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Capstone Course in Construction Management Joseph J. Cecere , Ph.D., CPC Pennsylvania State University/ Harrisburg

ABSTRACT

Capstone courses offered in most construction engineering programs are designed to pull together much of what the student has already learned in previous courses. This will enable the student to gain an appreciation of how the different aspects of a construction project come together. The course is not an in depth study of any one function or technical aspect, but rather a synergistic overview of the project process.

Penn State Harrisburg’s Structural Design & Construction Engineering Technology (SDCET) capstone course is separated into two sections so students can focus in either structural design or construction management. The sections stress their specialized area while still integrating elements of the other area. The four credit-hour course begins in the last seven and one-half weeks of the fall semester for one credit, and continues in the spring for three credits. The fall syllabus for the construction management option includes teams of students each forming a firm, dealing with organizational structures and personnel responsibilities, a marketing plan, company portfolio and potential client interview. The course continues in the spring with pre-qualifications, financial statements, RFP for CM services, project planning, bid packages and bidding, scheduling (bid and construction), value engineering, safety policy, and other CM services. Industry presentations and involvement provide the course with real world experiences. The course also integrates written and oral communications throughout to stress the importance of these skills for a successful manager.

INTRODUCTION

The goal of a construction related curriculum is to prepare graduates to be as marketable and useful to future employers as practical. To meet this goal, students are required to take courses in business, English, oral and written communications, computers, math and science, as well as core courses in structural design and construction management. Hopefully all of these courses lead to a well-rounded individual who contributes to the construction industry. Most curricula have a senior "capstone" course which ties together much of what the student has learned in previous courses, while emphasizing the more important topics and skills.

To a large extent, there is a great deal of latitude given to the design of a capstone course. The content of the course may be influenced by the geographic area the university services, the aspect of construction that is the program’s focus (industrial, commercial, or residential), the program’s philosophy, the faculty's experience, and the perception of industry's needs. Course content may change with time, and courses may differ from program to program, but the basic goal is the same, to prepare the student for a career in construction, while satisfying industries' needs.

This paper describes the (SDCET) – construction option capstone course in order to provide an overview of its approach and experiences in delivering this course. By sharing this information, it is hoped that it will foster cooperation with construction programs to exchanging ideas thereby improving the construction educational process.

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Cecere, J. (2002, June), Capstone Course In Construction Management Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--11304