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Integrating a Construction Engineering Management Focus in the Civil Engineering Curriculum

Fouad H. Fouad, Tarek Rizk, and Nancy Fouad

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering University of Alabama at Birmingham

Abstract

A large number of civil engineering graduates have to work with contractors on almost a daily basis or are employed by construction companies. To produce students who are better prepared to fulfill this role, the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is introducing construction engineering management courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The objective is to graduate engineers who are familiar with the construction industry and have a better understanding of the role of the civil engineer in the construction process. Courses offered include project management, project planning, contracts, bidding, estimation, and other topics that are of importance to construction.

As a means to provide an incentive to the student, a certificate in Construction Engineering Management is awarded upon the completion of a required number of credit hours. The certificate prepares the undergraduate civil engineering student for a career in the construction industry. For those students who are not interested in a career in construction, the certificate provides them with sufficient background to act as owner’s representatives or to supervise the work of contractors. Courses taken towards the certificate can also apply to the master’s degree in civil engineering. Graduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in construction or who would like to learn more about the construction industry can also enroll for the certificate.

This describes the construction focus in the civil engineering curriculum that was developed at UAB to produce graduates who are better prepared to tackle the challenges of the future. Highlights of a newly developed construction engineering management (CEM) certificate including the coursework and logistics of the program are presented.

The Importance of the Civil Engineer in Construction

Civil Engineering is a remarkably broad field whose primary goal is to improve the standard of living for all mankind. Some years ago, ASCE coined the slogan that civil engineering is a “people-serving profession.” Civil engineers are the central figures in the design and construction of public works that make modern life possible, such as dams, bridges, buildings, housing, highways, railroads, and water and wastewater systems. The civil engineer is an “applied scientist” who by virtue of his training uses scientific knowledge to design and

Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education

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Fouad, N., & Rizk, T., & Fouad, F. (2005, June), Integrating A Construction Engineering Management Focus In The Civil Engineering Curriculum Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14987