Getting a Construction Management Degree
The construction industry is growing and those who hold degrees of master’s or bachelor’s in construction management are highly sought after. These degrees will provide you the technical knowledge to work with professionals such as engineers and architects. They also equip you with the managerial abilities needed to supervise the talented tradespeople who actually do the construction work.
A typical construction degree curriculum begins with an exploratory core and then moves on to more specific courses in construction to give you the technical skills needed for building a structure from scratch. You can also learn advanced engineering subjects like structural analysis and modeling. A lot of programs offer opportunities to gain hands-on experience working on real projects with local businesses or taking part in a student design competition.
In some programs, you’ll work with other students to think up, design and present a construction project before the judges in your senior year. This is a fantastic way to broaden your professional network and gain experience. It can be a good way to get a job offer before graduation.
You can also choose to specialize in a certain area like civil engineering, green building and sustainability, or construction and materials technology. Specialized programs can prepare you to work in areas such as research and development, design, cost estimation and control. Doctoral degrees in construction management are typically three to five years long and comprise a substantial amount of research to be included in your dissertation. Some programs also offer graduate assistantships and teaching positions to help you with your tuition costs.