The Best Online Master's in Construction Management Degree Programs

Offering its first engineering classes in 1905, USC has a long history of preparing students for successful careers in engineering-related fields. Recognized as a leader in education, research and commercialization rooted in real-world needs, USC Viterbi School of Engineering encourages qualities of leadership, ambition, scholarship and character. The school offers bachelor of science, master's and doctoral programs.

Geared toward young professionals with a range of undergraduate degrees, the Master of Construction Management online program helps prepare students to understand and execute an array of technical and non-technical activities within construction management.

With special attention to the function of the constructor in real estate development, the program prepares graduates for careers as leaders in the real estate/construction industry.

The online program consists of current theories and practice and features the same lectures as those attended by on-campus students.

Credit requirements: 32 units

Selection of required courses:

• Construction Practices
• Construction Business
• Project Controls
• Construction Planning and Preconstruction

Start dates: Three start dates - spring, summer and fall.

Admissions and transfer credit information: Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in engineering or an engineering-related discipline. Applicants must submit official transcripts, GRE scores, a resume/curriculum vitae, personal statement and two letter of recommendation.

Accreditation: USC is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Known for its interdisciplinary approach to applied education, Drexel University's Master's in Construction Management degree online allows students to develop the skills needed to become effective senior construction managers and supervisors. The program focuses on complex construction projects, challenging deadlines and increasing regulation.

The fully online curriculum provides students with technical knowledge and helps them hone their practical business decision-making and leadership skills.

Drexel's faculty has decades of construction management experience in public and private sectors, as well as union and open shop environments.

Students can tailor their degree with one of three concentrations:

• Construction Project Management
• Real Estate Development
• Sustainability and Green Construction

Credit requirements: 45 credits

Selection of required courses:

• Construction Control Techniques
• Cost Estimating and Bidding Strategies
• Leadership in Construction
• Construction Accounting and Financial Management
• Risk Management in Construction

Students also complete a capstone project.

Start dates: Four dates each year - fall, winter, spring and summer

Admissions and transfer credit information: Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, business or a non-technical degree from a regionally accredited university. Applicants must submit official transcripts, two letter of recommendation, a 500-word essay and a resume.

Accreditation: Drexel University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

With an award-winning faculty and more than 200 fully online undergraduate and graduate programs, ASU Online prepares students for a host of career fields.

Its Master of Science in Construction Management degree program helps students develop the management, advanced technical and applied research skills needed in the construction industry.

The program builds upon competencies developed from previous degrees and industry experiences and prepares graduates for upper level leadership roles in the facilities management and construction fields.

Credit requirements: 30 credit hours

Selection of required courses:

• Facilities Operations and Maintenance
• Principles of Leadership for Project Managers
• Facilities Project Management
• Facility Management: Building Energy Management

Students complete either an applied project or a thesis.

Start dates: Six start dates per year

Admissions and transfer credit information: Applicants must hold a bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited university. Applicants must submit official transcripts, a resume, personal statement and proof of English proficiency.

Accreditation: ASU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Southern New Hampshire University's online Master of Science in Management with a concentration in Construction Management online program helps students develop real-world expertise and project management skills needed for successful careers in the field.

The specialized construction management degree program focuses on the tools, practices and strategies of Construction Management, such as the relationship between estimating and budgeting for projects, materials and methods.

Credit requirements: 36 total credits

Selection of required courses:

• Construction Budgeting, Estimating and Bidding
• Construction Materials and Methods
• Construction Law and Contracts
• Construction Quality Management and Productivity
• Human Behavior in Organizations

Start dates: Five start dates each year

Admissions and transfer credit information: Southern New Hampshire University offers rolling admissions. Applicants must submit undergraduate transcripts.

Accreditation: Southern New Hampshire University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

One of 10 academic colleges at Purdue University, Purdue Polytechnic Institute offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in a range of disciplines. Founded in 1964, Purdue Polytechnic's academic programs combine team-based projects, theory-based applied learning, competency-based credentialing and experiential components.

Its online Master's in Construction Management program provides students with the knowledge and educational experience needed to make contributions in the field of construction. With an emphasis on construction operations and company-level management, the fully online program gives students the benefits of a Master of Business Administration degree but with a construction focus.

The program features live, synchronous classes.

Purdue Polytechnic also offers a four-course graduate certificate in Executive Construction Management.

Credit requirements: 33 credit hours

Selection of required courses:

• Risk Management in Construction
• Managing Construction Quality and Production
• Energy Conserving Building Retrofit
• Law for Construction Managers
• Preconstruction Project Management

Start dates: Three start dates - fall, spring and summer

Admissions and transfer credit information: Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree and at least two years of experience in the construction industry. Applicants must submit a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts and a resume.

Accreditation: Purdue is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The University of New Mexico School of Engineering combines research that addresses global challenges with excellence in academic programs. Its online Master's in Construction Management degree program provides students with an advanced education in new and expanding areas of construction programming, project management, cost control, construction law and safety.

The program is designed to accommodate students with interest or experience in all sectors and aspects of the construction industry.

Credit requirements: 30 credit hours

Selection of required courses:

• Simulation and Design of Construction Operations
• Principles of Written Construction Documents
• Project Controls
• Construction Safety
• Construction Law

Start dates: Three start dates per year.

Admissions and transfer credit information: Applicants to the Construction Management master must submit GMAT or GRE scores. Applicants should have college-level proficiency in mathematics and reading and writing in English. An undergraduate degree in engineering is not required.

Accreditation: The University of New Mexico is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Designed for those already working in management, engineering, architecture or a related field, the University of Texas at El Paso's fully online Master's in Construction Management program helps students develop the skills needed to manage complex projects, lead teams and thrive in a global marketplace.

Online students gain real-world experience in the construction field through a required internship. At the completion of the program, students are prepared to sit for the certification exam administered by the American Institute of Constructors.

Credit requirements: 30 credit hours

Selection of required courses:

• Construction Management
• Construction Law and Ethics
• Construction Scheduling
• Advanced Construction Cost Analysis and Bidding
• Sustainable Construction

Start dates: Six start dates per year

Admissions and transfer credit information: Applicants must submit official transcripts.

Accreditation: The University of Texas at El Paso is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The University of Houston's Online & Special Programs offers a range of online, hybrid, and face to face courses leading to graduate degrees and certificates.

The university's online Master of Science in Construction Management provides the skills and knowledge needed for successful leadership roles in the construction industry. The program's curriculum focuses on fundamental knowledge and advanced topics, such as project management, risk analysis, and computer applications.

Credit requirements: 30 total hours

Selection of required courses:

• Construction Management Principles
• Cost Analysis & Bidding
• Computer Applications in Construction Management
• Quality Control in Industrial Construction
• Project Management Principles
• Data Analysis in Construction Management
• Building Information Modeling in Construction Management

Students can choose between a course-based and thesis-based option.

Start dates: Two start dates each year

Admissions and transfer credit information: Applicants must submit GRE scores.

Accreditation: The University of Houston is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering features world-class faculty and state-of-the-art facilities designed to empower students to work toward a better, sustainable tomorrow. Students conduct research with global implications in areas such as infrastructure, health monitoring, structural design, construction, water resources, sustainability, and pollution prevention and remediation.

Its online Master of Science in Construction Project Management program prepares students to manage complex construction projects at all stages, from resource planning to risk mitigation and reporting. Designed to meet the growing needs of professionals, the program provides students with practical knowledge and expertise in design and construction engineering processes, legal relations, and the organization and use of resources.

WPI offers highly customizable plans of study, allowing students to explore a range of topics including fire protection, sustainable construction practices, building information modeling, supply chain management, and systems thinking.

WPI also offers an online graduate certificate in Construction Project Management.

Credit requirements: 33 credit hours

Selection of required courses:

• Advanced Project Management
• Financial Decision-Making for Value Creation
• Building Information Modeling
• Advanced Cost Estimating

Admissions and transfer credit information: Applicants must hold a relevant bachelor's degree and submit official transcripts, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose and a resume.

Accreditation: Worcester Polytechnic Institute is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

LSU Online, part of the Louisiana State University system, offers a fully online Master of Science in Construction Management program, designed to provide students with the technical and interpersonal skills needed to become successful construction leaders.

Accredited by the American Council for Construction Education, the program blends coursework in leadership with core construction subjects such as sustainability, project delivery, building information modeling, and decision making.

LSU Online also offers a post-baccalaureate certificate in construction management.

Credit requirements: 36 total credit hours

Selection of required courses:

• Research Methods in Construction Management
• Project Delivery
• Decision Making Tools in Construction Management

Start dates: Six start dates per year

Admissions and transfer credit information: Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Architecture or Engineering from an accredited institution. Applicants also must be employed with three years of demonstrated Construction Management Work experience.

Accreditation: LSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.