Graduate construction management programs in the U.S.: Lessons learned from leading institutions

Graduate programs in construction can be designed to incorporate a broad range of subjects, including construction management, construction engineering, and other management subjects. However, few studies were performed previously on the graduate education in construction management and the operation of graduate programs. Thus, a study is necessary to evaluate current construction management programs at the graduate level before discussing how to develop them further. This study aims at identifying leading construction management programs in the US by using a relevant ranking method and investigating how they manage and operate graduate programs in universities. The authors have developed a survey questionnaire to identify overall facts regarding graduate program management. The major findings obtained from surveying 16 schools are illustrated and explained in detail in this paper. The results obtained from the survey are expected to provide useful information to a practical side as well as an academic side. They become an important asset if a university has a plan to launch a new construction graduate program or there are some schools that intend to reflect their current situations by comparing with other peer institutions. For a practical purpose, they will provide useful information to people considering construction as their higher degrees.