Building resumes: BGSU architecture and construction management students gain hands-on experience with summer co-ops, internships

Two programs with one multi-disciplinary approach prepare students for careers with internships and co-ops across the country

By Branden Ferguson

As the only school of its kind in Ohio, the Bowling Green State University School of the Built Environment brings together students from construction management and architecture and environmental design to learn and collaborate alongside each other in state-of-the-art Kokosing Hall.

As part of a multi-disciplinary approach to learning, BGSU students in both programs complete multiple internships or co-ops before graduation. This summer, students are gaining hands-on experience with architecture and construction firms nationwide.

Before Sydney Franklin starts her senior year in the construction management program, she is wrapping up her third internship in four years nearly 2,000 miles away from campus in Phoenix, Arizona.

"I am currently doing an internship with McCarthy Building Companies, which has helped me significantly grow my knowledge of the construction industry," Franklin said. "I've been hands-on while working on a lab and research facility at Arizona State University. I've been tasked with review and submissions for all requests for information and coordinated with architects and engineering partners, all while getting a feel for all aspects of the project through weekly team meetings."

As one of only three programs in Ohio accredited by the American Council for Construction Education, the BGSU construction management program prepares students for future careers by emphasizing involvement with industry connections in and out of the classroom. Students take part in job fairs, learn from contractors who come to campus and gain valuable insight from industry leaders during networking events.

"I never thought going into this program that we would receive as much industry experience as we do," Franklin said. "This program has exceeded my expectations with multiple site visits throughout the year, industry professionals coming to network every few weeks and collaboration in the classroom."

Providing the education and skills to design and build comprehensive structures based on rigorous National Architectural Accrediting Board standards, the BGSU architecture and environmental design program also empowers students with valuable experiences as they learn both sides of the industry.

"Both programs engage each other in coursework that benefits one another," said Dr. Arsenio Rodrigues, director of the School of the Built Environment. "Uniting design, technical and management education, the school serves as a model of innovative learning and academic excellence with the overarching mission of creating exemplary places, structures and systems."

Senior architecture and environmental design student Madi Kudzia said she has benefited greatly from the multi-faceted approach of the program. Taking lessons from the classroom, she has focused her summer internship on pre-construction and estimating with The Delventhal Company in Millbury, Ohio, near Toledo.

"I wanted to complete one of my co-ops with a construction company because I believe getting experience in that field is just as important as working in an architecture firm," Kudzia said. "I have been able to see the process that occurs after the architectural drawings are approved and help the project proceed into construction. With this knowledge of the construction industry, I can be a better and more well-rounded architect."

While students learn together in digital labs, creative workstations and in a 6,700-square-foot Innovation Lab on campus, Rodrigues said the required co-ops and internships with architecture firms and construction and building material companies empower students to be successful professionals.

"Architecture students are required to complete two co-ops, while construction management students must complete three," he said. "The co-ops provide our students with critical professional and field experience, allowing them to gain practical and real-world implications of the profession and industry."

The hands-on, experiential learning opportunities offered on campus and through internships and co-ops have prepared students like Franklin for success in her future career.

"Looking back on my experiences, I couldn't be more grateful for the encouragement and support BGSU provided me," Franklin said. "My internships have played one of the biggest roles in preparing and developing me for my future career. There is nothing more valuable than hands-on field experience, and that is exactly what I received."