The McWhorter School of Building Science is now offering three graduate certificates in construction management. This distance education program has been enrolling students since fall of 1993 and continues to grow and develop research opportunities, strong industry relations, and excellent academic content. These 12 credit certificate programs are designed for students who are looking for an introduction to comprehensive construction management topics such as estimating and scheduling. Enrollment in the program is limited to provide sufficient faculty support, which helps our students meet their educational objectives.
Programs
The Executive Construction Management Certificate at Auburn is a 12 credit graduate program. The program has been enrolling students since the fall of 2009 and continues to grow and develop research opportunities, strong industry relations, and excellent academic content. Enrollment in the program is limited to provide sufficient faculty support, which helps our students meet their educational objectives.
Upon completion, students pursuing this certificate program can expect to:
Be exposed to all construction processes that constitute a project, from development conception, through project financing and design, into the on-site construction phase and management of the facility.
Demonstrate an understanding of estimating, bidding, sequencing, scheduling and managing construction projects.
Demonstrate an understanding of the contractual and legal aspects that drive the decision-making process in the construction industry.
Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher to continue in the program.
The Executive Technical Certificate in Construction Management is a 12 credit program that can be taken after completing the Executive Certificate in Construction Management curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher. This program will give students a broad understanding of building information modeling (BIM), mechanical, plumbing, electrical systems in buildings. This certificate is available for students who want a better technical understanding of what goes into a construction project.
Upon completion, students pursuing this certificate program can expect to:
Graduates will be able to develop and use BIM models for the purpose of construction activities such as cost estimation, project management, and construction coordination procedures.
Graduates will be able to evaluate Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Systems from a technical as well as a project management standpoint.
Graduates will be able to evaluate the role of the general contractor and specialist contractor in the installation, commissioning and construction coordination of building systems.
The Executive Integrated Processes Certificate in Construction Management is a 12 credit program that can be started once the student has completed the Executive Certificate in Construction Management with a 3.0 GPA or higher. This program helps to develop a student’s ability to handle comprehensive project budgets, project development and project financing within the construction industry.
Upon completion, students pursuing this certificate program can expect to:
Graduates will be able to create construction project financing, project development, and program management plans.
Graduates will be able to create comprehensive project budgets, construction sequencing, and delivery method plans.
Graduates will be able to evaluate the roles, responsibilities & contributions of the various stakeholders within the AEC industry.
Graduates will evaluate leadership qualities in the context of the AEC industry and develop a plan for self-improvement of their leadership abilities.
Continuously practice and improve oral and written communication skills.
Develop an appreciation and understanding of the collaborative nature of the construction industry.
Students enrolled in the MBC program learn advanced topics in construction management to prepare them for upper management positions in the industry. The program also prepares professionals from other backgrounds to transfer their skills into the construction industry by providing a comprehensive understanding of construction operations and issues.
Students in our program work with a first-rate faculty, use unparalleled technological resources and participate with industry partners through case studies, independent projects and funded research.
First-Class Graduate Education
In recent years the placement rate for our graduate students has been exceptional, and there are opportunities in all sectors of the industry. If you are interested in obtaining more information, contact Dr. Anoop Sattineni, Graduate Program Officer (MBC) or call at (334) 844-5385 or Joline Landry, Administrative Support Specialist, or call at (334) 844-5308.
Executive Certificate in Construction Management Curriculum
BSCI 7100-D01 Construction Cost Estimating: 3 Credits
Introduction to the construction industry, plans and specifications reading and interpretation, construction materials and methods, estimating in construction and skill competency for quantity survey of divisions 1–48. Students perform a complete take-off, pricing, and bid preparation for a small commercial construction project.
BSCI 7100-D02 Construction Management and Scheduling: 3 Credits
This course develops advanced student knowledge and skills in construction business facets such as delivery, contracts and financial management; and develops tactile skills in producing advanced construction schedules in current software applications. Course may be repeated with change in topics.
BSCI 7120-D01 Construction Law and Risk Management: 3 Credits
Construction law, business law, and risk management; the legal system and terminology, contracts, insurance, warranties, liens, environmental concerns, workplace issues, damages, and dispute resolution.
(1 of the following)
BSCI 7110-D01 Construction Contracting Business: 3 Credits
Business functions associated with the construction industry; organizational structure, construction finance; risk analysis, construction contracts, project delivery, and associated documents.
BSCI 7150-D01 Heavy Civil Construction: 3 Credits
Understanding the different types of heavy civil construction: equipment, management issues, project budgets, contracts, value engineering scenarios, safety, schedule, site management plans, excavation, paving, drilling, and temporary construction.
Executive Technical Certificate in construction Management Curriculum
BSCI 7030-D01 Construction Information Management: 3 Credits
Applications of advanced information technology in construction.
BSCI 7100-D03 Mechanical and Plumbing Systems in Buildings: 3 Credits
Applications of mechanical and plumbing systems in buildings. The course also focuses on scheduling, coordination, and commissioning of the mechanical and plumbing systems.
BSCI 7100-D04 Electrical Systems in Buildings: 3 Credits
Applications of electrical systems in buildings. The course also focuses on scheduling, coordination, and commissioning of the electrical system.
(1 of the following):
BSCI 7130-D01 Building Construction Sustainability: 3 Credits
Green building practices in construction dealing primarily with the L.E.E.D. green building model. Students will also be able to interpret green building requirements related to the site, water, air quality, energy consumption, materials, and resources of a site.
BSCI 6460-D01 Planning and Decision Making in Construction: 3 Credits
Applications of quantitative methods in various phases of the project life cycle to assist project stakeholders in making effective planning and informed decision making.
Executive Integrated Processes Certificate in Construction Management Curriculum
BSCI 7020-D01 Construction Integrated Processes I: 3 Credits
Project manifestation and development preceding design and construction phases with emphasis on the project owner’s perspective, the financial parameters, and the speculative demand driving project viability.
BSCI 7040-D01 Construction Integrated Processes II: 3 Credits
Construction project delivery, from pre-construction services through ownership. Topics include project management, pre-construction services, pre-planning, procurement, site utilization, subcontracts, commissioning, closeout, building operation, and long-term ownership.
BSCI 7050-D01 Executive Issues in Construction: 3 Credits
Construction industry executives will present 6 to 10 topics that represent a cross-section of significant management issues.
(1 of the following):
BSCI 7130-D01 Building Construction Sustainability: 3 Credits
Green building practices in construction dealing primarily with the L.E.E.D. green building model. Students will also be able to interpret green building requirements related to the site, water, air quality, energy consumption, materials, and resources of a site.
BSCI 7140-D01 Structural Systems of Buildings: 3 Credits
Demonstrates loads throughout different building structure types; lumber, steel, and concrete. Shows how engineers trace loads throughout buildings and help to understand the various loads affecting a structure like wind loads, gravity loads, dead loads, and live loads.
Masters of Building Construction Certificates + Capstone (3 Credit Hours)
Students who complete the certificates in construction management can obtain a Master of Building Construction (MBC) degree by completing an additional course. Students must have a cumulative GPA of more than 3.0 in order to be eligible to apply and be accepted into the MBC degree. Upon successfully being accepted into the MBC degree by the BSCI graduate admissions committee, students must successfully complete the ‘Capstone’ class with a minimum grade of B.
The purpose of the Capstone Project is to demonstrate the student’s ability to independently explore a new topic, demonstrate appropriate application of the materials, and successfully communicate the information in a professional and academically rigorous format. The proposal should indicate that these expectations will be met. The Capstone course is also the only course in the curriculum that allows the students to gain in-depth knowledge about a specific topic of the students’ choice.
Early Fall semester, faculty members attend information sessions in order to present their research interests to the students. This helps each student select a major professor and committee of faculty members with whom to work on their project, and assists students in identifying an area of interest for their Capstone Project during their first active semester in the MBC Program. A capstone committee includes a chair (also referred to as Major Professor) and a minimum of two other faculty members who will serve in the role of members of the committee. Students are expected to work with their major professor on the development of the Capstone proposal.
A draft proposal is usually completed by mid-semester (October), with final proposals due in late fall. The final proposal consists of an abstract, introduction, background, literature review, methodology, proposed data analysis, etc.which is covered during the Research Methods in Building Science course. Approval of the final proposal by the committee chair and committee members is indicated by their signatures on a cover sheet attached to the proposal. The major professor and committee members must sign their names personally to the approval page. There can be no temporary substitute members and no other person may sign a committee member’s name on an approval page, even with the authorization of the committee member involved and the major professor. Any exceptions occasioned by unusual circumstances require Graduate Program Chair approval.
Last Day to Turn in Completed Capstone Project:
All revisions to the Capstone Report will be incorporated prior to printing the required bound copies. One copy should be the Research Methods Course.
Program Cost
Graduate Certificates in Construction Management
We are offering 3 Executive Construction Management Certificates that require 12 hours of course work per Certificate. Each credit hour costs approximately $1,000.00.
The charges indicated above are the tuition costs for the program, educational resources, case studies, textbooks, and software. Does not include costs for application, student ID, tickets for athletic events, travel for residency week, etc.
1. Visit the Graduate School website (https://applygrad.auburn.edu/portal/apply). You will need to select “Create Account,” and the website will create a PIN but you will have to create your own password. Once you log in, you will be asked to complete several sections. Please select the correct term for which you are applying (fall, spring, summer), and choose the correct program from the drop-down menu. Make sure to complete the application in its entirety by checking the steps on the left side of the page.
2. Request certified copies of transcripts from all previously attended educational institutions; send them directly to the Graduate School at 106 Hargis Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849. If it is an Auburn University transcript, the Graduate School will acquire the transcript for you. For Domestic applicants, official transcripts can be emailed to graduatetranscripts@auburn.edu. Must be done by the institution you attended.
3. No GRE scores required for this program.
4. For International Students Only: Request an official copy of your TOEFL or IELTS score to the University Graduate School. Auburn University’s ETS institution code is 1005.
TOEFL – (Test of English Language for Foreign Students, For International Students Only). Students must score at least 550 on the paper TOEFL (pBT), 213 on the computer TOEFL (cBT), and 79 on the internet TOEFL (iBT) or 6.5 Overall Band Score on the IELTS to be considered for admission. On the iBT, students must score a minimum of 16 on the four component parts of the iBT (reading, listening, speaking, and writing).
5. Provide 3 letters of recommendation as requested on the Graduate School website. The applicant can either click on the box to email or not email the recommender from the application system. If they choose to email from the system an email will be generated to the recommenders with a link to the form and they can write in the box or add their letter in a pdf file with the form. (Note, the application will not submit without the names of recommendation people listed).
6. Submit a Statement of Purpose (1500 words or less) explaining your motivation for seeking a graduate degree in Building Construction at Auburn University. Please email to Joline Landry (Administrative Support Specialist) at jal0021@auburn.edu.
7. Submit your current resume via email to Joline Landry at jal0021@auburn.edu.
Items 1-5 should be submitted to the University Graduate School.
Items 6-7 should be directly sent to Joline Landry via mail, fax or email.
