This fall, college students aiming for a career in construction will have a chance to begin a bachelor’s degree program in construction management at WVU Tech.
The only four-year construction management degree in the state, the new program will train students to be technically competent, safety-focused and quality-centered construction practitioners. The program will teach students construction methods, operations, law and safety, producing graduates ready to find work as project managers, coordinators, estimators, construction superintendents and other vital roles within the construction industry.
Dr. Zeljko “Z” Torbica, dean of the Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering and Sciences at WVU Tech, said that the program will create capable construction and building professionals who have both field skills and business acumen.
“There are technical components that will give them a strong foundation in construction, plus business courses in everything from economics to business finance,” he said. “Students will also learn alongside faculty with practical construction management experience in a hands-on, project-focused curriculum. Because of the way the program is structured, they will start in the core courses – the real construction management material – in their very first semester.”
Campus President Carolyn Long said that the program is the first in a series of academic offerings geared toward the unique economic landscape and personality of West Virginia.
“When we consider a new program, we’re not looking at what’s simply interesting or what’s trending. We’re developing specific degree programs and pathways that serve our students; that support our businesses and industries; and that boost the vitality of the state,” she said.
“In a few years, I know we’ll see in our construction management program that same reputation for quality and usefulness that so many of our other programs have earned,” she said.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data predicts industry growth through 2024 with construction manager jobs growing at 11% through 2026. Data from WVU’s Bureau of Economic Research suggests that construction will see the second-highest rate of employment growth in the state through 2022.
Find out more about the construction management program at admissions.wvutech.edu.
