foundations, steel and wood frames, concrete, and masonry.
• Discover the challenges that construction managers face while scheduling, controlling costs, improving productivity, and maintaining a safe construction site.

Objectives:

• Draft using AutoCAD.®
• Learn computer-aided drafting and design systems.
• Use AutoCAD® menus and features.
• Create files and entities.
• Organize and annotate drawings.
• Modify displays.

Learn how to write business and technical documents.

Objectives:

• Organize your material logically and systematically.
• Use action verbs effectively and construct paragraphs.
• Conduct research and document sources.

This course introduces basic algebraic concepts that you'll need to be successful in your career.

Objectives:

• Understand the systems of equations, polynomials, and radicals.
• Factor polynomial expressions.
• Simplify rational expressions.

Additional Course Material:
Textbook: Intermediate Algebra

Objectives:

• Gain a comparative knowledge of material properties and applications in construction.
• Identify materials used in construction and the fundamental principles of structural, physical and long-term performance.
• Study product manufacturing techniques and common construction methods.

You will be required to complete a proctored exam on selected courses each semester. These assessments will evaluate the knowledge and skills that you learned during the semester. You choose the time, the location, and the qualified exam supervisor.

Objectives:

• Learn about exponential and logarithmic functions.
• Understand trigonometric functions and analytical trigonometry.
• Explore systems of equations.
• Read about inequalities.

Objectives:

• Learn the basic principles of vector analysis, equilibrium of force systems, friction, sectional properties, stress/strain, and deformation as they apply to construction materials.
• Discover the support characteristics of trusses, frames, beams, columns, connections, and combined stresses.
• Analyze the integrity of simple structures.

Objectives:

• Learn basic principles of surveying including leveling, angle measurement, bearings and azimuths, traversing, topographic mapping, and areas and volumes.
• Survey using the traditional and GNSS (Global Navigational Satellite System) methods.

SSC105 - World Civilizations

This course will allow you to understand the importance of studying history as it relates to the individual and society as a whole.

Objectives:

• Discuss the major events of the sixteenth through twentieth centuries.
• Explain the consequences of events and the trends that they cause.

 

SSC125 - Introduction to Sociology

This course is designed to introduce you to social structure and social interaction through groups, networks, and organizations. Study politics, the economy, population, social movements, technology, and social change.

Objectives:

• Describe deviance, crime, and social control.
• Discuss the effects of stratification, racial and ethnic inequality, sex, gender, and sexuality.
• Examine the role of health, family, education, and religion in human behavior.

 

SSC130 - Essentials of Psychology

This course will introduce you to the relationship between biology and behavior. You will learn about human development throughout the life span.

Objectives:

• Identify major psychological theories.
• Discuss consciousness, memory, thought, and language.
• Define intelligence, personality, and stress.
• Analyze the role of gender in psychology.
• Explain how community influences behavior.

Objectives:

• Learn two-dimensional and three-dimensional Computer-Aided Design (CAD) focused on construction applications.
• Use AutoCAD® in hands-on exercises, assignments, and projects.

You will be required to complete a proctored exam on selected courses each semester. These assessments will evaluate the knowledge and skills that you learned during the semester. You choose the time, the location, and the qualified exam supervisor.

BCT160-Architectural Drawing

Objectives:

• Master the basic drafting skills required for the development of a set of architectural drawings.
• Learn line technique, lettering, dimensioning, and symbols and how these concepts apply to drawings for construction.
• View site plans.
• Discover foundations, walls, wall sections, floors, roof design, stairs, elevations, sections, and construction details.

 

BCT220-Building Systems

Objectives:

• Study technical information related to the mechanical and electrical systems used in various types of buildings.
• Learn the design, installation, and operation of building systems, including HVAC and plumbing.

 

BCT250-Codes and Specifications

Objectives:

• Learn the essentials of construction specifications and how they relate to national, state, and local building codes.
• Get in-depth coverage of job safety and OSHA regulations.

 

BCT280-Architectural Design

Objectives:

• Master the basic fundamentals of architectural design.
• Learn proportion, relationship of masses, figure, ground, shades, color and symmetry with emphasis on the physical properties of architectural design.

 

BCT260-Construction Estimating

Objectives:

• Estimate equipment unit pricing and unit-price cost.
• Examine bidding strategies, worker and equipment productivity, and value engineering.

 

BCT275-Construction Planning and Control

Objectives:

• Review and analyze requirements and preparation of construction planning and scheduling.
• Discover software for scheduling and planning.

 

BCT255-Green Building Practices

Objectives:

• Learn building techniques and practices that reduce the consumption of traditional fossil fuels and energy sources.
• Focus on improved insulation practices and materials.
• Understand alternative energy adaptations for residential and small commercial buildings.

HUM102- Art Appreciation

This course will provide you with the foundational knowledge needed to critique a variety of artwork.

Objectives:

• Understand artistic media.
• Identify historical periods and artistic movements.
• Explain the roles of the artist and the viewer.

HUM104-Music Appreciation

This course will allow you to understand and appreciate the art of music.

Objectives:

• Explain the roles of the composer and the listener.
• Describe music theory, instrumentation, and historical periods.
• Distinguish various styles of music.

ENG115-Introduction to Literature

This course will allow you to develop your critical thinking skills and broaden your knowledge of literature.

Objectives:

• Identify themes and forms of literature.
• Define the main genres of literature--poetry, fiction, and drama.

You’ll be required to complete a series of comprehensive practical experiments using various measuring instruments. Experiments are designed to provide familiarization with instrumentation, equipment, preparation of data, and laboratory reporting techniques. You may earn credit for this by completing the course at an approved school or by submitting a life/work experience portfolio demonstrating completion of similar skills to those emphasized in the laboratory training.

You will be required to complete a proctored exam on selected courses each semester. These assessments will evaluate the knowledge and skills that you learned during the semester. You choose the time, the location, and the qualified exam supervisor.