History and Overview
Mission
Research Centers
Job Placement and Internships
The school had its beginning through the architecture program in 1935 and became a department in 1957. In 1976, the School of Building Construction was established. The school was named the M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Building Construction in 1989 and is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education.
The school has an enrollment of 250. Graduates receive a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction or a Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Services and begin work immediately as assistant project managers, field engineers, schedulers, cost engineers, assistant superintendents, quality controllers and estimators and fire and emergency service unit leaders.
The mission of the M. E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction is to be the center for excellence for the construction sciences. The school will pursue this by:
(1) Promoting professional ethics in education and practice,
(2) Educating individuals with comprehensive knowledge and skills in preparation for an outstanding professional career,
(3) Creating new knowledge through research, and
(4) Providing service to the University of Florida, the industry and the community.
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Throughout the history of the Rinker School, faculty and students have forged a solid foundation for research and service. Each year the University of Florida receives more than 200 million dollars in research grants from government and industry. As a result, the Rinker School has been able to develop research facilities in five critical areas of building construction. The five research centers are:
The Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing
The Center for Construction and the Environment
The Center for Construction Safety and Loss Control
The Center for Fire Safety
The Center for Construction Productivity and Quality.
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The Building Construction job placement office is located in Fine Arts Complex C. This office assists seniors and graduate students in obtaining employment upon graduation. Traditionally, the majority of graduating BCN students acquire employment before they graduate and the job placement office is largely responsible for this outstanding achievement. This office also provides summer employment listings and opportunities. Students are encouraged to participate in internships while at the University of Florida, and the job placement office assists students with summer and eight-month internships.
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