Program Overview

Course Overview

The Practicum in Construction and Building Science, denoted as BILD 581, is a course designed to provide students with professional work experience in the areas of construction or building science. This course is supervised by an academic staff member and a host organization involved in construction or building science research or applications in the public or private sectors.

Course Details

• Course Code: BILD 581
• Duration: Approximately 600 hours or 50.0 hours per week for 12 weeks.
• Points: 60 points, with one point estimated to be about 10 hours of work.
• Special Features: Includes work-integrated learning.
• Fees:
  • For domestic students: NZ$5,505.60
  • For international students: NZ$24,195.60
• Campus: Te Aro

Entry Restrictions

• Prerequisites: Completion of Part 1 of the MBildSc or MConst.
• Corequisites: None
• Restrictions: None, but note that courses with similar content may restrict enrollment.

Course Structure

The course consists of three main components:

1. Practicum Briefing: Understanding professional expectations, responsibilities, and working in a safe environment.
2. Placement: Working on specific projects with significant disciplinary content assigned by the host employer, with direct academic supervision. This includes developing teamwork and communication skills and writing a report.
3. Seminars: Presenting findings from projects and sharing placement experiences with others, including course colleagues and academic staff.

Course Learning Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

• Demonstrate highly specialized knowledge and critical awareness of the built environment and construction industry through written reports and oral presentations.
• Communicate effectively with others and present construction or building science findings.
• Apply construction or building science methodologies in practice.
• Extend knowledge of construction or building science research and apply it to new situations.

How This Course is Taught

The course is taught through on-campus reporting seminars, in conjunction with time spent in placement with an industry host. On-campus lectures are delivered based on the needs of the cohort.

Assessment

• Report: A 5,000-word report on findings from workplace projects and placement experience (75% of the mark).
• Oral Presentation: A 30-minute oral presentation (25% of the mark).

Mandatory Requirements

There are no mandatory requirements for this course.

What You'll Need to Get

You do not need to purchase any texts or equipment for this course.

Past Versions of This Course

Older versions of this course may be accessible through the course archive.

Student Feedback

Previous students' feedback on this course can be found in the student feedback database.

Selected Offering

• Course: BILD 581
• Duration: 16 Nov–7 Feb 2027
• Trimester: Trimester 3
• CRN: 30179

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