Stanford School of Engineering & Doerr School of Sustainability
ENGINEERING Civil & Environmental Engineering
Center for Integrated Facility Engineering

Professional VDC Education

Since 2008, the Stanford Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) together with CIFE member Project Production Institute (PPI) has offered a VDC (Virtual Design & Construction) Certificate Program to teach Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) and Facility Management (FM) professionals how to effectively use VDC to obtain a high value for their projects and businesses. In collaboration with the Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD), we have now developed a number of options to make VDC knowledge more widely accessible:

  • Earn the Stanford Center for Professional Development’s Record of Completion for the course in Virtual Design and Construction. This online course covers all the materials that were part of the CIFE-PPI VDC course. Complete it at your pace to learn the fundamental concepts of VDC.
  • Earn a Graduate Certificate in Virtual Design and Construction. This program covers all the material in the CIFE-PPI VDC course plus courses on BIM and related topics. You participate in these classes online when they are offered at Stanford and complete all the assignments and projects in the classes. By completing these classes, you earn Stanford course credit.
  • Earn the Stanford Center for Professional Development’s Certificate of Achievement in Virtual Design and Construction: This program includes the online VDC course, an introductory workshop, support during the implementation of VDC through monthly check-ins and workshops, and a final workshop to reflect on your VDC learning. You will be part of a cohort of 15-25 professionals who are also learning about VDC and will be guided by CIFE faculty and staff, as well as experienced practitioners who are certified as VDC mentors. This program is equivalent to the CIFE-PPI VDC program that has been offered over the last 11 years. It is currently offered by two CIFE member firms:
    -->  Strategic Building Innovation, Brochure contact Calvin Kam
    -->  VIATechnik, contact Jennifer Skibek
  • SCPD and CIFE are also collaborating with universities and other large organizations to offer professional VDC education to large groups of professionals who want to earn the Stanford Center for Professional Development’s Certificate of Achievement in Virtual Design and Construction. The first program of this kind will be offered in collaboration with NTNU between June 2019-May 2020 for 200 professionals in Norway. Contact Ronie Shilo if for more details about setting up such a program.

Contact SCPD for further information or visit the SCPD website to learn more about the program.

List of professionals who completed the certification can be found here.