Overview
The BCIT Building Engineering/Building Science Master of Applied Science program provides students with the capabilities to independently conduct rigorous, innovative research and publish, present, and defend those research outcomes to expert peers.
A core course component teaches advanced knowledge and skills leading to a holistic understanding of building performance. Specialized elective technical courses prepare students with in-depth knowledge to enable them to conduct research in their particular area. A well-structured research component is included in the program to enable students to develop research skills.
Students are required to complete a research methods course, conduct a literature survey, develop a research plan, write a research proposal, undertake innovative scientific research and complete a comprehensive research thesis that advances scientific knowledge. Students will conduct research independently with guidance from a thesis supervisory committee.
The Master of Applied Science program:
- Offers an interdisciplinary curriculum
- Specializes in building science
- Emphasizes an engineering approach for practical problem solving
- Focuses on applied research to provide solutions to industry problems
- Engages students in interdisciplinary research
- Is supported by a strong foundation of research infrastructure unique to western Canada
- Delivers a first-of-a-kind program in BC and western Canada
Graduate student funding opportunities
There is funding available on a competitive basis to graduate students. Please see the list of faculty members for their research interests and then contact faculty individually if you would like more information.
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Entrance Requirements
Application processing
Full-time and part-time applications will be accepted as follows:
- First round: October 1* to March 31*
- Second round: April 1* to April 30*
- Third round: May 1* to May 31*
- Fourth round: June 1* to July 31*
International applicants must hold a valid study permit to apply to the fourth round.
*or next business day
This program has multiple application deadlines and may fill after each deadline date.
Entrance requirements
Competitive Entry: Two-step process
Step 1: Meet the following entrance requirements
Upload proof of meeting the following to your online application:
- English: one of the following:
- Two years of full-time post-secondary education in English in an English-speaking country with 3.0 credits of post-secondary English, humanities or social sciences (67%) from a recognized institution or
- View other ways to meet the English requirement
- Post-secondary: one of the following:
- A 4-year bachelor’s degree in an engineering field or architecture with a GPA of 2.8 out of 4.0 (70%) or
- A 4-year bachelor’s degree with a major in a related natural science field with a GPA of 2.8 out of 4.0 (70%), preferably with an Architectural and Building Technology (ABT) diploma (Building Science option) or equivalent building science industry experience.
GPA will be calculated by using grades earned in the last two years of full-time study in the undergraduate degree.
Applicants who have completed post-secondary studies outside of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand will require a comprehensive evaluation of their credentials by the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES). Credential evaluation reports from other Canadian services may be considered. These reports must include course-by-course evaluations and GPA calculations.
- Math: Linear algebra and differential equations equivalent to UBC Math 221 and UBC Math 255. You are not required to take these specific UBC courses; they are listed here for you to refer to their course descriptions. If you have already studied these subjects as part of your bachelor’s degree, please give particulars in your online application:
- Complete the following form for submission with your online application:
- Mandatory Applicant Questionnaire [PDF]: This form will be used with other entrance requirements in the competitive selection for the program. You will be required to provide two academic or professional references supporting your academic suitability.
Step 2: Department Review
Only complete applications that include all the required supporting documentation will be evaluated. All complete applications will be reviewed by the Graduate Selection Committee and ranked on a competitive basis. The applicants that are best suited for success in the program will be offered a place.
Building envelope laboratory course
Applicants without industry experience in building science may be required to enroll in BLDC 3060 - Building Envelope Laboratory. Fees for this course will need to be paid in addition to the master’s degree tuition. Applicants will be advised if they need to take this course after their application has been reviewed by the Graduate Selection Committee. Applicants who are required to take this course can do so concurrently with their first term studies. It is not necessary to complete this course prior to enrolling in the master’s program.
Industry practitioners
Industry practitioners are encouraged to apply for part-time study. Note that BSCI 9850 - Research Thesis is a 12.0 credit course covering one 12-month term. Part-time MASc students may complete the other required courses for their program while continuing to work at their profession. However, when it comes to undertaking their research thesis, students are expected to be fully engaged in the research. To meet this expectation, students are strongly recommended to take a leave from their work so that they may focus entirely on their thesis.
Professional development
Subject to departmental approval and course availability, students who satisfy the entrance requirements may take no more than two courses for professional development without first applying to the program.Please see Program details.
International applicants
The full-time delivery option is available to international applicants. A valid study permit is required prior to beginning the program.
The part-time delivery option is not available to international applicants. View available programs
Transfer credit
Transfer of credits is allowed to a maximum of two courses taken outside of the Building Science graduate programs. These courses cannot have been used to satisfy the requirements of another credential, must have been taken within five years of admission to the current program, and must demonstrate a standing of a least 74%.
Apply to program
To submit your application:
- Include proof of meeting all entrance requirements.
- Convert all transcripts and supporting documents to PDF files.
- Have a credit card ready to pay the application fee.
Apply Now
Scheduled Intakes
September each year.
myCommunication
Within two business days of submitting your completed application, BCIT will send a message to your personal and myBCIT email addresses. All correspondence regarding your application will be posted to your online myCommunication account at my.bcit.ca. We will send you an email when a new message is posted. It is important to watch for these emails or regularly check your account online.
You can expect to receive communication concerning the status of your application within four weeks.
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Costs & Supplies
Tuition fees
Full-time Studies
Use our tuition estimator to find tuition and fees for this program.
For more information on full-time tuition and fees, visit:
Flexible Learning
Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) tuition is charged on a course-by-course basis. Please see the Flexible Learning Tuition & Fees page for more information.
Books & supplies
Approximate costs for books, a computer and supplies are $800 per semester.
(general estimated cost, subject to change)
Financial assistance
Financial assistance may be available for this program. For more information, please contact Stephanie Williams with inquiries regarding Student Financial Aid and Awards.
Graduate Student Scholarship and Research Assistantship
Limited financial support for MASc students is available from the Building Science department and faculty members holding research grants. This financial support can be paid as a scholarship/bursary or as a research assistantship and is awarded on a competitive basis. Decisions on the awarding of this funding are made when applications are reviewed by the Graduate Program Committee.
Scholarships from the Federal Government
Graduate students may apply to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada for funding through the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Program.
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Courses
Program matrix
Check current availability of courses for this program.
1. Required Core Technical Courses (9.0 credits required): | Credits | ||
---|---|---|---|
BSCI 9000 | Building Science 1 | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9020 | Building Materials | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9120 | Building Envelope 1 | 3.0 | |
2. Technical Electives (6.0 credits required): | Credits | ||
Complete two courses from the following list of technical electives. Upon Graduate Program Director approval, you may complete one course (3.0 credits) from the following list and one course (3.0 credits) from outside of the program. |
|||
BSCI 9060 | Building Science Acoustics | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9090 | Directed Studies | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9100 | Building Environment and Climate | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9130 | Building Energy Performance | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9150 | Mechanical Systems and Control | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9160 | Noise Control | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9170 | Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9180 | Principles of Building Circularity and Life Cycle Assessment | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9220 | Building Envelope 2 | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9230 | Measurement and Verification | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9240 | Modelling of Heat and Mass Transfer in Buildings | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9250 | Advanced Energy Simulation | 3.0 | |
3. Research Courses (18.0 credits required): | Credits | ||
BSCI 9050 | Research Methods | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9630 | Proposal Preparation Part 1 | ||
BSCI 9640 | Proposal Preparation Part 2 | ||
BSCI 9650 | Research Proposal | 3.0 | |
BSCI 9850 | Research Thesis | 12.0 | |
4. Graduate Seminar Courses (required but no credit given): | Credits | ||
BSCI 9054 | Graduate Seminar Orientation | ||
BSCI 9055 | Graduate Seminar Series | ||
Total Credits: | 33.0 |
Check current availability of courses for this program.
Note: Applicants without industry experience are required to complete BLDC 3060 - Building Envelope Laboratory during their course of study. Students are not required to complete this course prior to beginning the program.
Transfer credit
Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.
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Program Details
Professional development
Students who satisfy the Building Science Graduate Program entrance requirements may take no more than two courses for professional development without having to first apply to the program, subject to departmental approval and course availability. Professional development students must satisfy the prerequisites for any course. All applications are reviewed by the Department to ensure candidates are suited for success in the course. Industry practitioners are encouraged to apply.
Courses available for professional development:
- BSCI 9000 Building Science
- BSCI 9020 Building Materials
- BSCI 9060 Advanced Acoustics
- BSCI 9170 Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality
- BSCI 9130 Building Energy Performance
To apply for permission to register for a professional development course, email your undergraduate transcript and curriculum vitae to buildingscience@bcit.ca.
Program length
To complete the program requirements, full-time students will need a minimum of two years.
The program can also be completed part-time, with students taking fewer courses each term and taking more time to complete the program.
In either case, the program must be completed within a minimum of two years and a maximum of five years.
Switching degrees or delivery
Admission decisions are based on a student’s application to a specific degree, MASc or MEng, and a specific delivery, full-time or part-time. Students are expected to finish the degree with the delivery they have been accepted into. Under exceptional circumstances, students may request to switch degrees or delivery mode. Any request to change from one degree to another or from full-time or part-time delivery must be made in writing to the Graduate Program Director. This request may or may not be approved for the same academic year.
All requests outlined below must be made using the Full-Time Technology and Part-Time Degree Withdrawal form [PDF]
Domestic Students
- Students who have been accepted to the full-time MEng or MASc degree who would like to switch to the other degree, must withdraw from the program and re-apply to the degree of choice.
- Students who have been accepted as full-time who would like to switch to part-time delivery, or vice-versa, must withdraw from the program and re-apply to the delivery of choice.
International Students
- International students who have been accepted to the full-time MASc are not permitted to switch to the MEng degree at any time during their studies. Students must withdraw from the program and re-apply.
- International students who have been accepted to the full-time MEng who would like to switch to the MASc must withdraw from the program and re-apply.
Grading
Minimum passing grade for each course is 60%; however, each student is required to maintain a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 75% and pass all core courses with a minimum of 60%.
Additional program options
Program delivery
In person: Both full-time and part-time programs are delivered on campus.
Students have the flexibility to complete the program either full-time or part-time.
The program is delivered in a face-to-face format in classroom and research laboratories, seminars, and supervisor/student meetings.
Full-time students can refer to the Full-time Program Map [PDF] for term details.
Continue your education
Graduates of the program may have the opportunity to pursue PhD studies in building science at other universities.
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Graduating & Jobs
Job opportunities
Career opportunities for MASc graduates are available in the construction industry including building envelope consulting firms, acoustics consulting firms, engineering and architectural consulting firms, universities and colleges, research institutes, government agencies and municipalities, warranty providers, manufacturers and testing agencies.
It is anticipated that graduates with good academic standing will also have the opportunity to pursue doctoral studies at other universities.
Apply for graduation
Upon successful completion of all program requirements, complete an Application for BCIT Credential [PDF] and submit it to Student Information and Enrolment Services.
Allow approximately six to eight weeks for processing.
All financial obligations to the Institute must be met prior to issuance of any credential.
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Faculty, Advisors & Staff
Faculty
Fitsum Tariku, PhD
Graduate Program Director
Bo Li, PhD, PEng, BESATM, CEM®
Faculty
- Building energy performance, mechanical systems and control
Rodrigo Mora, PhD, PEng
Faculty
Won Suk Ohm, PhD
Faculty
- Building acoustics, noise and vibration control, physical acoustics
Staff
Wendy Ying Simpson, MASc
Research Analyst
Zelalem Abebe, MSc
Research Analyst
Carol Cordeiro, MSc
Graduate Program Assistant
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International Students
Application deadline for international students
May 31
International applicants can only apply to the full-time option.
Study permits
Visit the international student section of the BCIT website for more information on study permits.
International Credential Evaluation Service
Applicants who have completed post-secondary studies outside of Canada, United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand will require a comprehensive evaluation of their undergraduate degree by the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES). View the criteria for submitting documents on the ICES website.
Submit your documents for evaluation well in advance of the graduate program application deadline. ICES comprehensive reports can take a minimum of 6-8 weeks to process.
English language proficiency (ELP) requirements
International students need to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as described on the Entrance Requirements page. If your undergraduate courses were studied in English, but the country where you studied is not on the list of “English-speaking countries”, you must still meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as described on the Program Entry page.
International tuition fees
Please see the International Tuition & Fees page for tuition details. Tuition fees may be raised by a maximum of 2% per annum.
Funding
Graduate student research assistantships are available on a competitive basis to Master of Applied Science students from the student’s research supervisor. As indicated by the name, the duty of the awarded student is to assist with research. Students should check with faculty members for current graduate assistantship positions.
Time commitment for funding eligibility
It is expected that students receiving research funding from the department will be devoted full time to complete their program. Given that most research funding is obtained from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), below are the requirements from NSERC with respect to the time commitment to the degree program:
- NSERC expects award holders to devote the majority of their time to the expeditious completion of their degree program. As a guideline, NSERC strongly suggests that award holders limit the number of hours of employment per 12-month period to 450 hours.
- You may not hold full-time employment during any period of time in which you hold the NSERC award.
- Payment of the award during paid internships and co-op work terms is permitted, regardless of your registration status, provided that they are a requirement of your program of studies.
- You may not concurrently hold an award from another federal granting agency (CIHR or SSHRC). You may, however, accept awards from other sources, regardless of value (e.g., foreign sources, provincial awards, private organizations or your university).
- You may accept supplements from NSERC grants. There is no limit on the value of such supplements. Any such funding is to be in support of your work as a graduate student and is not to be remuneration for additional duties performed.
- Part-time PGS/CGS holders: No employment is permitted during tenure of the award without NSERC’s prior authorization.
Campus housing
Information for International Students regarding on-campus and off-campus housing.
Additional resources
Further information on studying in Canada can be found at Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
International Student Centre
There is a section on the BCIT website devoted to international students. Visit the website for information on study permits, fees, and other topics specific to international students: A message can be sent to the International Student Centre directly by using the form at the bottom of their Contact page.
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Scholarships and Funding
Graduate student funding
There is funding available on a competitive basis to graduate students.
- Master of Applied Science Students are eligible to apply for departmental funding which is awarded on a competitive basis by faculty members holding research grants. Please see the list of faculty members for their research interests and then contact the faculty individually if you would like more information.
- Master of Engineering Students are eligible to apply for limited funding which is awarded on a competitive basis by faculty members holding research grants. Please see the list of faculty members for their research interests and then contact the faculty individually if you would like more information.
BCIT bursaries
Master’s students who are residents of Canada are eligible to apply for bursaries from BCIT in their second term, which falls into the Winter bursary term. Applications for that term will be available the first week of January and the deadline is January 30.
Scholarships
The following scholarships and awards are available to graduate students:
- BCBEC MASC Award: The BC Building Envelope Council, Tom Morstead Memorial Award: The award is based on a combination of high academic standing, leadership, service and best all-round performance in Levels 1 and 2 of the program; no need to apply.
- BCBEC MEng Award: The BC Building Envelope Council, Education Foundation Award: The award is based on a combination of high academic standing, leadership, service and best all-round performance in Levels 1 and 2 of the program; no need to apply.
- Building Science Graduate Program Conference Travel Award: (Up to $1,000 for travel to a conference to present a research conference paper)
For more, see BCIT Student Financial Aid & Awards.
Financial aid
Financial assistance may be available for this program. For more information, please contact Stephanie Williams with inquiries regarding Student Financial Aid and Awards.
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Contact Us
For general inquiries, please email: BCIT_Buildingscience@bcit.ca
Questions or comments?
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