Overview
Mass timber is transforming Canada's construction industry as a versatile low-carbon alternative to traditional materials like concrete and steel. Recognized for its sustainability and architectural appeal, mass timber is an ideal choice for projects that prioritize both performance and environmental responsibility.
Delivered online with support from industry-trained instructors, the Sustainable Mass Timber Construction and Design certificate program provides practical, industry-relevant knowledge in mass timber, positioning you to enter and excel in one of Canada’s fastest-growing construction sectors. The program covers mass timber manufacturing, building systems and applications; sustainable forestry, life cycle analysis and environmental impact assessment; and key project phases, including team dynamics and safety in mass timber construction. You will also explore advanced design principles, biophilic design, BIM technology and cost estimation.
This program is ideal if you:
- work in construction or skilled trades, project management or compliance and want to develop practical mass timber expertise
- are a sustainability or environmental specialist assessing materials for reduced carbon footprint
- want to expand into mass timber design and construction to enhance your current or future career prospects
- seek advanced technical knowledge in BIM, cost estimation and modular design for mass timber.
Program outline
To earn this certificate, you must complete the three mandatory courses below. Start with CNST 023 Mass Timber Products and Systems, then take the remaining courses as listed.
Required courses & electives
How to apply for this certificate
Once you have registered for any course offered in this certificate, you will be automatically eligible to complete the certificate. You will have up to three years to complete this program. You may track your progression by signing in to your Continuing Education student account.
Certifications and professional designations
Upon successful completion of all the required courses in this certificate program, you’ll receive an electronically issued SAIT Certificate of Completion and transcript. For each SAIT Micro-credential earned, you'll also receive a shareable digital badge.
Costs
This program consists of three mandatory courses with varying fees. Please review the individual course pages for this certificate to determine costs and to learn more about additional learning materials, including textbooks.
Financial support
Financial opportunities are available to help pay for your course fees. Learn more about how to reduce your education or training costs with available awards, bursaries, loans and grants including the Canada Alberta Productivity Grant.
Careers and opportunities
Skills gained in this program support careers in mass timber design, construction and sustainability. You’ll be prepared to contribute to low-carbon building projects across the mass timber industry.
Related certificates you may like
- Certification type
-
Certificate of Achievement
Build foundational construction management skills in planning, safety, contracts, codes, and supervision for site roles.
- Certification type
-
Certificate of Completion
This certificate program covers industry knowledge of building science principles, metrics for verifying performance, and prevailing rating and verification systems.
- Certification type
-
Certificate of Completion
Learn residential deep energy retrofits from planning to execution with building science, assessment, design, and hands-on implementation.
- Certification type
-
Certificate of Achievement
Build expertise in construction estimating and P&ID preparation through cost estimation, blueprint reading, process flow diagrams, and best practices.
Stories and news
Alberta companies look to workforce training to close critical skills gaps
The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) provides corporate training to help businesses boost productivity and workplace performance.
Donor created space enables cybersecurity training for students and industry
The new SAIT Cyber Range creates an immersive cybersecurity training facility for students and industry in downtown Calgary.
Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.
SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.