Graduate level construction informatics curriculum: a proposal to meet the Bologna structure

Across Europe, faculties of civil engineering and departments of construction are addressing the structure of the university level education according to the Bologna declaration. The restructuring provides an opportunity to rethink some aspects of the curriculum, including the status of education in construction informatics and computer science. While today the IT tools are used in most courses, there is a significant corpus of knowledge that needs specialized attention in dedicated courses. Some courses must be aimed at fundamental IT knowledge that is required to support core engineering works such as design, planning, construction management and construction itself. Advanced understanding of all aspects of information technology is required for job positions that actively shape the introduction of IT for strategic, management and knowledge worker levels. This is reflected in the proposed schema of four courses, two of which are optional. The author believes that the 2+2 courses over the 4 years of engineering education is a realistic share that construction informatics should have in the reformed curricula. This paper reports on a study that was completed in 2002 for the University of Zagreb, Croatia in 2002, that is reforming the curriculum related to construction informatics. The goal of the paper is not to provide a definitive curriculum, but rather to start a Europe-wide discussion on a harmonization of construction informatics curricula.