Getting a Construction Management Degree

The construction industry is growing, and those with an undergraduate or master’s degree in construction management are highly sought after. These degrees provide the ability to communicate with design professionals like engineers and architects, as well as managerial skills to oversee the skilled tradesmen that perform the actual building work.

A typical course in construction starts with an exploratory core and then moves onto more specific courses in construction to give you the technical skills needed to build a building from the ground up. You can also learn advanced engineering subjects like structural analysis and modeling. Many programs also offer opportunities to gain practical experience by working on real projects with local businesses or taking part in a design competition for students.

In certain programs, you’ll work alongside other students to design, conceptualize and present a construction project to an expert panel of judges during your senior year. This is a great way to gain experience in the field and broaden your network and can often result in a pre-graduation job offer.

You can also decide to specialize in read this article a particular area like civil engineering, green building and sustainability or construction and materials technology. The programs that specialize prepare you for jobs in research and development design, estimation, and cost control. Doctoral degrees in construction are typically three to five years long and require extensive research to complete the dissertation. Some programs also provide teaching and graduate assistantships to help with your tuition costs.