Real world experience
Looking to transfer?
Construction Management, Bachelor of Science
This degree is offered by the Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering.
This program is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE)
Requirements Accordion Open
To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
- All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
- All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
- At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
- At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
- A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.
The full policy can be viewed here.
Overview Accordion Closed
In addition to University Requirements:
- 20 - 21 units of preprofessional requirements
- 74 - 98 units of major courses, including at least 8 units of language requirements
- 15 units of Business Elective Coursework OR 24 units of a Business Minor
- Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.
- Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
Major GPA | 2.0 |
Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 125 |
Foreign Language | Required |
Fieldwork Experience/Internship | Recommended |
University Honors Program | Optional |
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A | Recommended |
Progression Plan Link | View Progression Plan |
Purpose Statement
Population and business growth in the United States and abroad result in the need to construct new residential units, office buildings, hospitals, schools, and supporting infrastructure. Existing infrastructure is continually in need of repair and replacement, while trends in increasing energy efficiency leads to the need to retrofit and upgrade existing buildings. Construction managers coordinate and supervise the construction of such projects and are increasingly being called upon to assist in design and the operation phases of these projects as well. These professionals work closely with owners, architects, engineers, building officials, and trade workers and thus must have strong communication skills and a broad understanding of many disciplines.
Our Construction Management curriculum is founded on a general education in liberal studies, communications, mathematics, and physical sciences. Graduates will have applied basic principles in construction science topics including materials and methods, analysis and design of systems, design theory, graphics, and geomatics. They will have also gained an understanding of fundamental business topics including accounting, economics, business law, and principles of management.
These foundations lead to higher-level courses in which such knowledge is applied to construction topics in the areas of estimating, scheduling, accounting, finance, law, safety, ethics, and project management. Throughout their academic career, students will apply the knowledge and skills that they learn in the classroom to an integrated construction project in a laboratory environment.
It is the goal of the Construction Management Department to prepare graduates to enter and succeed as professionals in the construction industry.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation from an accredited ACCE Bachelor Degree program, a graduate shall be able to:
- Create written communications appropriate to the construction discipline.
- Create oral presentations appropriate to the construction discipline.
- Create a construction project safety plan.
- Create construction project cost estimates.
- Create construction project schedules.
- Analyze professional decisions based on ethical principles.
- Analyze construction documents for planning and management of construction processes.
- Analyze methods, materials, and equipment used to construct projects.
- Apply construction management skills as a member of a multidisciplinary team.
- Apply electronic-based technology to manage the construction process.
- Apply basic surveying techniques for construction layout and control.
- Understand different methods of project delivery and the roles and responsibilities of all constituencies involved in the design and construction process.
- Understand construction risk management.
- Understand construction accounting and cost control.
- Understand construction quality assurance and control.
- Understand construction project control processes
- Understand the legal implications of contract, common, and regulatory law to manage a construction project.
- Understand the basic principles of sustainable construction.
- Understand the basic principles of structural behavior.
- Understand the basic principles of mechanical, electrical, and piping systems.
Details Accordion Closed
Major Requirements
This major requires 109 - 120 units distributed as follows:
- Preprofessional Requirements: 20 - 21 units
- Construction Management Course Requirements: 66 - 67 units
- Foreign Language Requirement: 8 units
- Business Elective Coursework or Business Minor Option - Select one: 15 - 24 units
- Business Elective Coursework Option: 15 units
- Business Minor Option: 24 units
Take the following 109 - 120 units with a Grade of "C" or better in each course:
Preprofessional Requirements (20 - 21 units)
Construction Management Course Requirements (66 - 67 units)
- CM 220, CM 222, CM 223, CM 225, CM 260, CM 331, CM 326, CM 329, CM 360, CM 388, CM 391, CM 426, CM 481, CM 489 (42 units)
- Select one from the following (3 - 4 units):
- CM 200L, CM 300L, CM 400L (3 units)
- Select from the following (9 units):
- CST 111 (3 units)
- CM 302W which meets the junior-level writing requirement (3 units)
- CM 490C which meets the senior capstone requirement (3 units)
Business Elective Coursework or Business Minor Option - Select one (15 - 24 units)
You are encouraged to complete the Business Minor; however, it is not required to complete the Construction Management degree.
If electing not to complete the Business Minor, you must complete the Elective Coursework below.
Foreign Language Requirement
You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to two terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or through credit by exam. (8 units)
General Electives
Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.
We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.
Additional Information
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.
Additional information
The Bachelor of Science in Construction Management program is designed to prepare you to enter the construction profession and quickly advance into a leadership role. This program is in-person at the Flagstaff Mountain Campus. We do not offer an on-line option for the CM bachelor's degree. Our program integrates the material you learn in class with practical labs that simulate real-world building projects. More information on these practical labs is available at the Construction for Practice (C4P) page. As part of an integrated team of sophomores, juniors and seniors, you will work with other students to create, build, and complete a construction project. As you move through your program, you’ll gain experience at different levels of the process. Teams are designed as:- Sophomores: Project builders construct a mock-up of a project according to plans and specifications.
- Juniors: Project designers create computer models, project plans and specifications, and cost analysis.
- Seniors: Project managers manage all aspects of a building project.