The construction industry is booming and those with the bachelor’s or master’s degrees in construction management are highly sought-after. These degrees will give you the technical skills needed to work with professionals such as engineers and architects. They will also equip you with the managerial abilities needed to supervise the talented tradespeople who actually do the construction work.
A typical curriculum for a degree in construction management starts with an exploratory education beginning with the core. It then moves to more specific courses in construction which teach the technical skills to construct structures from scratch. You can also study advanced engineering topics such as structural analysis and modeling. Many programs also provide opportunities to gain hands-on experience working on real projects with local businesses or participating in a design contest for students.
In certain programs, you’ll collaborate with other students to conceptualize, design and present a construction idea to an expert panel of judges during your senior year. This is a great way to expand your professional network and gain experience. It could be a good way to get a job offer before graduation.
You can also focus on one specific area, such as green building or civil engineering and sustainability. Specialized programs prepare board room you to work in fields such as research and development, design or cost estimation and control. Doctoral degrees in construction are usually three to five years long and require extensive research for the dissertation. Some programs also provide teaching assistantships as well as graduate assistantships to help with your tuition costs.