B.S. in Construction Management Program

The Program

Construction management is a combination of technology, construction techniques, and management to meet the needs of the rapidly growing construction industry. The program is designed to prepare students for the art of achieving maximum profit by efficient use of people, machines, materials and other resources to complete a construction project on time and to the satisfaction of the owner. A meld of engineering, construction, management and business gives the student a background and understanding of a management point of view in the construction industry. The program leading to Bachelor of Science in Construction Management degree is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE), http://www.acce-hq.org.                                                                              

Graduation Requirements

A minor in Business Administration offered by the College of Business is required for all B.S. in Construction Management students. Students are required to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 to be admitted into the minor program. A minor in Business Administration requires a minimum GPA of 2.50 in the courses that satisfy the minor. In addition, a cumulative GPA of 2.50 overall is required to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management degree.

Program Statistics

Enrollment Number: Fall 2016 - 189 ; Spring 2017 - 188. Fall 2017 - 214; Spring 2018 - 195; Fall 2018 - 204 (including 5 Pre-Construction Management); Spring 2019 - 220; Fall 2019 - 203 (including 6 Pre-Construction Management); Spring 2020 - 197 (including 1 Pre-Construction Management)

Graduation Number: Fall 2016 - 9; Spring 2017 - 29; Fall 2017 - 21; Spring 2018 - 50; Fall 2018 - 28; Spring 2019 - 23; Fall 2019 - 18; Spring 2020 - 32

Program Objectives
  1. Provide to construction students the basic skills necessary to plan, organize, and control resources to manage the overall construction process.
  2. Provide to construction students the technical knowledge and problem solving skills for a career in construction.
  3. Provide to construction students the knowledge and skills necessary to identify, define, and compare design alternatives.
  4. Provide to construction students necessary communication skills for the successful practice of the construction profession.
  5. Provide to construction students the professional opportunities and skills to pursue lifelong learning within the broader societal context of the construction profession.

The Program Objectives support the department goals defined in the strategic plan that relates to the undergraduate program, and are further connected to the Program Learning Outcomes.

Program Learning Outcomes

The Construction Management program has adopted the 20 Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) defined by ACCE as the Program Leaning Outcomes. Upon graduation from Construction Management program, graduates shall be able to:

  1. Create written communications appropriate to the construction discipline.
  2. Create oral presentations appropriate to the construction discipline.
  3. Create a construction project safety plan.
  4. Create construction project cost estimates.
  5. Create construction project schedules.
  6. Analyze professional decisions based on ethical principles.
  7. Analyze construction documents for planning and management of construction processes.
  8. Analyze methods, materials, and equipment used to construct projects.
  9. Apply construction management skills as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
  10. Apply electronic-based technology to manage the construction process.
  11. Apply basic surveying techniques for construction layout and control.
  12. Understand different methods of project delivery and the roles and responsibilities of all constituencies involved in the design and construction process.
  13. Understand construction risk management.
  14. Understand construction accounting and cost control.
  15. Understand construction quality assurance and control.
  16. Understand construction project control processes.
  17. Understand the legal implications of contract, common, and regulatory law to manage a construction project.
  18. Understand the basic principles of sustainable construction.
  19. Understand the basic principles of structural behavior.
  20. Understand the basic principles of mechanical, electrical and piping systems.
Major Requirements


Major: Construction Management

Degree Type: Bachelor of Science in Construction Management

Minimum Credits Required for Degree: 124

University Degree Requirements

  1. Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
  2. Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework.  Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
  3. Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specific by the university.
  4. A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
  5. At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses number 300 or higher.
  6. Transfer Students: Must earn a minimum of 60 credits from a baccalaureate-degree granting or professional institution. 
    a. Of these 60, at least 36 must be NDSU residence credits as defined in #7.
    b. Within the 36 resident credits, a minimum of 15 must be in courses numbered 300 or higher and 15 credits in the major field of study.
  7. At least 36 credits must be NDSU resident credits.  Residence credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.

For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.

University General Education Requirements

Communication (C)12
ENGL 110College Composition I
ENGL 120College Composition II
COMM 110Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Upper Division Writing
Quantitative Reasoning (R)3
Science and Technology (S)10
Humanities and Fine Arts (A)6
Social and Behavioral Sciences (B)6
Wellness (W)2
Cultural Diversity (D)*†
Global Perspectives (G)*†
Total Credits39
*

 May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category.

 General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable.  Students should carefully review major requirements to determine if specific courses can also satisfy these general education categories.

  •  A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.

Major Requirements

Construction Management Core Requirements
CM&E 111Introduction to Construction Management and Engineering1
CM&E 200Construction Documents and Codes3
CM&E 203Building Construction: Methods and Materials3
CM&E 204Construction Surveying3
CM&E 212Construction Graphic Communications3
CM&E 240Financial Cost Concepts for Construction Managers3
CM&E 250Construction Statics and Mechanics3
CM&E 260Soils and Foundations3
CM&E 301Construction Technology and Equipment3
CM&E 305Pre-Construction Management3
CM&E 315Specifications and Contracts3
CM&E 380Construction Estimating: Quantities and Costs3
CM&E 403Scheduling and Project Control3
CM&E 405Construction Support Operations3
CM&E 421Electrical and Mechanical Construction3
CM&E 431Sustainable Design and Construction3
CM&E 450Steel Design and Construction3
CM&E 453Concrete Design and Construction3
CM&E 488Construction Management Capstone3
Additional Courses:
CHEM 121
121L
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry I Laboratory (May satisfy general education category S)
4
ENGL 320Business and Professional Writing (May satisfy general education category C)3
or ENGL 321 Writing in the Technical Professions
GEOL 105Physical Geology (May satisfy general education category S)3
MATH 105Trigonometry3
or MATH 107 Precalculus
MATH 146Applied Calculus I (May satisfy general education category R)4
PHYS 211
211L
College Physics I
and College Physics I Laboratory (May satisfy general education category S)
4
STAT 330Introductory Statistics3
Business Minor Courses:24
ACCT 102Fundamentals of Accounting3
Select one from the following (May satisfy general education category B & G):3 or 6
ECON 105Elements of Economics
ECON 201
ECON 202
Principles of Microeconomics
and Principles of Macroeconomics
MGMT 320Foundations of Management3
MRKT 320Foundations of Marketing3
or FIN 320 Principles of Finance
BUSN 431Business Law I-Contracts, Property and Torts3
BA Minor 300/400 Elec. I3
BA Minor 300/400 Elec. II3
BA Minor 300/400 Elec. III3
Students must apply for the minor through the College of Business and maintain a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA to be eligible to enroll in all 300/400 level courses offered by the College of Business
Total Credits103-106

Degree Requirements and Notes

  • A student must complete at least 60 semester credits of professional level course work in his/her program while in residence and enrolled in the College of Engineering. Students transferring into the College of Engineering from programs with professional accreditation are exempt from this residency requirement but are subject to the University residency requirement.
  • An overall minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 in all courses and a minor in Business Administration with a minor GPA of 2.50 are required to graduate with a B.S. in Construction Management.

  • A cumulative GPA of 2.50 is required for both internal and external transfer students into this program.

  • To satisfy the Gen Ed Category B requirements, a student can choose between two options: ECON 105 plus an additional course within Category B OR ECON 201 and ECON 202. Both options satisfy the Gen Ed Category G requirement and the requirements for the BA minor.

Plan of Study

Please note this is a sample plan of study and not an official curriculum.  Actual student schedules for each semester will vary depending on start year, education goals, applicable transfer credit, and course availability. Students are encouraged to work with their academic advisor on a regular basis to review degree progress and customize an individual plan of study.

Freshman
FallCreditsSpringCredits
CM&E 1111CM&E 2123
CM&E 2003ENGL 120 (Gen Ed C Category)3
ENGL 110 (Gen Ed C Category)4MATH 146 (Gen Ed R Category)#4
MATH 105 or 1073COMM 110 (Gen Ed C Category)3
CHEM 121 (Gen Ed S Category)*3Economics (Gen Ed B/G Category)***3
CHEM 121L (Gen Ed L Category)*1Social Behavior Elective (Gen Ed B Category)3
 15 19
Sophomore
FallCreditsSpringCredits
CM&E 2043CM&E 2033
CM&E 2503CM&E 2403
PHYS 211 (Gen Ed S Category)*3CM&E 2603
PHYS 211L (Gen Ed L Category)*1Humanities (Gen Ed A Category)3
GEOL 105 (Gen Ed S/G Category)3Humanities & Diversity (Gen Ed A&D Category)3
ACCT 1023 
 16 15
Junior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
CM&E 3053CM&E 3013
CM&E 3803CM&E 3153
STAT 3303CM&E 4053
ENGL 320 or 321 (Gen Ed C Category)3BUSN 431**3
MGMT 320**3MRKT 320 or FIN 320**3
 15 15
Senior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
CM&E 4033CM&E 4883
CM&E 4213CM&E 4533
CM&E 4313Wellness (Gen Ed W Category)2
CM&E 4503Business Admin Minor 300/400 Elective**3
Business Admin Minor 300/400 Elective**3Business Admin Minor 300/400 Elective**3
 15 14
Total Credits: 124

An overall minimum CGPA of 2.50 and a minor in Business Administration with a minor GPA of 2.50 are required to graduate with a B.S. in Construction Management.

*All science courses require the companion lab with the exception of geology.

**To be eligible for enrollment into 300/400 level courses offered by the College of Business requires application for a minor in Business Administration(BA).

*** To satisfy the Gen Ed Category B, a student can choose between two options: ECON 105 plus an additional course within Category B OR ECON 201 and ECON 202. Both options satisfy the Gen Ed Category G requirements and the requirements for the BA minor.

Gen Ed Category description can be found on the General Education page.

Admission Requirements

Prospective students can find university admission requirements for freshman and transfer students on the NDSU Website. Additional transfer student admission requirements can be found at the university transfer student website. A 2.50 cumulative GPA is required for any prospective student who took college level coursework to be admitted in the BS in Construction Management program. An overall minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA and a minor in Business Administration with a minor GPA of 2.50 are required to graduate with a BS degree in Construction Management.

A complete description of BS in Construction Management can be found in NDSU Bulletin. Additional curriculum information can be found in Curriculum Guide, Course Descriptions (https://bulletin.ndsu.edu/course-catalog/), and CM&E Course Prerequisites. After admitted to the program, each student will be assigned to a faculty member. The faculty member will work with the student to develop a plan of study, the road map to earn the BS degree in Construction Management.

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