The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has given the University a green light to offer a new bachelor’s degree in construction engineering and management.
The degree, which will be housed in the Department of Civil Engineering, was developed in response to a push for graduating engineers to have the knowledge and skills to become both construction engineers and construction managers.
“There is an increasing demand from students for programs that have a mix of technical and business skill development, and from employers in the construction industry for graduates of those programs,” said Richard Schoephoerster, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering. “This program is designed to supply the local need and contribute to a diverse national workforce in the area.”
The B.S. in Construction Engineering and Management (BSCEM) program will take a multidisciplinary approach, balancing technologies, processes and management skills required to engineer the highly complex construction systems of our time.
The curriculum will include courses in civil engineering, construction management, communication, cost estimating, safety, contracts, ethics and claims management. A special aspect of the program will be the availability of bilingual training to communicate with construction site personnel in English and Spanish.
Professor and Chair of Civil Engineering Cesar Carrasco, Ph.D., said, “This program is needed because of a significant shortage of construction engineers in the United States.”
Carrasco added, “Our program will provide students with real industry experience using project case studies and faculty from industry.”
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of construction professionals is projected to increase by 16 percent during the 2006-16 decade, faster than the average for all occupations.
In addition, national universities with construction engineering programs report nearly 100 percent placement of graduates with high starting wages.
The degree was officially approved by the THECB on Thursday, April 23.