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Applicants to programs in the NDSU College of Engineering are required to submit an application to the EngineeringCAS (Engineering Centralized Application Service).

Current NDSU undergraduate students applying to an accelerated bachelor's to master's program are not required to submit an EngineeringCAS application. Accelerated program applicants can apply directly to the NDSU Graduate School here.

Learn More About Graduate Admissions

Master of Science in Construction Management (MSCM)

The Master of Science in Construction Management program is an on-campus, research-focused degree. Students are expected to significantly contribute to the development and delivery of scholarly publications and to the development and submission of research grant proposals as determined by the major adviser.

Master of Construction Management (MCM)

The Master of Construction Management program is an online professional program consisting of 30 credits of course work and the Associate Constructor (AC) Exam.

Graduate Certificate in Construction Management (CCM)

The Graduate Certificate in Construction Management program provides an online course learning experience constituting a distinct knowledge-base and a specific set of associated skills within the areas of estimating, scheduling, and project management at the graduate level. These three areas constitute a body of knowledge that represents the fundamental core of construction management.

(The detailed description of these three programs and related Course descriptions can be found in the NDSU graduate bulletin).

Program Statistics

MSCM Enrollment Number: Fall 2017 - 12; Fall 2018 - 15; Fall 2019 - 13.
MCM Enrollment Number: Fall 2017 - 19; Fall 2018 - 15; Fall 2019 - 12.
Certificate Enrollment Number:  Fall 2017 - 5; Fall 2018 - 2; Fall 2019 - 1.

Admission Requirements

Master of Science in Construction Management (MSCM)

In addition to the Graduate School requirements, to be admitted into the Master of Science in Construction Management applicants must:

• Have earned a baccalaureate degree in construction, engineering, architecture, or other related discipline with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 or equivalent to attain full standing.
• Submit an official transcript for each college/university attended.
• Submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score.
• Submit a one-page “Statement of Purpose” outlining reasons for pursuing the Master of Science in Construction Management, emphasizing on research objectives and qualifications that directly relate to one of the “Research Interests” of the CM&E faculty.
• Submit a two-page resume.
• Submit three (3) letters of recommendation.

Prospective students must submit application materials directly to the NDSU Graduate School via the online application process.

Financial Assistance

For exceptional applicants, the CM&E Department may offer a graduate assistantship, which consists of a monetary stipend and a possible tuition waiver; however, student activity fees and program fees are not waived. There is no separate application process for graduate assistantships. Applicants are evaluated based on their credentials and/or experience.

Master of Construction Management (MCM)

In addition to the Graduate School requirements, to be admitted into the Master of Construction Management, applicants must:

• Have earned a baccalaureate degree in construction, engineering, architecture, or other related discipline with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 or equivalent to attain full standing.
• Submit an official transcript for each college/university attended.
• Submit a two-page resume.
• Submit a one-page “Statement of Purpose” outlining reasons for pursuing the Master of Construction Management.
• Submit three (3) letters of recommendation.

Prospective students must submit application materials directly to the NDSU Graduate School via the online application process. Applicants who are deficient in the CGPA requirement are encouraged to apply for the Graduate Certificate in Construction Management. Although successful completion of the Graduate Certificate does not guarantee acceptance into the Master of Construction Management, the Graduate Certificate will be seriously considered in application decisions related to the Master of Construction Management Program.

Financial Assistance

Graduate assistantships, tuition waivers, and financial aid offered by the CM&E Department, the Graduate School, or NDSU are not available to students in the Master of Construction Management program.

Graduate Certificate in Construction Management (CCM)

In addition to the Graduate School requirements, to be admitted into the Graduate Certificate in Construction Management applicants must:

• Have earned a baccalaureate degree in construction, engineering, architecture, or other related discipline with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 or equivalent to attain full standing.
• Submit of an official transcript for each college/university attended.
• Submit a two-page resume.
• Submit a one-page “Statement of Purpose” outlining reasons for pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Construction Management.
• Submit three (3) letters of recommendation.

Prospective students must submit application materials directly to the NDSU Graduate School via the online application process.

Financial Assistance

Graduate Certificate in Construction Management Program students are not eligible for assistantships, tuition waivers, and financial aid offered by the CM&E Department, the Graduate School, or NDSU. 

Degree Requirements

Master of Science in Construction Management

The Master of Science in Construction Management requires a total of 31 graduate-level credits (24 credits of course work, 6 credits of research/thesis, and 1 credit of seminar) and a thesis. The thesis requires the creation and presentation of new knowledge in providing a solution to a problem. Prior to submitting a thesis to the graduate student's supervisory committee, the thesis must be reviewed by a departmentally approved external editor. All costs associated with external review are the responsibility of the graduate student.

An example of the Plan of Study for the Master of Science in Construction Management is shown below:

* Electives may be any 600, 700, or 800-level courses offered at NDSU determined by the student and the major faculty adviser. A minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 must be achieved in order to complete the M.S. degree.

Master of Construction Management

The Master of Construction Management degree consists of thirty (30) credits of course work and AC Exam. The following ten (10) courses constitute the thirty (30) credits of course work required for the degree.

Schedule of Courses

Summer Semester
CM&E 603 Scheduling and Project Control
CM&E 660 Infrastructure Management

Fall Semester
CM&E 703 Advanced Project Planning and Control
CM&E 712 Construction Management
CM&E 715 Construction Specifications and Contracts
CM&E 740 Financial and Economic Concepts for Construction Managers

Spring Semester

CM&E 605 Construction Support Operations
CM&E 701 Construction Technology and Equipment
CM&E 711 Construction Cost Estimating
CM&E 725 Decision Making and Risk Analysis

Associate Constructor (AC) Exam

The Associate Constructor (AC) Exam is administered by the American Institute of Constructors & Constructor Certification Commission. All students in the Master of Construction Management Program must take the AC Exam before their graduation. There is no requirement that a student has to earn a passing score in order to receive the Master of Construction Management Degree from NDSU. However, students are encouraged to prepare for the AC Exam and earn a passing score or better established by the testing agency.  The exam may be taken multiple times. The AC exam is the first level in reaching the designation of a “Certified Professional Constructor” (CPC), which is a three-stage process consisting of the AC exam (Level I), 4-5 years of relevant construction management work experience, and the CPC exam (Level II). The AC Exam is offered twice a year, typically the first Saturday's in April and November. International AC Exam applicants should note that the AC Exam is not offered online and is only offered in the United States. If a student has the AC designation, he/she may take the CPC Exam before the graduation. A passing score also is not required for the CPC Exam. Note that CM&E 793 is not required to take the AC Exam and complete the MCM program.  Instead, this course may be taken for 1cr (which will not count towards the program of study) for those students who need to maintain enrolled student status in the semester in which they take the AC examination, and are not enrolled in any other courses.

Graduate Certificate in Construction Management

The certificate program consists of nine credits encompassing the following three (3) courses:

Only grades of C or higher will satisfy requirements for certificate completion with a CGPA of 3.0 or greater. The Dean of the Graduate School, using official NDSU transcripts, will verify course completion and issue the certificate. Courses used to satisfy the Graduate Certificate requirements cannot be older than three years at the time the certificate completion is verified.

Graduation Processes

Graduation Processes are different among these graduate programs:

Master of Science in Construction Management (MSCM)

- 31 credits of Course work + Thesis. A flowchart shown the major steps of getting the degree is shown as below and a PDF file is available by clicking MS Flowchart.

Master of Construction Management (MCM)

- 30 credits of Course work + Professional Exam that is administered by the American Institute of Constructors & Constructor Certification Commission. A flowchart shown the major steps of getting the degree is shown as below and a PDF file is available by clicking MCM Flowchart.

Graduate Certificate in Construction Management (CCM)

- 9 credits of specific Course work only. After a successful completion of the required courses, students need to file a Verification of Certificate from at the Graduate School website.   

English Language Test Score Requirements for International Applicants

International applicants whose first language is not English and who do not possess an U.S. bachelor's degree or higher are subject to minimum English test scores when they apply for admission to the graduate programs. The detailed information can be found at the Graduate School website. Additionally, if an applications is for Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA), English Language Proficiency Procedure at the Graduate School website will apply. 

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees information can be found at NDSU one stop website: https://www.ndsu.edu/onestop/accounts/tuition/ 

Schedule of Courses

Summer Semester (online only)
CM&E 603 Scheduling and Project Control
CM&E 660 Infrastructure Management

Fall Semester
CM&E 703 Advanced Project Planning and Control (online every year; on-campus even year)
CM&E 712 Construction Management (online every year; on-campus odd year)
CM&E 715 Construction Specifications and Contracts (online every year; on-campus even year)
CM&E 740 Financial and Economic Concepts for Construction Managers (online every year; on-campus odd year)

Spring Semester
CM&E 605 Construction Support Operations (online every year; on-campus odd year)
CM&E 701 Construction Technology and Equipment (online every year; on-campus odd year)
CM&E 711 Construction Cost Estimating (online every year; on-campus even year)
CM&E 725 Decision Making and Risk Analysis (online every year; on-campus even year)

Programs Contacts

Please address all questions and inquiries to the Graduate Programs Coordinator, Dr. Kalpana S Katti at (701) 231-9504 or by email: kalpana.katti@ndsu.edu or  Dr. Youjin Jang at (701) 231-7564 or by email: y.jang@ndsu.edu or the Graduate School at (701) 231-7033 or by email: ndsu.grad.school@ndsu.edu.