I am in a predicament. My career I want to go into is Construction Management. The school I want to attend for CM is CSULB. I was accepted to Sac State for Applied Physics but also has a CM degree. I was also accepted to UC Davis for Applied Physics but they, nor any of the UC’s, have construction as a degree program, only certificates.
A few of my options include going to a community college such as Santa Monica College which is in a great location and one of the best transfer schools in the nation. I would be able to transfer anywhere from here including Long Beach. I could also attend one of the four year schools, Davis or Sac, and transfer after one or two years. Would I have a better opportunity and chance to transfer from SMC and would I still have a good chance if I transferred from Davis or Sac or would I end up being locked in?
Thanks!
Community college to CSULB is a well established path so this may be your best option.
UC to CSU is very possible if all the lower division courses in Applied Physics are CSU transferable since some CSU courses do not articulate to UC courses.
A CSU to CSU transfer is probably more doable, since Sac State courses should articulate to the CSULB courses.
CSULB requires a Junior level transfer status, so 60 semester/90 quarter units so you are probably looking at 2 years at any of these schools and you need to pay particular attention to the course requirements where ever you attend. Look at assist.org and see what is required.
There is no guarantee of getting into CSULB by doing any of these paths. If you go to a local in-service area CC for CSULB, then you have a better chance of transferring since local transfers applicants get priority.
https://www.csulb.edu/admissions/local-preference-admission-consideration
You should consider other CM programs along with CSULB so you will have a wide range of options once you apply for transfer.
Are finances an issue since going to UCD will be much more costlier than attending a CC or Sac State for 2 years?
After financial aid at UCD I will have to pay 16-18k. CC will start out around the same but can come down from financial aid.
I’ve also heard that UC to CSU transfers are less possible and vice versa because they like to stay in their realm of schools.
I plan to keep my options open as far as CM and what schools to attend. CSULB is just my main choice.
Also another question: if I were to try and do civil engineering would that bode well for a masters in construction management?
What do you want to do with your Construction Management degree either Undergrad or Graduate?
My husband works for a heavy civil Engineering Construction firm. They hire in many Civil Engineers and very few go on to get a Masters in their field. Most will go back to graduate school for an MBA vs a Masters in Construction Management. If you can I would go for a Civil Engineering degree at either Sac State or UCD, then work for a few years in the field before going back for Graduate school. Engineering is one of the few degrees where you can get a very good paying job just out of college.
Here is information on changing majors at UCD:
- How do I change my major into the College of Engineering?
Students planning to change your major, or add an additional major, are required to complete a Change of Major webform. The Change of Major webform will be submitted to the appropriate advisors and dean’s offices involved.
In order to change your major to, or to double major with, a major in the College, you must satisfy requirements that have been established by the College of Engineering faculty:
For students that matriculated to UC Davis as a Freshman:
Be a registered student and have completed at least one quarter (minimum of 12 units) at UC Davis
Have completed not more than 135 cumulative units (excluding AP units); students who have completed more than 135 units will be considered on an appeal basis only
Be in good academic standing and meet minimum progress requirements
Have received a letter grade for all courses that satisfy Engineering degree requirements
Have met the following:
completed at least the following five courses: MAT 21A,B,C; PHY 9A; and CHE 2A and
a GPA of 2.0 or higher in all completed MAT, PHY, BIS, and CHE courses required for your intended major, and have received a C- or better in each of these courses. For Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering a 2.8 GPA or higher is required.
Have no grade lower than a C- in any completed engineering course required for your intended major(s) taken at UC Davis
Have a 2.0 or higher UC GPA in completed engineering courses. For Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering must have a 2.8 UC GPA or higher in completed engineering courses.
For Sac State, I would contact the Civil Engineering department and ask how you can change majors.
Hey thank you so much for your valued input! I will put it to good use.