Towards establishing a distant learning environment for a European master in construction IT

A consortium of nine European universities submitted a proposal, in 2001, for a European master in construction IT (ITC Euromaster). This project was approved and supported by the European Erasmus/Socrates program. The main objective of the proposal was to develop a joint M.Sc. curriculum for construction IT, providing students the possibility for extending their knowledge in the application of ICT in the building and construction (BC) related disciplines. The curriculum aimed at complementing the existing portfolio of ICT education programs of the nine participating universities. This is meant to provide a response to the growing demand for such skills in the European Union (EU) for ICT enabled support for the BC industry. This paper discusses the results achieved so far. A special attention is paid to the course delivery methods, emphasising the distant learning environment that is established within the program.