What is a Master’s in Construction Management?

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A Master's in Construction Management may be just what you need in order to take your career to the next level. For those in the construction, development, and engineering fields, this type of degree brings home the final knowledge needed to master the mega world of building. With all this said, what exactly is the master's in construction all about? What can you expect to learn from it? Follow along as we cover the basics of this great degree choice.

Core Concepts

Construction management is all about the overall facilitation of a construction project. One who manages construction projects, therefore, works together with all of the trades involved in the project, acting as a sort of manager, coordinator, and diplomat for the entirety of the project. The manager here will also work substantially with costs and budgets, local government officials, and even local lawyers in such project facilitation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Courses to Expect

Needless to say, this is a big-responsibility position. Someone working in this vocation must understand people, structural concepts, legal concepts, and more. As a result, the associated master's-level degree program for this type of expertise is built rigidly around those same principles. To get a better idea of what this degree program is all about, the following courses provide some additional foundation for understanding. Expect to attend the following or very similar courses as you become a real-life master of construction management.

Construction Plan Reading

In construction, everything is done based on blueprints, or printed out construction plans. To the layman, these plans can be nearly impossible to understand with their many symbols, codes, and other unique representations. This class transforms the layman into a blueprint-reading ace.

Construction Estimating

Estimation is the cornerstone for virtually all construction endeavors. The service provider here essentially estimates all financial factors imaginable with a proposed plan and then sets forth an estimate to the customer as to proposed project costs. Businesses live and die by this concept, and the manager must also know it quite well. This class teaches you the ropes in this crucial area.

Legal, Ethical, and Risk Issues for Managers

What codes must the project satisfy? How far can a township legally go in overseeing certain aspects of a project? What are the terms of local building permits? Learn the ethical, legal, and risk implications of the job here.

OSHA Standards

OSHA stands for Occupational Health and Safety Administration. This government body is very powerful and holds strong oversight over construction projects and activities. Consequently, this class instills the knowledge needed in order to always satisfy OSHA protocol on the work site.

Concrete and Masonry Design in Construction

Concrete and masonry are just one aspect of building components and materials. This class is an example of coursework designed to teach about the particulars of such building materials in action. Other, similar courses will cover additional building materials such as lumber and steel.

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Today's construction efforts are what keep us living in a modern world with dependable and safe infrastructure all around us. The construction managers out there are the important individuals in charge of the operations that see such infrastructure constructed. In conclusion, for those wanting to become even more versed in the field beyond the Master's in Construction Management, the Construction Management Association of America, found at is an excellent resource with which to get started.