ObjectivesThe program covers commercial and residential building construction from design through build, focusing on three main areas of the process: project financing and budgeting; legal and regulatory issues, including zoning rules and union and safety guidelines; and construction technology and construction project management. Although the program concentrates on building construction, the topics are applicable to virtually any kind of construction project – from stadiums and parks, to railroad terminals and airports, to bridges and tunnels.
Course descriptionThe graduate degree program's core courses focus on the fundamentals of construction administration: cost estimating and project financing, construction techniques, human and material resources, construction law, conflict resolution, construction project management, and environmental safety and conservation.
During the first term, students are required to enroll in two core construction courses (6 points): CNAD K4105 Elemental Topics in Construction Administration and CIEN E4132 Principles of Construction Techniques (fall) or CIEN E4129 Managing the Engineering and Construction Process (spring). Students who enter the program with significant industry experience may request a waiver of the CNAD K4105 requirement, which will be granted or denied based on the results of a pre-term examination. Students granted a waiver must replace this course with an elective course carrying three points.
Elective courses allow students to expand their study of core concepts or to specialize in a particular area of construction administration. In addition to the core and three electives, students may be required to attend a number of professional development seminars throughout the program at which industry leaders use case studies to explore issues confronting the construction industry. Topics include managing stakeholder interest in the construction process, community politics and the construction industry, environmentally responsible waste disposal initiatives, project design through build, rereading plans and specifications, and specialization in the profession.
Following term one, students are required to complete six additional core courses (18 points), three electives (9 points), and a Master's Project course (3 points). The electives may be chosen from courses offered through this program or, with the permission of the program director, from courses offered through other schools or departments of the University.