School of Planning, Design and Construction

Master of Science in Construction Management

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Construction Management is designed to provide breadth in the managerial, technological, economic, and environmental aspects of construction. The Program is also designed to provide depth through a systems approach encompassing project management, estimating, scheduling and project controls, housing, land acquisition, real estate, finance, business management, green buildings and marketing. 

In this major students have the opportunity to focus on topics including: 

• Sustainable and Energy Efficient Design and Construction
• Integrative Project Delivery Practices and Methods
• Building Information Modeling and Other Computer Applications
• Construction Management Information Systems
• Lean Construction
• International Project Management
• Construction Safety and Economics
• Estimating, Scheduling and Project Controls
• Construction Contracts and Legal Aspects
• Domicology
• Construction Education

The major goals of the degree are: 

• To prepare students to manage various project management functions of complex construction projects
• To enhance the decision making process by creating an innovation seeking and research mind set
• To expose students to the latest advancements in emerging technology applications

Program Components/ Plan Options

Both Thesis and Non-Thesis options are available. The thesis option is generally suitable for students who are funded on research projects and for those who would like to pursue careers in research, consulting and academic areas. The Non-Thesis option is generally suitable for students who would like to pursue careers in industry. Most students complete the CM Degree in two years regardless of the option selected. The typical paths for the Master of Science in Construction Management are as follows: 

Plan A – Thesis Option

Students choosing this option must select a Major Professor and together, develop an academic program of study. The student will then present a thesis proposal to their Major Professor and Guidance Committee. They will complete all required course work, research, and write the Thesis. To graduate students are required to pass an oral defense covering their thesis topic.  A passing evaluation must be given by 2/3 of committee members for the student to pass.  Students who fail the initial evaluation may be re-evaluated the next semester after recommended changes are made.  The student must meet the minimum enrollment requirement for the University during this additional semester.  Students who fail a second attempt will be dismissed from the program.

Plan A students must complete a minimum of 6 Master’s Thesis Research credits (CMP 899) in addition to 24 course credits for a total of 30 credits.  

Plan B Report Presentation

Students choosing this option must select a Major Professor and another CM faculty member to serve as their committee and together, develop an academic program of study. The student will complete all required course work and research then write and orally present a report.  The report and oral presentation will be evaluated by the two-member committee.  Passing will determined by consensus among the committee members.  Students who fail the initial report presentation may be re-evaluated the next semester after recommended changes are made.  The student must meet the minimum enrollment requirement for the University during this additional semester.  Students who fail a second attempt will be dismissed from the program. 

Plan B Report students must complete a minimum of 3 Master’s Research credits (CMP 898) in addition to 30 course credits for a total of 33 credits. The program may not exceed six credits of research or special problems. 

Plan B Exam Option

Students choosing this option will complete a total of 33 course credits for the degree. They will have their choice of completing a written examination composed of questions from the CM faculty, passing with at least an 80% or they may take the American Institute of Constructors Certification Exam (AIC Exam). Students taking the AIC Exam will take Level One, Associate Constructor. However, students who have previously taken and passed Level One may opt to take Level Two, Certified Professional Constructor. The AIC Exam is a nationally administered Exam and a fee is required. 

Students who fail the AIC exam may opt to take the departmental exam or retake the exam the next semester.  Students who fail a second attempt will be dismissed from the program.

Neither the AIC or departmental exam is given during the summer semester. Students planning a summer graduation must take the exam in advance.  All students must be enrolled for at least 1 credit during the semester in which they take the exam.

Degree Requirements

The student must complete a total of 30 course credits for the degree under Plan A (Thesis) or 33 course credits for the Degree under Plan B (Report or Exam). For a student who elects independent study courses, no more than 6 credits under Plan A and 9 credits under Plan B may be counted toward the requirements for the degree. The student’s academic program of study must be submitted via GradPlan before the end of their second semester. 

Requirements for Plan A – Thesis Option

• A minimum of 18 credits at the 800-900 level;
• All of the following courses
  • CMP 817: Construction Management Information Systems (3 credits);
  • CMP 822: Legal Issues in Construction (3 credits);
  • CMP 893: Elements and Methods of Research in CM (3 credits)

• One additional 800-level Construction Management course, excluding Construction Management 890, 898, and 899. Students without a background in construction methods, project scheduling and estimating must complete Construction Management 801, 811 and 815 in partial fulfillment of this requirement.
• One 400-level course or above in statistics
• Complete 6 credits in CMP 899, no more than 6 credits may be counted towards the requirements for the degree under Plan A;
• Complete and defend a master’s thesis acceptable to the student’s major professor and the guidance committee.

Requirements for Plan B – Report Option or Exam Option

• A minimum of 24 credits at the 800-900 level;
• All of the following courses:
  • CMP 817: Construction Management Information Systems (3 credits);
  • CMP 822: Legal Issues in Construction (3 credits);
  • CMP 893: Elements and Methods of Research in CM (3 credits)

• One additional 800-level Construction Management course, excluding Construction Management 890, 898, and 899. Students without a background in construction methods, project scheduling and estimating must complete Construction Management 801, 811 and 815 in partial fulfillment of this requirement.
• One 400-level course or above in statistics 
• Completion of one of the following
  • Report Option: Complete 3 credits of Construction Management 898. No more than 3 credits may be counted towards the requirements for the degree under Plan B. Successfully complete the Plan B report acceptable to student’s major professor and the guidance committee
  • Exam/Coursework Option
    • Pass the AIC Level 1 certification exam, OR
    • Successfully complete the final examination given by the guidance committee

Linked Bachelor’s-Masters Degree in Construction Management.

Admission to the Linked Bachelor’s-Master’s program allows the application of up to 9 credits toward the master’s program for qualifying 400-level and above course work taken at the undergraduate level at Michigan State University.  Credits applied to the Linked Bachelor’s-Master’s program are not eligible to be applied to any other graduate degree program.

Collateral Courses

Students admitted with collateral requirements will be required to complete specified collateral courses with a grade point average of at least 3.0.  These collateral courses will not count towards the degree.  The guidance committee will determine which courses will be used to complete the collateral requirement during the student’s first semester.

Transfer Credits

No more than 9 semester credits of graduate course work (excluding research and thesis credits) may be transferred from other recognized educational institutions.  To do so, access the “Transfer Credit Administrative Forms” online at the Office of the Registrar Online Forms Menu.  Credits transferred are established through the Program of Study as agreed upon by the student’s guidance committee.  Credits must be verified through official transcripts.  Transferred credits must have been earned at a 3.0 or above to be included.

Sample Academic Program of Study 

(Without collateral and prerequisite courses)

Typical Plan A

Typical Plan B Report

Typical Plan B Coursework

Typical Dual-Enrollment Bachelor/Masters

*dual counting credits

Notes: Electives are CMP 401, 491, 828, 831, 845, 891, PDC 901, and approved 400, 800, and 900 level courses in SPDC or other departments (for students without a statistics course, one of the electives must be from statistics).

Required Academic Program of Study

All students are required to complete and submit a formal plan called GradPlan. For Plan A students and Plan B Report students, this is a two-step process.  First a committee request must be submitted and approved prior to submission of the course plan.  It is strongly suggested and in the students best interest to develop their program of study as early as possible.  It is expected that the course plan be submitted by the end of the first year of study.  Once approved, any changes to the committee or course plan should be submitted via GradPlan revision.

Advising and Guidance Committees

All incoming students will be assigned a Major Professor. Plan A students may select a different Major Professor with consent. A Guidance Committee is formed for Plan A students and Plan B Report students. Members of the committee act as consultants, advisors and evaluators for the student’s Program and research. They’ll approve GradPlan submissions and approve the Thesis or Report presentation. For Plan A students, the Guidance Committee consists of the Major Professor (CM faculty member), one committee member within CM in addition to one committee member outside the school. For Plan B Report students the Guidance Committee consists of the Major Professor and one additional committee member, both within CM. 

It is in the student’s best interest to compose a Guidance Committee by the end of their first semester of classes so that the committee may give advice concerning course work. In forming the committee, the student is encouraged to meet with their Major Professor and develop a list of potential committee members. Students should then set up a time to meet the potential committee members. The process involves the consensus of both the student and potential committee members. The composition of the Guidance Committee will be submitted to the Graduate Secretary for approval no later than the end of the second semester of study. 

The composition of the Guidance Committee (excluding the Major Professor) can change providing a member is willing to step down and a new member is found. This should be accomplished with the approval of the student’s Major Professor. A request to change the academic program of study must be submitted via GradPlan. 

If a student’s Major Professor leaves the University or is unable to continue advising the graduate student, the student must search for a new Major Professor. If another faculty member in CM accepts the student, the student may continue their existing program of study. However, if a new Major Professor cannot be found, the student will be advised to complete their degree under the supervision of a CM faculty member assigned by the Director. 

Degree Calendar & Progress Checklist

Prior to attending the first semester of classes

• Activate your NetID and MSU E-mail account. MSU E-mail will be the official mode of communication. Students are advised against forwarding their MSU E-mail to other outside accounts. MSU uses e-mail for a variety of official communications related to employment, student, and safety concerns. For instance, notices regarding a tuition bill are sent to a student's MSU e-mail account. It is important to activate your NetID because your MSU account is the only e-mail account to which official notices are sent. Students use their PID and PAN for activation.
• Attend the required SPDC new graduate orientation. Students are encouraged to participate in orientation activities offered by the Graduate School (and for international students, by the Office of International Students and Scholars).
• Contact the assigned Major Professor when you arrive on campus to discuss Degree requirements, plan your courses (especially those for the first semester), and to discuss other student-related concerns.
• Register for classes.  Master’s students must be registered for a minimum of 9 credits per semester (6 if hired as a Graduate Assistant) to be considered "full time". International students must register for a minimum of 9 hours to fulfill Visa requirements.

First Semester

• Select Guidance Committee members with your Major Professor.
• Schedule and hold a meeting with your Major Professor to discuss your academic and professional goals and the courses you intend to take. You may wish to discuss preliminary ideas for a Plan A Thesis or Plan B Report.
• Collateral Courses: complete all collateral courses as specified in admissions letter (and plan of study developed with your Major Professor).

Second Semester

• Finalize your graduate committee and course plan via GradPlan
• Complete first year RCR requirements including CITI modules and discussion training.  Part of this requirement will be completed during CMP 893.
• Prepare a written draft of your Plan A Thesis or Plan B Report. Discuss with your Major Professor and secure his or her approval prior to submitting it to your Guidance Committee. 
• Complete an annual review alongside your Major Professor

Second or Third Semester

• Revise your proposal based on the feedback from your Major Professor and schedule a meeting of your Guidance Committee to discuss your proposal. Provide each member of your Guidance Committee with a copy of your proposal at least two weeks prior to the committee meeting.
• Schedule and hold a meeting of your Guidance Committee to discuss and approve your proposal and review progress on your academic program.
• Secure approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), as appropriate to your research by submitting the application form found at the Human Research Protection Program website.
• Complete Year 2 refresher RCR training.

Last Semester

• Prepare for Thesis defense, Report presentation or Exam
• Check deadline dates for the semester as they pertain to completing the Master’s Degree at The Graduate School website.
• Register for a minimum of 1 credit for the semester in which you plan to defend your Thesis, present your Report or take your Exam.
• Complete and submit the online application for graduation at the beginning of the semester.  The Graduation Application is available at student.msu.edu. After clicking on the Academic Progress tile, you will see a link to Apply for Graduation in the left-hand navigation under the Graduation heading.
• Obtain a copy of the formatting guide from The Graduate School ETD website.  Although it is not required that the Plan B Report be submitted to the Graduate School, it should be formatted in the same manner as the Plan A Thesis.
• Plan B Exam students should register and take Exam.
• Prepare for commencements; see guidelines and checklist provided by the University online at the MSU Commencement website. 

Completion of Thesis/Report 

• Complete all required forms in the Thesis formatting guide found online at The Graduate School website (Plan A students).
• Submit a draft of your Thesis or Report to your Major Professor and Guidance Committee at least two weeks before your defense.
• Edit your draft, as needed.
• Schedule a time with your Major Professor and Guidance Committee for defending or presenting your work. This will be an open session to which students and faculty in the School of Planning, Design and Construction may attend. 
• Once student has confirmed a date and time that will work for their Major Professor and Guidance Committee they should contact the Graduate Secretary to reserve a conference room. At this time the student will also provide the title of their Thesis or Report so the appropriate announcements may be sent out to SPDC faculty and students.  This must be done at least 14 days prior to the defense date.
• Provide your Major Professor and each member of your Guidance Committee a copy of your Thesis or Report at least two weeks prior to the defense or presentation.
• Orally defend Thesis or Report.
• Modify Thesis or Report as instructed by your Guidance Committee.

Final Logistics:

• Read and comply with the MSU’s Thesis/Dissertation electronic submissions to ensure that you have met all requirements and submitted all forms necessary, paperwork can be found at Theses and Dissertation Submissions.
• Pay all final fees and complete questionnaires required by the Graduate School. 

Faculty available to act as a Major Professor

Dr. George Berghorn, Construction Management – Assistant Professor, LEED®AP BD+C, CGP

berghorn@msu.edu 

Dr. Mohamed El-Gafy, Construction Management – Associate Professor, PE 

elgafy@msu.edu

Dr. Sinem Mollaoglu, Construction Management – Associate Professor, LEED®AP

sinemm@msu.edu

Dr. Matt Syal, Construction Management – Professor, LEED®AP, CPC

syalm@msu.edu

Dr. Dong Zhao, Construction Management – Assistant Professor, LEED®AP

dzhao@msu.edu