Construction Engineering

The construction industry is one of the largest industries in the United States. It accounts for nearly 8 percent of the nation's gross national product and employs millions of people. The industry is divided into four sectors: residential building construction, industrial construction, commercial building construction, and heavy civil construction. The Department of Construction Management and Engineering provides quality educational programs that prepare nationally competitive undergraduate and graduate students for successful careers in the construction engineering and management professions.

The Program

Construction Engineering involves the planning, design, and management of construction facilities, such as highways, bridges, airports, railroads, buildings, dams, and reservoirs. The construction of such projects requires the knowledge of engineering, management, economics, and business. Construction Engineering is differentiated from Construction Management from the standpoint of the use of math, science, and engineering to design projects and processes and analyze problems. Construction Engineering is involved in a variety of construction disciplines, including: commercial, residential, transportation, and infrastructure systems. Construction Engineers are also involved in the engineering design of temporary structures, cost estimating, planning and scheduling, material procurement, selection of equipment, and cost control. Due to their diverse skills, there is a very high demand for Construction Engineers.

The Department of Construction Management and Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering degree which offers a blend of engineering and construction courses. The program is designed for those who want to work in the construction industry and enjoy the status of a professional engineer. A thorough knowledge of the physical sciences, math, and engineering is developed during the first two years followed by construction management and engineering courses. The technical side of the program is balanced with requirements in writing, humanities, social science, and communications. The program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

Program Educational Objectives (PEO)

Program educational objectives (PEO’s) are broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to attain within a few years after graduation. Program educational objectives are based on the needs of the program’s constituencies. Graduates from the Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering program are expected to be productive construction engineers who, within the first few years after graduation:

1. Begin to serve in a middle-level project leadership role in their construction engineering career.
2. Acquire and use new knowledge and skills in the construction engineering field.
3. Be respected construction engineers who are valued by their peers, customers, and the general public for their technical expertise and ethical conduct.

Student Outcomes (SO)

The Program Educational Objectives are further connected to seven Student Outcomes (SO), developed by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org., which describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These outcomes relate to the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that students acquire in their matriculation through the program. The Student Outcomes are listed below:

1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Faculty and Staff

The Department of Construction Management and Engineering has a group of faculty and staff members dedicated to teaching, advising and career consultation.  All faculty members have doctoral degrees.  Many of them have professional licenses such as the Professional Engineer (PE) and/or the Certified Professional Constructor (CPC).  In addition, many faculty members have construction related working experiences both in the United States and overseas.

Facilities

The Department of Construction Management and Engineering has well equipped classrooms, computer labs and teaching and research labs for its students.  Classrooms used by the department are equipped with a computer, a Blackboard course management system, Internet access, a projector, a document camera, and an apple TV.  In addition, the department maintains a computer lab, a virtual reality lab, a concrete lab and a soils lab and shares laboratory space with the Department of Civil Engineering for the geotechnical and surveying labs.

Career Opportunities

Construction engineering graduates are in high demand after graduation by contractors in all types of construction, from design-construction firms to large owners who have continuing construction projects. Positions available include field engineer, office engineer, project engineer, project controls engineer, superintendent and project manager. Starting salary has been between $47,000 and $73,000 in the recent years. Summer employment in the construction industry is also available to construction engineering students.  The members of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of North Dakota as well as other construction firms provide summer jobs for our students every year.