Construction Management

The Construction Management Industry

The construction industry is one of the largest industries driving today's world economy. Due to the extraordinary sophistication of modern construction operations and the high skill level required of construction managers there is a near unlimited demand for university-educated construction project and corporate managers.

The Construction Management Department

In 1989 Chico State University's Department of Construction Management was established to help satisfy industry demand. Today Chico State's Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Management is the largest program of its type in California and one of the largest in the country, and it is fully accredited by the ACCE (American Council for Construction Education). The success of our alumni within the industry, the many regional and national awards won by our undergraduates, the construction industry's continual aggressive recruiting of our graduates, and the construction industry's continuing financial support of our program provide evidence of our success.

The CM faculty

Since its inception, the Department of Construction Management has hired faculty with a beneficial blend of academic preparation, successful teaching experience at the college and/or university level, and a minimum of five years actual experience managing construction operations. This faculty hiring practice underscores our commitment that our CM faculty teaches not only from a base of significant academic and prior instructional accomplishment, but that they also teach with the benefit of deep personal experience within the construction management industry itself. Construction companies that routinely recruit and hire our graduates tell us that this practical experience on the part of our faculty tends to make the biggest difference in the quality of our program for our students.

The CM Curriculum

The CM Curriculum is designed to provide a broad base of knowledge and skills targeted towards the management of building, heavy/civil, and selected specialty trade construction operations.

The Bachelor of Science in Construction Management degree curriculum focuses on educating graduates to manage construction operations (including project estimating, bidding, buy-out, and construction project operations) at the project and corporate level. To obtain this degree students complete a 128-unit blend of selected construction management courses plus an appropriate compliment of business, law, math, science, and other University general education courses.

The CM Career Outlook

Chico State Construction Management graduates historically experience an extraordinarily bright career horizon immediately upon graduation. Virtually all CM students are aggressively recruited by both local and nationally-based construction companies of all shapes, types and sizes. One third of the largest 50 construction companies in the nation regularly recruit Chico State CM graduates, and the majority of our graduates accept entry level management positions with one of these general building, heavy/civil, or specialty subcontracting firms.

Being a CM student

The majority of Chico State CM students tell us that being a Chico State CM student feels a lot like being part of a family. The faculty and students here recognize the importance of both hard work and time spent together out of the classroom. The curriculum and courses are challenging and rewarding, and the CM learning experience is complimented by extra-curricular opportunities that include a variety of internships with construction companies.

We believe one of the most enjoyable and meaningful "CM-out-of-the-Classroom" experiences is the IOTA IV Chapter of Sigma Lambda Chi (the international honor society for leaders in construction). IOTA IV's fundamental purpose is to recognize outstanding students in the field of construction based upon scholarship, leadership and character, and our IOTA IV chapter does that-and much more. The Chico State IOTA IV chapter also organizes a variety of "total CM family" activities and events throughout the school year. These activities and events all work towards making being a Chico State CM major the complete undergraduate educational and living experience for which we strive.

Our student chapters of the AGC, MCAA, and NECA organize field trips, community service projects, and many other exciting events.