Construction Management B.S.

[fieldsports]

We have looked at a few B.S. Construction Management programs. Does anybody know how the grads are received by the industry, and what kind of jobs they get? Is it especially important in that field to have had some actual experience as a tradesman on construction sites before getting involved in the degree and ultimately purporting to manage? (I can imagine the reception that a college boy with a management degree might get if he's never swung a hammer.) I would also imagine that it's only very large construction companies, building large commercial or industrial projects, that would have need for bachelors-level managers? Any info would be appreciated.

[boysx3]

My middle son attended University of Denver, which has a very strong construction management program. Graduates from there seem to do very well--very, very strong job placement and excellent internships.

[eastcoascrazy]

Close family friend earned a bachelors in architecture, with two summers of related internships. He then earned a masters in construction management with a paid summer internship. The large company that he worked for as an intern during his masters program hired him immediately. This was within the past year. He is earning a very nice income as a project manager.

The masters program was very small, and all of the other students had prior work experience. Some were married, with children. Our friend was the youngest student in the program. He is experiencing a steep learning curve on the job now.

[fieldsports]

Good to know. Eastcoast, would you mind mentioning the name of the school (or PM-ing me, if you prefer?)

[5boys]

Cal-Poly SLO has an AMAZING Construction Management program with excellent job placement. We live in CA and know quite a few kids who have gone throught that program and have gotten excellent high paying jobs right out of college. It is very well respected.

[eastcoascrazy]

M.S. in Construction Management through Philidelphia University. He is working in the Washington DC area now.

[sylvan8798]

Originally Posted by fieldsports

(I can imagine the reception that a college boy with a management degree might get if he's never swung a hammer.)

The key is to respect that the various tradesmen/women know their own jobs and to listen to them and treat them as equals.

[GladGradDad]

A friend has a construction management degree, I think from Uni of Colorado, and has been well employed since graduating 10 years or so ago. He manages commercial construction sites.

It's not about swinging a hammer - there all kinds of facets to constructing a property including many areas a hammer swinger wouldn't necessarily know much about. There are permits, blueprints, surveyors, soil engineers, vendors, structural engineers, foundation people, plumbers, electricians, heavy equipment operators, sheet rock people, insulation people, painters, roofers, carpenters, lighting specialists, datacenter specialists, carpeting people, and the list goes on and on. A construction management person needs to be able to coordinate all of this and it's a big job with a lot of responsibility on a commercial venture.

Of course, the number of opportunities available will be related to the amount of construction going on. These last few years haven't been great in most locales for construction but my friend still managed to work through it all but I'm sure some construction management people have been hit due to the downturn.

[MaineLonghorn]

Some schools have an architectural engineering degree with a construction management concentration. Coming out with an engineering degree would give you more flexibility. I was an ArchE major myself, but I concentrated on structural design. I didn't want to major in civil engineering because I wasn't interested in anything but buildings.

[momofthreeboys]

my S is looking at civil engineering but is considering a double major in construction management and economics. He thought about ArchE but decided civil has more possibilities. He is interested in working for a developer or a large construction or mechanical management company. Also, these days, to get certified for zoning, building, mechanical etc. positions in government require a college degree (something that wasn't required 20 years ago) so these types of options are also available. My H is involved in many of the activities that GladDad describes both locally and previously for the feds. It's never a bad idea for anyone to learn how to swing a hammer :-) so perhaps that is what he can do in his summers during college. Knowing how to frame or construct a building, learning how to site a house, knowing if the cement foundations and pads are being properly poured, if the beams are adequate, all those sorts of things require more than basic math and physics. You need to know basics of construction management if you go to work for large global companies like Honeywell or Johnson Controls. I happen to think it's a great degree that has many career possibilities.

[lmkh70]

My cousin with this degree has done very well. But he worked in the field prior to college graduation. It is always best to get experience before you graduate, regardless of major

[GladGradDad]

But he worked in the field prior to college graduation. It is always best to get experience before you graduate, regardless of major

It seems like it'd be a pretty easy field to get an internship in while in college - at least at the hammer swinging end.

[kelijake1987]

I would suggest University of Louisiana at Monroe's excellent program. Good program at great price.

[Pizzagirl]

I have a friend whose husband attended Iowa State's construction mgt program. I can't speak for the quality of the program per SE, but they just donated $500,000 to a hospital, so I'm guessing he does ok for himself.

[SteveMA]

I agree with GladGradDad, there are a lot of careers where you manage people with skills you do not have. DH has several computer programmers that report to him, for example. He has zero knowledge of how to even begin a computer program, but they do and the direct management staff does, but DH still needs to supervise the overall running of that department. Most hospital administrators certainly are not MD's but they know how to run a hospital.

Pizzagirl--I can't comment on that specific program but Iowa State is one of my favorite campuses ever .