Mass Timber Education in U.S. Construction Programs: Current State and Future Needs

10 pages•Published: July 23, 2025

Abstract

This study explores the current state of Mass Timber education in U.S. construction programs, assessing the challenges, opportunities, and future needs for curriculum development. As Mass Timber gains traction as a sustainable building material, its integration into higher education remains limited, hindering the preparation of future professionals in construction. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, including surveys distributed to U.S. construction faculty to assess their familiarity with Mass Timber and the presence of related courses in their programs. Findings reveal that only 29% of the surveyed programs offer Mass Timber-related courses, with 49% of faculty having limited familiarity with the material. According to the survey responses, barriers to integration include curriculum constraints, a shortage of qualified instructors, and a lack of dedicated resources. Despite these challenges, there is a strong interest in expanding Mass Timber education, with 76% of faculty recognizing its value for sustainable construction practices. The study concludes that enhancing the Mass Timber curriculum and professional development for instructors is essential to meet the growing demand for expertise in this field. Recommendations include incorporating Mass Timber as an elective or specialized module, providing faculty training, and developing standardized educational resources to support its broader integration into construction programs.

Keyphrases: construction, education, mass timber, mass timber construction, sustainable materials

In: Wesley Collins, Anthony J. Perrenoud and John Posillico (editors). Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 61st Annual International Conference, vol 6, pages 111-120.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/krTN
	https://doi.org/10.29007/jc56

BibTeX entry

@inproceedings{ASC2025:Mass_Timber_Education_U.S.,
  author    = {Farnaz Jafari and Wesley Collins},
  title     = {Mass Timber Education in U.S. Construction Programs: Current State and Future Needs},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 61st Annual International Conference},
  editor    = {Wesley Collins and Anthony J. Perrenoud and John Posillico},
  series    = {EPiC Series in Built Environment},
  volume    = {6},
  publisher = {EasyChair},
  bibsource = {EasyChair, https://easychair.org},
  issn      = {2632-881X},
  url       = {/publications/paper/krTN},
  doi       = {10.29007/jc56},
  pages     = {111-120},
  year      = {2025}}

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