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Construction Management

Construction in the United States is one of the largest industries in the world. The sheer size of the industry, as well as the sophistication and cost of modern construction operations requires managers who possess a high level of construction knowledge and skill. The fact that California has more than 300,000 licensed contractors while its universities graduate fewer than 500 students per year with construction management degrees predicts an unlimited demand for university-educated construction managers for the foreseeable future.

Construction Management Department

Chico State’s Construction Management (CM) program, established in 1977, became a Bachelor of Science degree fully accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) in 1987.

Today Chico State’s BSCM degree is one of the largest CM programs in California and the United States. The construction industry continues to aggressively recruit our graduates and provides financial support to our program.

Statistics indicate that CM graduates are some of the most heavily recruited graduates from the university. The achievements of our alumni within the industry, the many regional and national awards won by our undergraduates, and the impressive performance of CM students during their internships just some of the evidence of this program’s success.

Faculty

Since its inception, the Department of Construction Management has endeavored to hire faculty with a beneficial blend of academic preparation and industry experience managing construction operations. Feedback from construction companies that employ our graduates confirms our faculty hiring philosophy translates directly into quality graduates that are able to perform at an enhanced level directly out of school.

Curriculum

The Bachelor of Science in Construction Management degree curriculum focuses on providing a broad base of knowledge and skills targeted toward the management of construction operations.

Particular emphasis is on project estimating, CPM scheduling, cost control, legal aspects, and construction operations at the project and company level. The CM courses provide students with simulated management experience utilizing actual contract plans and specifications.

The curriculum is focused on providing students with the skill set comparable to the 20 student learning outcomes prescribed by our accrediting body, the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE). To obtain this degree, students complete a 120-unit blend of selected construction management courses plus an appropriate complement of business, law, math, science, and other University general education courses.

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 types and sizes. One-third of the largest 50 construction companies in the nation recruit Chico State CM graduates for full-time career-track positions and undergraduates for internships. Most CM students spend an average of two summers on construction internships.

Student Organizations and Activities

Chico State CM students and alumni often say that being a CM major feels much like being part of a family. Faculty and students recognize the importance of both hard work in the classroom and time spent together out of the classroom. Students are provided a variety of opportunities for learning experiences outside the classroom: student clubs, student competitions, community service projects, and internships are a few of the examples.

Chico has a very active chapter of Sigma Lambda Chi International Construction Honor Society which provides recognition to outstanding students in construction curricula. Sigma Lambda Chi is the society that offers students the opportunity to be recognized locally and internationally for their academic accomplishments as a construction major.

More than 40 percent of the CM majors actively participate in student chapters of the country's major construction trade associations including: Associated General Contractors (AGC), Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), and Chico State Women in Construction (CSWIC).

Students have the opportunity to participate annually in the Associated Schools of Construction competition, the Mechanical Contractors Association of America national problem statement, the Design-Build Institute of America's national Preconstruction Problem, as well as the Associated General Contractors Outstanding Student Chapter competition.

Community service projects provide hands-on, service learning, experience that is also deeply rewarding. CM students take community service to new levels by providing projects' planning, designing, and constructing works of improvements for those agencies or individuals in need.

For more information about students activities and achievements, visit the Department of Construction Management website.

Catalog Cycle:21