A degree in construction management not only equips students with the skills needed for success but it can also provide an opportunity to be at the cutting edge of what’s next for the industry. Various US colleges and universities offer a myriad of stand out construction management programs known for their innovation and equipping students with the latest technology. Best of all, many of them do it in conjunction with giving back to their communities.
Here’s a look at some of the top construction management programs:
Auburn University
Auburn University’s McWhorter School of Building Science focuses on construction management, offering specialized training in estimating, scheduling, project management, safety, surveying, sustainable construction, and structures. Students also have the opportunity to participate in Rural Studio, which is an off-campus design-build program. It gives students the hands-on experience to become “citizen architects” while building for rural communities in West Alabama’s Black Belt.
Boise State University
The Construction Management program at Boise State provides undergraduates with a unique opportunity to work with the West Ada School District, a local K-12 school system, to create and renovate facilities. The undergraduates are responsible for managing the projects. They partner with the high school students in the district who will complete some of the work. This allows students to pass along the skills they’ve acquired in college to a new generation of construction management students.
California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo
As one of the leading construction management programs in the US, California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo’s faculty have created many hands-on learning opportunities for students, including the Simpson Strong-Tie® Materials Demonstration Lab. This 7,000-square-foot facility is designed for students to build and test full-scale models and building components to get hands-on experience when it comes to the materials they will work with on the job site. The university also hosts the Associated Schools of Construction’s annual Virtual Design and Construction Boot Camp, where top construction management faculty can learn about the latest technology used in the field so they can better prepare their students to utilize it.
Clemson University
Clemson University’s Construction Science and Management Program recognizes the value of providing students with immersive opportunities to learn about construction technology. Clemson’s faculty does more than simply teach Procore’s software extensively in the classroom—students also use Procore to track their graduation requirements. They can check off steps required by the program and even utilize the RFIs Tool to ask faculty advisors questions about progress toward their degree. The undergraduate program also has an impressive 100 percent job placement rate.
Colorado State University
As another top-ranked construction management program, Colorado State University’s students can participate in CM Cares, a philanthropic program that promotes service learning through community service construction projects. The CM Cares program teams students, faculty, staff, and industry partners to complete projects that directly benefit their community.
Florida A&M University
Florida A&M is the only Historically Black University in the eleven-member State University System of Florida. Its Construction Engineering Technology Program promotes the education and advancement of the students through exposure to the latest technologies available in the field.
“One of the visions for our programs involves equipping our students with current industrial training to prepare them for the ever-changing world of technology,” said Program Coordinator Dr. Doreen Kobelo.
Roger Williams University
Professors teaching construction management at Roger Williams University in Providence, Rhode Island, make extensive use of the latest technology in their instruction, such as building information modeling (BIM). They also recognize the value of partnering with nonprofit home builders, such as Habitat for Humanity of Providence, where students complete internships and advise the organization on best practices in adopting technology.
Texas A&M University
With more than 1,100 students enrolled, Texas A&M’s Construction Science Program is the largest in the country. In order to ensure that students graduate with exposure to the latest construction technology, the university created the Building Information Modeling Computer Assisted Virtual Environment (BIM CAVE), where 36 monitors present 3D renderings of drawing sets.
It allows students to take a virtual tour through a project to inspect the structure’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Texas A&M also has an initiative called Extraterrestrial Engineering and Construction Research (EXTEC), which is a partnership with NASA where students conduct experiments to determine the best ways to build in space that can withstand radiation.
Procore.org launched its universities program in 2016 to donate Procore’s software and training to construction professors looking to upskill their students. Today, more than 230 construction management, civil engineering, and architecture programs have free access to Procore’s software and educational resources.
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