Overview

The KSU Department of Construction Management offers both a Bachelor's and Master's degree, a Minor, and four undergraduate Certificate Programs.

Kennesaw State University is located in Metro Atlanta, which is the major air and rail hub for the southeastern United States. Atlanta is the center of the largest construction market in the region and provides excellent internship opportunities for students who prefer to earn while they learn. The Department of Construction Management has an excellent job placement program for graduates.

ksu construction management student puting on a hard hat

At KSU, we focus on how to apply knowledge and use technology for solving real world construction problems. Local construction projects, combined with strong industry support, provide vast laboratory opportunities and educational resources for our students.

Goals and Outcomes

    1. Continue to improve curriculum to reflect global and national construction industry needs
    2. Improve managerial/ business skills of students to take leadership roles
    3. Enhance and sustain the department
    1. Prepare students for successful construction industry career
    2. Meet accreditation agency requirements for curriculum
    3. Encourage students to take business fundamentals courses
    4. Increase financial support for the department
    5. Increase the number of faculty achieving tenure and promotion within the college and departments
    6. Increase visibility and awareness of the CM Department
    1. Create written communications appropriate to the construction discipline
    2. Create oral presentations appropriate to the construction discipline
    3. Create a construction project safety plan
    4. Create construction project cost estimates
    5. Create construction project schedules
    6. Analyze professional decisions based on ethical principles
    7. Analyze construction documents for planning and management of construction processes
    8. Analyze methods, materials, and equipment used to construct projects
    9. Apply construction management skills as a member of a multi-disciplinary team
    10. Apply electronic-based technology to manage the construction process
    11. Apply basic surveying techniques for construction layout and control
    12. Understand different methods of project delivery and the roles and responsibilities of all constituencies involved in the design and construction process
    13. Understand construction risk management
    14. Understand construction accounting and cost control
    15. Understand construction quality assurance and control
    16. Understand construction project control processes
    17. Understand the legal implications of contract, common, and regulatory law to manage a construction project
    18. Understand the basic principles of sustainable construction
    19. Understand the basic principles of structural behavior
    20. Understand the basic principles of mechanical, electrical, and piping systems

  • Graduate Program Objectives

    • PO1: Prepare bids and estimates for construction projects
    • PO2: Prepare construction schedule and manage project risks.
    • PO3: Carry out project management-related tasks.
    • PO4: Conduct research and disseminate findings through publications.
    • PO5: Pursue advanced degrees
    • PO6: Maintain MS program ACCE accreditation
    • PO7: Increase visibility and awareness of the CM Department

    Graduate Student Learning Outcomes

    • SLO 1 - Critical thinking and creativity
    • SLO 2 - Problem-solving and decision making
    • SLO 3 - Effective and Professional oral and written communication
    • SLO 4 - Use of information and communication technology
    • SLO 5 - Principles of leadership in business and management
    • SLO 6 - Current issues in construction
    • SLO 7 - Complex project decision making and associated risk management
    • SLO 8 - Professional ethics including application to situations and choices
    • SLO 9 - Advanced construction management practices
    • SLO 10 - Research methods

Our Mission and Strategy

The mission of the Department of Construction Management at Kennesaw State University is to develop students for professional construction leadership positions, with a commitment to ethical and environmental responsibility, as well as prepare interested students for advanced degree programs.

To accomplish the Department of Construction Management's mission, we use the following plan:

Our programs are modeled to reflect the organization of the construction industry by offering industry emphasis areas (IEAs) in General Construction – Commercial, Residential Construction, Heavy Civil Construction and Land Development, Specialty Trade Construction/Facilities Management. This structure allows students to study a combination of IEA electives, or to focus on one IEA.

We endeavor to exceed the ACCE Accreditation standards for BS CM and MS CM degree programs to not only stay competitive, but to remain a leader among institutions offering one or more similar degrees. 

ksu construction management students on a construction site with safety gear on looking at blue prints

Through industry outreach and professional development activities of the Construction Management Department faculty at KSU, we ensure that the quality of instruction and related technologies stay relevant. These faculty members also keep up on trends and innovations that continuously reshape the construction industry. All Construction Management tenure-track faculty members publish in peer-reviewed publications and participate in regional, national, and international conferences related to construction.

For quality assurance and enhancement, the department, in collaboration with the KSU CM Industry Advisory Board (CM IAB), undertakes surveys of stakeholders, which include students, alumni, employers, and CM IAB members. The results of these surveys are shared periodically with the board and faculty to identify opportunities for improvement at the course, program, and department levels.

The Department of Construction Management encourages faculty to be well-informed and conversant with current industry issues. We deliver CM programs at KSU that:

  • Serve the changing needs of the construction industry and an increasingly diverse national and international student population,
  • Serve as a positive force in the local and national construction industry through collaboration with other institutions and participation in professional and community organizations,
  • Advance the body of construction management knowledge through scholarly research, presentations, and publications,
  • Support the strategic and academic direction of Kennesaw State University and the College of Architecture and Construction Management

Accreditation

The KSU Department of Construction Management Bachelor's and Master's programs are accredited by the American Council of Construction Education (ACCE). The Department of Construction Management is committed to its mission and continuous quality improvement based on assessments. 

More Information
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