Construction management is in high demand. People who have a bachelor’s or master’s degree are highly sought-after. These degrees will give you the technical expertise to work with design professionals such as architects and engineers and managerial skills to supervise the skilled tradesmen who do the actual construction work.
A typical course in construction starts with an exploratory core and then progresses to specific courses in construction that give you the technical skills needed for building a structure from the ground up. You can also study advanced engineering subjects like structural analysis and modeling. Many programs offer the chance to gain practical experience working with local companies on real projects or by participating in design competitions for students.
In certain programs, you’ll work with other students to design, conceptualize and present a construction project before an expert panel of judges during your senior year. This is a fantastic way to gain experience in the field and expand your network, and can result in a pre-graduation employment offer.
You can also opt to specialize in one particular area like civil engineering, green building, sustainability or construction and material technology. The specializations in these programs will prepare you for jobs in research and development design, estimation, and cost control. Doctoral degrees in construction are usually three to five-year programs that contain extensive research for the dissertation. Some programs also offer teaching assistantships as well as graduate assistantships to help with your tuition costs.
