Mass Timber Curriculum in the US in Engineering, Architecture, and Construction Disciplines: Current State of Adoption and Analysis of Gaps and Needs

Mass timber is a sustainable construction material that is gaining increasing demand throughout the engineering, architecture, and construction (AEC) fields in the United States. While it is gaining popularity, several barriers still exist to the adoption of mass timber in the AEC industry. One of these barriers is the lack of mass timber curricula and educational resources in accredited programs across undergraduate and graduate institutions in the United States. By analyzing information gathered from syllabi and interviews with instructors teaching classes that incorporate timber and mass timber components in accredited programs, this study aims to establish the current state of integration of timber and mass timber–related content in engineering, architecture, and construction curricula and how they compare to one another. Results suggest that there is currently a relatively low number of timber and mass timber courses available in accredited higher education institutions across the AEC fields, with architecture having the largest number and construction having the smallest. Engineering offers the largest number of mass timber–specific courses, while construction has the least. Within AEC classes, the curriculum content also predominantly focuses on the structural and design applications of mass timber. This finding highlights the opportunity for more comprehensive coverage of technology, construction, and materials concepts across all three disciplines. A lack of available instructional tools was also prominently discussed, with many instructors citing a lack of formal instructional materials, real-world examples, and case studies. It was also found that instructors with industry experience had an easier time creating and/or identifying these materials, suggesting that courses with industry experience-led instructors tend to currently provide a greater amount of mass timber educational content in comparison to courses without. Finally, the instructor-suggested resources and solutions identified that could most help further support the increased adoption of mass timber curriculum included case studies and design projects, as well as instructional materials that include problem sets and lecture notes.