Why study construction management?

Construction is a $4 trillion industry worldwide, ranking among the largest industries in most countries. Construction project expenditures in the US have historically been between 5 and 10 percent of GDP. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the construction industry in the US had with 7.7 million wage and salary jobs and 1.9 million self-employed and unpaid family workers in 2006, employing nearly 500,000 people who are classified as construction managers. Construction also has maintained the most consistent job growth for at least a decade until the recent economic downturn. It was predicted in 2006 that there would be a 16 percent increase in the demand for construction managers by 2016. Overall, in 2006, about 64 percent of the wage and salary jobs in construction were in the specialty trades, primarily plumbing, heating, and air conditioning, electrical, and masonry. Around 24 percent of the jobs were in
residential and nonresidential construction, while the rest were in heavy and civil engineering construction.

Demand for construction trades and professionals has been at a maximum globally over the past decade because of the building boom experienced in Asia, Middle East/Gulf Area, South America, as well as North America. This has created unprecedented interest in construction related careers, many individuals looking to obtain appropriate education and credentials to be qualified for related jobs.

The Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Construction Management will train students in construction science and construction management, and prepare them for careers in industry and government, as employed contractors, subcontractors and suppliers providing construction services and goods; consulting firms servicing the construction industry; and local, state and federal government agencies engaged in building and infrastructure construction.

Admissions Requirements

The BSCM degree program in the Division of Engineering Technology (ET) is designed to admit students with an associate degree or equivalent college-level coursework in an appropriate discipline suitable for pursuing a program in construction management. A minimum honor point average (HPA) of 2.50 is required for admission into the program. Students with an HPA of 2.00 to 2.50 may be admitted as Pre-ET students; and may be transferred into the ET program upon successful completion of pre-calculus (MAT 1800) and general physics (PHY 2130) courses, and an achievement of 2.5 HPA. A mathematics placement examination is required of entering students unless they come with advanced credit in pre-calculus.

Graduation Requirements

To earn a baccalaureate degree in construction management, a minimum of 128 semester credits are required. University policy requires that a maximum of 64 semester credits can be transferred from community colleges to WSU, and a minimum of 30 semester credits must be taken from WSU to earn a baccalaureate degree. Also, the Division policy mandates that at least 24 semester credits must be earned from the Division of Engineering Technology. At graduation, the university requires a minimum 2.00 (C) HPA in the total residence credit. Additionally, the Division requires a minimum 2.00 (C) HPA in the total coursework taken in the area of specialization, and satisfactory completion of WSU General Education Requirements.

For More Information

If you would like more information on the BSCM program, please contact:

Karen Travis
Academic Services Officer
Engineering Technology
Wayne State University
ktravis@wayne.edu