Modular Building Institute and Center for Offsite Construction at New York Institute of Technology Partner to Launch Accreditation Board for Offsite Construction Education

The Modular Building Institute (MBI) and the Center for Offsite Construction (CfOC) at New York Institute of Technology (“New York Tech”) have partnered to create the Accreditation Board for Offsite Construction Education (ABOCE), a new independent nonprofit organization dedicated to accrediting university degree programs in offsite construction.

The new accrediting body will help colleges and universities build rigorous undergraduate and graduate degree programs that prepare students for careers in offsite construction, a field that combines architectural design, engineering systems, manufacturing processes, supply-chain logistics, transportation, site assembly, and coordinated project delivery.

“Offsite construction cannot scale without a workforce trained for its realities,” said Heather Packard, CAE, Professional and Workforce Development Director at MBI. “We are excited to build the educational infrastructure that will unlock a more coordinated, productive, and truly scalable industry.”

The partnership builds on the work of the MBI–CfOC Accreditation Task Force, which examined the feasibility, structure, governance, and need for an independent accrediting organization for offsite construction education. The task force concluded that offsite construction is becoming a distinct field with its own methods, workflows, delivery models, and workforce requirements.

As construction continues to adopt factory-based production methods and integrated delivery systems, MBI and New York Tech’s CfOC identified a critical gap in higher education: while architecture, engineering, and construction management programs have established accreditation systems, no comparable accreditation pathway currently exists for degree programs focused specifically on offsite and industrialized construction.

“These programs are about preparing the next generation of professionals who can design buildings the way modern industries design complex products,” said Jason Van Nest, M. Arch., executive director of the Center for Offsite Construction, which is based in the university’s School of Architecture and Design and where he is also an associate professor. “Students must understand not only how buildings function, but also how offsite methods require manufacturing intelligence how components are fabricated, assembled, transported, and integrated into coordinated delivery systems.”

MBI will bring industry expertise, practitioner networks, workforce-development experience, and employer insight to the effort. CfOC will contribute its academic and research foundation, including its work on offsite design and delivery curricula and its leadership in convening experts from across the sector.

“The construction industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation,” said Tom Hardiman, Executive Director of the Modular Building Institute. “To support that transformation, we must develop educational programs that teach professionals how buildings can be designed and delivered through coordinated production systems. Establishing accreditation for these programs is a critical step.”

The Accreditation Board for Offsite Construction Education will serve as an independent, mission-driven accrediting body focused on educational quality, public benefit, transparency, balanced representation, and conflict-of-interest safeguards. Its work will include developing accreditation standards and procedures, supporting model curricula, and helping institutions organize the competencies needed for offsite construction degree pathways.

Through this partnership, MBI and CfOC aim to create a clearer educational pathway for students, a stronger workforce pipeline for employers, and a reliable benchmark for universities developing programs in offsite construction.

An online press conference about this announcement is planned for 1:00 p.m. (ET) on June 10, 2026. Email Matt Ford (mford05@nyit.edu) for credentials to attend the conference.

Universities, industry organizations, and other stakeholders interested in participating in the development of the accreditation framework can learn more at aboce.org.