Fact Sheets

Construction Management @ MSUM

A Construction Manager is a management professional who oversees the implementation and completion of a construction project. The best way to describe their role is to define the career paths of other professionals involved in the construction industry.

Architect
A professionally qualified and licensed person who prepares plans and specifications for a building or structure. Architectural services include project analysis, development of the project design, and the preparation of the construction documents.

Engineer
A design professional that, by education, experience, and examination, is licensed by one or more state governments for practice in the engineering profession. This practice may be limited to one or more specific disciplines of engineering. Construction-related engineering disciplines include civil, structural, mechanical, or electrical systems design.

Construction Manager or Constructor
The management professional who directs the process of construction, either as the agent of the owner, or employed by the contractor. Construction Managers are in charge of the entire on-site building process from start to finish. Construction Managers coordinate and manage people, materials, equipment, budgets, schedules, contracts, and the safety of employees on a construction project.

Construction Management is a management profession where employment opportunities exist in either an office or job site. Graduates are employed as project managers, cost estimators, schedulers, field engineers, inspectors, safety officers, job site superintendents, or one of several other job titles in the construction profession. It is not a career in the construction trades or crafts.

Construction Curriculum
The curriculum includes:

* Construction Materials, Analysis & Design
* Cost Estimating
* Scheduling and Project Control
* Project Management
* Heavy/Highway Operations and Analysis
* Business and Management

In addition, students attend field trips and interact with industry professionals each semester. Students are required to complete industry internships as part of their course of study. Many students gain valuable management experience working for construction firms while pursuing their degree. Students may enter the program as incoming freshmen, internal transfers, or external transfers from other universities or technical/community colleges.

Program Accreditation
The American Council of Construction Education (ACCE) and the National Association of IndustrialTechnology (NAIT) accredit the Construction Management program. It is the only Construction Management program accredited by ACCE in the state of Minnesota. ACCE is a leading national advocate of quality construction education and establishes standards and criteria for excellence and acts as the accrediting agency for four-year baccalaureate degree programs in construction management.

Career Opportunities
Construction is the nation’s largest single industry and its largest employer.  Employment of construction managers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2006. MSUM Construction Management graduates receive three to four job offers and experience a 100% job placement rate, with average starting salaries exceeding $40,000. Based on figures from the Economic Research Institute, the average salary for experienced Construction Managers ranges from $72,000 to $110,000 annually. Salaried Construction Managers receive benefits such as bonuses, use of company vehicles, paid vacations, and life/health insurance. Excellent opportunities exist for women and minorities as construction professionals.  Many alumni are working in the region, but several graduates have chosen to secure employment with a variety of firms across the nation.

MSUM Construction Management Program Benefits

* Job placement rate is 100%

* Small class sizes give you one-on-one contact with faculty in upper-division classes.

* Computers and up-to-date technology are an integral part of the construction curriculum.

* You’ll learn from faculty who hold appropriate degrees and have field experience.

* Several construction firms come to recruit students from MSUM.

* CM faculty teach all the coursework; no graduate assistants are in the classroom.

* Internships, summer, or continuing work experience is strongly encouraged because potential employers tend to reward experienced students with higher salaries. Many employers also use internships as opportunities for recruiting full-time employees.

* Starting salaries for graduates often exceed $40,000 per year plus benefits.

 * MSUM's CM program hires qualified adjunct faculty in specialized areas.

* Scholarships are available to qualified candidates.

* Peer tutoring is available for students to improve classroom performance.

Certified Professional Constructor (CPC) Certification Exam
The Bureau of Labor Statistics categorizes Construction Managers under the heading “Constructor.” Constructors are defined as the broad group of professionals in construction who are capable of managing, coordinating, and supervising the construction process from conceptual development through final construction on a timely and economical basis. The management of construction has changed and expanded dramatically in the 21st century, resulting in increased responsibilities and obligations for theConstructor. Professional constructors have accepted these changes and responded by developing additional skills and acquiring more technical and managerial knowledge necessary to execute the responsibilities and obligations in a professional manner.

The Certified Professional Constructor process provides the Constructor with formal recognition of the education and experience that defines the Constructor as a professional. The certification process, which includes a national certification exam given to “Constructors,” raises the standards of practice for the entire construction industry and thus benefits everyone. Only graduates from ACCE or NAIT accredited programs are allowed to take the Certified Professional Constructor (CPC) Examination. Graduates will benefit because the CPC examination provides an internationally recognized certification of constructor skills and knowledge. Minnesota State University Moorhead is the only university in Minnesota from which CM graduates can take this examination. Students are required to sit for the CPC Level 1 examination as part of CM 496 - Capstone Experience.