Professional Development

The Construction Management program prepares students for a challenging and dynamic career through key professional development requirements: Professional Growth Seminar, Internship and Capstone Experience.

Professional Growth Seminar

The Professional Growth Seminar begins as early as the sophomore year and requires students to complete 60 hours of professional growth and community service to be eligible for graduation. Students participate in many community events and hometown activities to elevate their readiness for a CM career.

Examples include:

• Participating in Extreme Makeover Home Edition
• Regularly working with Habitat for Humanity
• Involvement with the local Homebuilders Chapter in several capacities
• Attending city commission and other professional construction management association meetings

Capstone Experience

CM 496 Capstone Experience develops a comprehensive understanding of the construction process and problem solving that begins with project conception and progresses through the project completion. Student teams design, develop, estimate, schedule, contract and administer the completion of a small commercial or light commercial project. They complete a major portion of the course requirement by using applicable computer programs, and at the end of the semester submit a binder showcasing their project.  

Students are expected to be construction professionals in training. They need to demonstrate oral and written communication skills, problem solving, teamwork, good ethical practices, leadership and management skills. In addition to the capstone project, students assemble and submit for evaluation materials collected over a two-year period for their professional growth portfolio.

 

Internship Experience

A 450-hour required internship gives students valuable, real-world experience and the opportunity to develop their project management skills under the guidance of an experienced construction management professional. The practical, hands-on immersion in the field reinforces a commitment to the profession and helps students narrow a career path. Many employers consider internship experience in the hiring process and often look to their own interns as the best candidates for full-time positions.

The Construction Management program implemented the internship requirement more than 10 years ago. Since then, at least 400 students have interned at more than 150 construction companies in approximately 30 states. Students are paid during their internship and are usually compensated for out-of-region travel costs. Most students intern in the tri-state area and participate in an array of projects, including highways, wind farms, power plants, water treatment plants and light rail projects, as well as major commercial and industrial construction projects.

Internship Sites