The Spring 2023 semester is right around the corner and a new degree from the Department of Engineering; the department will be offering a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management (BSCM) as the department looks to help fill the need of people in the field.
Dr. Tim Nipp, chair of the Engineering Department, spoke about why this degree is needed and how it can help students who might be interested. He was keen to explain how this degree is not an Engineering degree as two key factors of this BSCM are completely different.
“Students will not be required to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam as required by our engineering students. Our engineering degrees are accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET). The BSCM will be accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE)”, said Dr. Nipp. He also talked about how the degree will be much less math intensive and focus more on the management topics such as estimating, scheduling, and construction methods.
Students should expect to have the opportunity of interning with construction companies in their junior and senior years. The prospects of this new degree are very profitable, as starting salaries are competitive with ranges from $55,000 to $80,000. This part of the industry is expected to be very in-demand in the next coming years.
When asked what the department expects from this degree, Dr. Nipp has high hopes, “We really expect this to be a big draw for students because it does allow them to pursue a career in the construction area without having to take all the math that you might encounter in a traditional engineering degree.”
An anonymous donation was one of the biggest pushes with this new degree. The department also received a gift from the Overcast Family Professorship of Excellence in Construction Management Endowment. This will allow the university to hire an instructor for the new program, and the same donors have endowed scholarships to students. To qualify for the Overcast Family Scholarship, the students must be at the second-year level or above and have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher.
Dr. Nipp encourages anyone who is interested in this degree to change over, “You will take courses that prepare you to do your job. You will be very marketable to the construction industry when you graduate.”
Classes for the BSCM start in the spring of 2023. For more information, call the Department of Engineering at (731) 881-7571.
