tiny house building in the carpentry lab at MVCC

Program information

If you enjoy working with your hands and using creative ingenuity, a career in the construction trades might be perfectly suited for you. Our Carpentry and Masonry Certificate program provides the knowledge and skills you need to work as a carpenter or mason in both commercial and residential construction. Learn to read blueprints and organize formal estimates for residential structures. Get hands-on carpentry experience building foundations, floors, walls, stairs, residential roofs, and structure interiors and exteriors, including windows and skylights, interior and exterior doors, frames and walls, thermal barriers, and sound insulation. Masonry courses cover concrete construction, mortar and block construction, and brick masonry.

Located in Downtown Utica at the Construction and Trades Center, 335 Catherine St., the two-semester program combines lectures with labs and on-site sessions to provide practical applications of the trades. In addition to learning about various construction materials, tools, and techniques, you will learn how to work efficiently and safely on construction sites. Graduate prepared to communicate within the construction industry and work effectively as part of a work crew.

Graduates of the program can find employment as carpenters or masons, and some graduates start their own businesses.

See a semester-by-semester certificate plan.

Career opportunities

  • Carpenter
  • Mason 
  • Mason tender
  • Construction inspector
  • Entrepreneur

Internship opportunities

  • Work as part of a crew on an on-site construction project in the community

Contact us

Scott Jackson, Program Coordinator 
Email: sjackson@mvcc.edu

Our program in the news

Each semester, MVCC’s Carpentry and Masonry Program seeks out community projects in which the students are able to practice their trade in the real world with faculty guidance. These projects provide support to the community while enriching the students' learning experience.

Here are some news stories about MVCC Carpentry and Masonry students helping the community: