BIM Adoption in University Teaching Programs : The Swedish Case

Implementation of BIM in the construction industry relies on sufficient knowledge and skills about BIM in order to gain momentum and success. Thorough understanding of the possibilities as well as challenges related to the application of BIM constitutes essential drivers for the adoption of BIM among all the industry actors throughout the construction process. Thus, there is a need for supply of knowledge and skills about BIM and its implications on the organisation, communication, management, business models etc. in construction. Accordingly, universities play an important role as a knowledge and skills supplier that helps to provide the necessary conditions for the implementation of BIM in the construction industry. This study investigates how the curricula of engineering and architectural teaching programs at Swedish universities and university colleges have responded to the apparent and increasing demand for BIM competences in industry. The study relies on a survey of 10 universities and 8 university colleges that provide engineering and architectural teaching programs at a master’s and/or a bachelor’s level. The findings show that bachelor’s engineering programs at university colleges generally have adopted BIM into the curricula to a somewhat larger extent compared to engineering programs at a master’s level. The BIM-adoption in architectural programs is, however, significantly limited. Further, the degree of BIM-adoption differs significantly between the respective teaching programs. Only few universities have adopted BIM as an integrated subject in courses that deal with general construction related issues. The predominant approach is to implement BIM-subjects as discrete teaching modules, i.e. stand-alone courses, rather than as a cross disciplinary aspect implemented in a number of the existing courses. Besides, a considerate mismatch is identified between the technical characteristics of the BIM curricula at universities and the process-oriented approach to BIM represented by the industry. Thus, the universities would benefit from a closer collaboration with the industry in BIM-related matters and they need to take on a strategic approach to BIM at an overall university or program level in order to avoid isolated BIM initiatives at a single course level