New UIC degree aimed at growing construction industry
The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Engineering will offer a new master’s degree in construction engineering and management. Classes will begin in Fall 2019 and students can now apply to the two-year program. The program is the only one of its kind at a public university in the Chicago region.
“There is a huge construction market in the Chicago region and this new degree will not only prepare students to enter the field, but we expect that many of our students will be individuals already in construction management positions who want to further their education through pursuing this degree,” said Abolfazl Mohammadian, professor and head of civil and materials engineering.
“Construction is a growing industry, not only in the United States but also across the globe and especially in developing countries,” said Hossein Ataei, clinical assistant professor of civil and materials engineering at UIC, and the program director for the new degree.
According to the April 2017 U.S. Census Report, approximately $1.2 trillion in construction work was performed in the U.S. in 2017, and jobs in construction management are predicted to rise over the next five years.
“It is highly promising to see that according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Illinois will be one of the top five states in the U.S. in terms of job opportunities in construction management along with California, Texas, Florida and New York,” Ataei said. “Construction engineering and management professionals who work in the Chicago region will be one of the highest paid in metro regions in the nation.
“There is also a massive demand for construction management expertise in other countries, where new highway systems and entire cities are being built for which competent construction management professionals are needed to manage these complex projects,” Ataei said.
Students in the program will focus on best practices in integrated construction project management to ensure that complex construction projects are completed successfully. Students will study construction budgeting, financial planning and cost control, project estimating and scheduling, construction law and regulations, construction equipment, engineering entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, stakeholder management, managerial strategic planning, game-theory applications in construction management, managing diverse teams, litigation and construction claims, health and safety in the construction industry, and sustainability.
Students can take their elective courses from other disciplines within the College of Engineering or from the UIC College of Architecture, Design and the Arts, the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs or the UIC College of Business Administration. Students in the construction engineering and management program also will have opportunities to work together with faculty and students in the planned UIC John Marshal Law School.
For more information about the program, please contact Hossein Ataei at hataei@uic.edu.
