Reese Construction Management Program

Program Office

Location: 218 Galloway Business Building
Telephone: (409) 880-7558
email: construction@lamar.edu

Program Director

Dr. Seokyon Hwang - Interim Director & Associate Professor
Office: Galloway Bldg. 217
Telephone: (409) 880-7757
email: seokyon.hwang@lamar.edu

Program Coordinator

Zarha Bhatt
Office: Galloway Bldg. 218
Telephone: (409) 880-7758
email: zbhatt@lamar.edu

Program Faculty

Dr. Zhe Luo, Assistant Professor
Office: Galloway Bldg. 219
Telephone: (409) 880-8644
email: zluo@lamar.edu

Dr. Minkyum Kim, Assistant Professor
Office: Galloway Bldg. 221
Telephone: (409) 880-7860
email: mkim5@lamar.edu 

ACCE Logo

 

Program Description

The Reese Construction Management (CM) Program was established in 2008 through the generous support of Jerry and Sheila Reese. Since its inception, the CM Program's goal is to meet the needs of the construction industry in Southeast Texas. The CM Program reports to the dean of the College of Business.

ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ offers an ACCE accredited, four-year academic degree program with small class sizes, hands-on activities, and strong ties to regional industry professionals. The CM Program provides education both in the processes of construction techniques and construction management, including safety, materials and methods, surveying, project management and control, electrical and mechanical systems, legal issues, and estimating and scheduling, as well as in business management.

The CM Program complements the Houston and Southeast Texas construction landscape with an emphasis in commercial and industrial/plant construction. Through site visits, career guidance, service projects, and a required internship, the CM Program ensures that students will graduate with real-world skills, ready to begin a career in construction management.

Graduates with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Management enter a world of exciting career opportunities. Construction is one of the largest industries in the United States. Whether you want to work in an office or out in the field to build houses, hospitals, highways, bridges, or plants, the jobs available to Construction Managers are as varied as our students' interests. Construction Management majors often become Schedulers/Estimators, Superintendents, Construction/Project Managers, Safety Managers, or Business Owners.

With hands-on experience, a required internship, and high industry demand for qualified construction managers, many students graduate with a job offer in hand. Students start work as schedulers, estimators, or assistant project managers for large commercial and industrial construction companies. Depending on the size company you work for, you may be paired with a mentor to expand the scale of construction projects you manage, or you may work as part of a team to deliver large construction projects. In a few years, most of our students have advanced to manage multi-million dollar projects and come back to campus to recruit more LU students just like them.

Accreditation

The construction management degree is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE). ACCE is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the accrediting agency for four-year baccalaureate degree programs in construction, construction science, construction management, and construction technology.

Mission

The Reese Construction Management Program aims to:

  1. Prepare students to become competent experts and passionate leaders in the construction industry.
  2. Seek continuous improvement and innovation to provide students a demanding, hands-on, and balanced education.
  3. Devote to growing the body of knowledge in construction through original and applied research.
  4. Engage students, faculty, and staff in outreach to the community through professional and volunteer activities.

Program Educational Objectives

The Reese Construction Management Program has six program goals:

  • Goal 1: Teaching – Maintain quality improvement plan.
  • Goal 2: Teaching – Build program size, facilities, and reputation.
  • Goal 3: Teaching – Maintain ACCE accreditation.
  • Goal 4: Research – Attain research activities.
  • Goal 5: Service – Conduct professional service.
  • Goal 6: Support – Develop faculty/staff.

Student Outcomes

The Reese Construction Management Program has twenty student learning outcomes:

  1. Create written communication appropriate to the construction discipline.
  2. Create oral communication appropriate to the construction discipline.
  3. Create a construction project safety plan.
  4. Create construction project cost estimates.
  5. Create construction project schedules.
  6. Analyze professional decisions based on ethical principles.
  7. Analyze construction documents for the planning and management of construction processes.
  8. Analyze the methods, materials, and equipment used to construct projects.
  9. Apply construction management skills as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
  10. Apply electronic-based technology to manage the construction process.
  11. Apply basic surveying techniques for construction layout and control.
  12. Understand different methods of project delivery and the roles and responsibilities of all constituencies involved in the design and construction process.
  13. Understand construction risk management
  14. Understand construction accounting and cost control.
  15. Understand construction quality assurance and control.
  16. Understand construction project control processes.
  17. Understand the legal implications of the contract, common, and regulatory law to manage a construction project.
  18. Understand the basics of sustainable construction.
  19. Understand the basic principles of structural behavior.
  20. Understand the basic principles of mechanical, electrical, and piping systems

 

Bachelor of Science in Construction Management

B.S. in Construction Management degree requires a total of 120 credit hours. For a complete list of courses, refer to the Degree Plan of Construction Management (/catalog/degrees-and-programs/degree-course-requirements/bu/bs-construction-management.html) and the Course Flow below.

Undergraduate Entrance Requirements: The entrance requirements from high school for the CM Program are English (4 units), Mathematics (Algebra - 2 units, Geometry - 1 unit, Pre-calculus or Trigonometry - 1 unit), and Natural Sciences (Chemistry - 1 unit, Physics - 1 unit). Students who meet the general entrance requirements of the University, but lack in specific requirements for the construction management curricula may enroll in the CM Program; however, all deficiencies must be removed before the end of the second academic year. The CM Program urges students with entrance deficiencies or weaknesses to use the summer terms preceding the freshman year in college to remove them.
In addition to the University's academic policies, the CM Program enforces the following standards:

  • Students are required to take courses in the numeric sequence generally shown in the University Catalog for the CM Program and in the order approved in the CM Program of Study, available in the CM office.
  • GPA requirement – To graduate, a student must have a minimum 2.5 GPA within their discipline (major courses); major courses include all CMGT courses and the College of Business courses. Per the ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ policy, students must also have a 2.0 GPA overall.
  • Degree credit – For certain courses required in the CMGT degree plan, prerequisites specify that a grade of C or better is mandatory. To stay on track to graduation, students must earn a grade of C or better for ENGL 1301, MATH 2312, PHYS 1305, and PHYS 1307.
  • The student's advisor must approve all electives.
  • Attendance Policy: students enrolled in (CMGT) classes will be automatically dropped after 5 unexcused absences. This policy, as well as what constitutes an excused absence, is communicated in each CMGT Syllabus.

Minor in Construction Management

Minor in construction management requires a minimum of 19 hours and a maximum of 24 hours of CMGT courses, as listed below:

  • Complete any six hours from the following: CMGT 1310, 1320, 2310.
  • Complete CMGT 2420, 4325.
  • Complete any combination of the following classes to bring the total to at least 19 hours: CMGT 4100, 4310, 4350, 4370, 4420.

Master of Business Administration in Construction Project Management

Construction Project Management

An M.B.A. from ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ will provide you with a unique experience, developing the business knowledge and skills required in today’s competitive business world. This online program offers exclusively online classes:

  • Explore applied business strategy, marketing concepts, strategic management and international business
  • Gain knowledge in construction-specific legal and safety practices, budgeting and sustainable design
  • Receive a comprehensive business education integrated with principles of managing multifaceted construction projects
  • Prepare for crucial leadership roles delivering projects that meet operational, scope and sustainability goals on a national or international scale

Certificate in Construction Project Management

Learn how to deliver timely, competitive, and safe construction projects.
The Construction Project Management (CPM) Certificate in the M.B.A. Program teaches students 15 semester hours of planning, scheduling, and managing construction projects, their legal and safety implications, with the option to learn additional estimating or sustainability practices. Students will also learn how to navigate industry-utilized software Primavera P6 and HeavyBid.

If a certificate student would later like to enter the M.B.A. program, they must meet all entrance requirements for that degree program, including the submission of a GMAT score. The certificate courses taken may be applied to their M.B.A. degree to fulfill the Construction Project Management concentration

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with a 2.75 GPA from an accredited university. Students who graduated from ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management are not eligible for this certificate. A GMAT is not required.

Certificate Requirements

Students must obtain an overall 3.0 GPA for all of the required classes, with a “C” or higher in each class.
Courses Offered

CMGT 5310 – Construction Planning & Scheduling
CMGT 5325 – Construction Project Management
CMGT 5350 – Legal Practices in Construction
CMGT 5370 – Construction Safety Management

Plus, choose one of the following to complete the certificate:
CMGT 5320 – Construction Cost Estimating & Analysis
OR
CMGT 5380 – Sustainable Built Environment & Society

Minor in Business

Many of Construction Management students simultaneously pursue a Minor in Business as well. Such students should complete ECON 1301, ACCT 2301, FINC 3310, MGMT 3310, MKTG 3310, and MISY 3310. One of the following courses must also be completed: BULW 3310, 3320, 3330, 3340, ECON 3310, MGMT 3320, 3330, or MISY 3395, 4390. In keeping with the spirit of a minor, the students must have less than 25 percent of their total curriculum in business subjects. This 25 percent restriction also applies to all students who are not registered for a major in the College of Business, but who wish to have any kind of a business emphasis or concentration.