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What is Construction Management?

Get a Master's in Construction Management

The Construction Management B.S.

Construction management encompasses the planning, design and construction of building projects from start to finish.

Construction managers oversee all aspects of a construction project, including budgeting, scheduling, resource allocation, quality control and risk management, to ensure the project is completed on time, within budget and to specified quality and environmental standards.

The construction management curriculum at Florida Tech blends practical business skills and vital engineering know-how. Whether you want to be a construction manager or an entrepreneurial contractor, the program will prepare you to enter the field of construction as a competent and confident construction manager with the skills to organize the construction workforce, order materials, schedule construction activities, manage costs and quality and coordinate a project through completion.

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Global Employability University Ranking and Survey
No. 6
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Why Choose Florida Tech for Construction Management?

At Florida Tech, we thrive in an academic environment that fosters collaboration. You’ll benefit from guidance and mentoring from our faculty experts and join with fellow students to solve problems that incorporate real-world challenges into the learning process. As a graduate of the construction management program, you will be ready to start your career with little to no additional on-the-job training.

Florida Tech’s construction management degree is designed to meet the needs of the construction industry for professionals who understand the basics of civil engineering and business subjects such as project management, contracting, budgeting and cost control. Our curriculum incorporates evolving knowledge in construction management and current social, economic, environmental and technological developments in the field of construction. You’ll graduate with a practical set of skills and on-the-job training that you can put to use from day one.

You’ll be learning with knowledgeable faculty members who are proven professionals with years of experience in the construction industry. Industry partners and the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CIAC) help develop curricula, construction management internships and other field experiences that enrich your classroom experience and build job-ready skills.

Florida Tech construction management students share high-tech learning spaces with other engineering disciplines in the F.W. Olin Engineering Complex, a state-of-the-art facility fully equipped with labs and tools needed for engineering studies. And the Student Success and Support Center offers further assistance and resources to ensure your success.

To give you even more of a competitive career advantage, if you meet eligibility requirements, you can get on the fast track to an MBA at Florida Tech. Under an accelerated master's program, you can take two graduate courses during your final undergraduate year. These courses count toward both your B.S. and your future MBA.

We’re in the heart of the Space Coast—NASA-Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral is just north of us—and in a high-tech corridor offering plenty of opportunities to form valuable connections that lead to future career options.

Florida Tech is surrounded year-round by booming construction projects that provide excellent field trips for construction management students throughout their coursework. Our relationships with local builders and engineering firms allow our students to compare their solutions and plans with an actual building, road or other project.

When it’s time to relax, our campus is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean and 72 miles of beautiful beaches, minutes from the Indian River Lagoon—the most diverse estuary in North America—and a short trip from the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs and social activities.

Careers in Construction Management

No matter the economic climate, construction continues to be in demand with the need for new homes, businesses, remodeling and improvements to infrastructure, all creating jobs in construction management.

Construction managers will be needed as the level and variety of construction projects expand due to population and business growth and as technology and increased specifications change for construction methods and standards.

Employers who have recruited Florida Tech graduates include: Bechtel, Creech Engineers Inc., Lane Construction Corp. and NASA, among many others.

A bachelor’s degree in construction management opens the door to career possibilities including:

  • Construction project manager
  • Construction superintendent
  • Cost engineer
  • Contract administrator
  • Project scheduler
  • Safety manager
  • Quality control manager
  • Estimator
  • Building information modeling (BIM) manager
  • Facilities manager

Looking ahead to your future career can be exciting! Keep in mind that certain roles may entail additional prerequisites, such as an advanced degree.

Florida Tech Career Services assists students, alumni and employers in their search for careers and employee candidates. We help students develop career plans and job-search skills. Explore our Career Toolbox to learn more about our services and access additional resources.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), provides information about specific jobs, including median annual pay, working conditions and job outlook. Check the handbook for information on the outlook for construction managers and other jobs that might interest you.

Advanced Degree Options

After receiving their construction management bachelor’s degree, many of our students pursue advanced degrees, such as an MBA, at Florida Tech or other prestigious universities.

Graduate programs our students choose include:

Explore the Construction Management, B.S., Curriculum

The Construction Management, B.S., Curriculum

The construction management curriculum was developed with input from construction industry experts to prepare students to enter the workplace with well-developed construction, technical, managerial and communication skills.

Starting out, you will learn how to read construction plans, get started in building information modeling (BIM) and take foundational science, mathematics, engineering and business courses. You'll then delve into technical courses that provide a working knowledge of civil, electrical and mechanical engineering methods used in project design and construction practice. 

During senior year, you’ll collaborate with a team of your peers to conceptualize, design, and present a construction project that fulfills a real-world need. You will present your project to industry leaders and potential employers at the Northrop Grumman Engineering and Science Student Design Showcase on campus each spring. The project gives you practical experience, an expanded professional network and, potentially, employment offers.

Classes include:

  • Construction Methods and Operations
  • Construction Estimating, Bidding and Value Engineering
  • Leading Construction Operations

Check the catalog for a description of all courses.

Download the Construction Management, B.S. Curriculum now!

Students on a field trip to a bridge-building construction site

A Place To Build Connections

Students paddling concrete canoes they made as part of an ASCE competition

Beyond the classroom, construction management students build leadership and professional experience through internships, networking and participation in academic organizations, student government and over 200 other campuswide student organizations.

Student organizations of special interest to construction management students include:

Image: Members of our ASCE chapter put their engineering and project management skills to the test—and have a lot of fun—with the concrete canoe competition. Students design and build canoes made of concrete then take them out for a test paddle.

Learn more about Construction Management at Florida Tech on the website.

Construct Job Skills Through Internships

The College of Engineering and Science works closely and maintains relationships with many local engineering and construction companies. This gives you access to a large network that provides a wealth of resources and internship opportunities that augment your classroom experience and prepares you for future jobs.

Our students have a wide range of choices for construction management internships at area construction companies, consulting firms and other local businesses. If you so choose, you’ll be able to complete construction management internships every summer of your academic career at Florida Tech.

During internships between junior and senior year, students often work alongside a construction project manager to assist with budget and schedule control, progress payment preparation, change order preparation, estimation, negotiations, safety and similar project management functions.

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The Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education, ACCE. Additional information can be found on the Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering ACCE accreditation page.

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