BS in Construction Management Technology

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Oklahoma State University

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology in Construction Engineering Technology at Oklahoma State University prepares students to manage construction processes, execute architectural and engineering designs, estimate costs, schedule work, and coordinate construction projects. It suits students who want a practical, industry-focused career in construction and offers Building and Heavy/Highway options, combining construction methods, technology, structures, business, estimating, scheduling, and project management.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin with the fundamentals of construction and technical communication through CET 1213 Introduction to Construction, CET 2253 Printreading & BIM, and CET 2263 Estimating I, alongside MATH 2144 Calculus I, ENSC 2113 Statics, and general education coursework. This stage introduces construction materials and methods, construction drawings and BIM, quantity take-offs, and the mathematical and analytical skills needed for later technical courses.

Year 2: Students develop stronger practical construction knowledge through CET 2333 Construction Practices and Procedures, CET 2343 Concrete Technology, and CET 3163 Field Engineering Applications, learning about foundations, framing, structural steel, concrete, construction sequencing, and basic timber structural design. CET 3273 Scheduling Construction Projects then introduces bar charts, critical-path methods, and computer-based scheduling techniques used in construction project management.

Year 3: Students gain substantial professional and field experience through CET 3322 Construction Practicum I and CET 3332 Construction Practicum II, with each practicum requiring at least 400 documented hours of supervised construction experience. They also advance through subjects such as CET 3463 Environmental Building Systems, CET 4263 Estimating II, and CET 4273 Technology in Construction, developing skills in building systems, detailed estimating, construction technology, and computer applications.

Year 4: The final stage brings together technical, managerial, structural, and professional skills through CET 4283 Business Practices for Construction, CET 4293 Construction Manager Concepts, and CET 4443 Construction Safety and Loss Control. Depending on the selected option, students can deepen their expertise through courses such as CET 4553 Structural Steel Design & Connections, CET 4663 Concrete Design & Formwork, CIVE 4711 Basic Soils Testing Laboratory, or CET 4533 Heavy Civil Construction and Estimating, preparing them for increasingly responsible construction roles.

Focus Areas: Building — vertical construction, working drawings, mechanical and electrical building systems, and building construction; Heavy/Highway — highways, soils, foundations, heavy construction, and industrial construction.

Learning Outcomes: Construction engineering problem solving, estimating, planning, scheduling, project management, engineering technology tools, technical communication, testing and measurement, process improvement, teamwork, leadership, and professional and ethical development.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): ABET-accredited — the Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Construction Engineering Technology and Similarly Named Programs.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): 100% job placement — Oklahoma State’s current catalog states that Construction Engineering Technology students participate in two internships connecting classroom learning with real-world field experience and reports a 100% job placement rate for the program.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Construction Management Technology program at Oklahoma State University—now listed by OSU as Construction Engineering Technology (CET)—is strongly practice-oriented, with students developing skills in estimating, scheduling, construction procedures, project management, safety, printreading, and construction technology. Students gain hands-on experience through dedicated construction laboratories, applied coursework, internships, industry competitions, and access to CEAT facilities such as ENDEAVOR, creating opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to realistic construction problems.

Practical opportunities and facilities include:

Construction Laboratory: OSU's 5,926-square-foot Construction Laboratory includes a concrete room, soils room, and classroom, giving students a dedicated environment for hands-on construction and materials learning.
Concrete testing: The Concrete Room is used for making, sampling, and testing concrete, including slump testing, fresh-concrete air-content measurement, and compressive-strength testing with a hydraulic compression machine. Students taking Concrete Technology can also pursue ACI Field Grade 1 certification.
ENDEAVOR: Students have access to ENDEAVOR, CEAT's 72,000-square-foot undergraduate laboratory, which features state-of-the-art technology and an open floor plan designed to support hands-on and interdisciplinary learning.
Construction software and digital tools: The curriculum specifically incorporates Revit through CET 2253 Printreading & Revit, while CET 4293 Construction Manager Concepts covers estimating, scheduling, bidding, CAD, construction management, and current project-management software.
Estimating and scheduling practice: Students develop applied skills through courses including CET 2263 Estimating 1, CET 4263 Estimating 2, and CET 3273 Scheduling, directly addressing core construction-industry activities.
Internships and industry placement: The CET program reports a history of placing students in internships and permanent positions, supported by the CEAT Career Fair, Construction Industry Week networking event, and Spring Construction Career Fair.
Industry competition teams: Students can participate in the Associated Schools of Construction Region 5 Student Competition, where teams work on real-world construction projects involving scheduling, estimating, site utilization, safety, coordination, contract negotiation, quality control, and other project-management tasks within a 16-hour challenge.
Design-build and heavy-civil experience: OSU's competition teams include Commercial, Design-Build, and Heavy-Civil teams, allowing students to apply construction knowledge collaboratively in realistic competitive project settings.
Student organizations and networking: The Construction Management Society supports students interested in construction, while the Construction Specifications Institute provides opportunities for networking with practicing professionals and participation in professional activities.
Industry-experienced faculty: CET faculty bring substantial professional construction experience into teaching; OSU's faculty profile, for example, identifies Paul Christian as having more than 30 years of commercial construction experience across education, healthcare, industrial, and residential markets.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of Oklahoma State University’s Construction Management Technology / current Construction Engineering Technology program are prepared for careers involving construction planning, estimating, scheduling, project coordination, and field operations. The university identifies roles including Project Manager, Estimator, Superintendent, Field Engineer, Project Engineer, and Scheduler, with the current program reporting a 100% job-placement rate.

Typical Career Roles: Project Manager, Estimator, Field Engineer, Construction Superintendent.

Career development and industry connections include:

OSU Career Services: Students can use the HIRE system to search jobs, post resumes, sign up for interviews, and connect with employers; CEAT Career Services also provides assistance with resumes, career development, and salary negotiation.
Construction Career Fairs: OSU holds dedicated Construction Industry Career Fairs where students meet employers recruiting for internships, co-ops, and full-time positions in construction-related fields.
Employment outcomes: The current OSU catalog reports a 100% job-placement rate for the Construction Engineering Technology program, and students complete two internships connecting academic learning with real-world construction experience.
Salary information: OSU's historical CMT placement assessment reported average starting salaries of $41,200 for F03 graduates and $40,600 for S04 graduates; these are historical figures rather than current salary estimates, so they should not be treated as today's starting salary.
Industry engagement: The program maintains connections with construction professionals through industry engagement and an active Advisory Board, with program direction informed by construction-industry needs.
Professional organizations: The Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) provides a major competitive and professional-development connection; OSU students participate in commercial, design-build, and concrete competitions involving construction-company sponsors.
AGC connection: OSU's Associated General Contractors (AGC) Student Chapter provides opportunities to develop alongside current industry leaders, and the chapter has received national recognition in successive years.
Long-term accreditation value: The current BSET in Construction Engineering Technology is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, providing an externally reviewed quality framework for the engineering-technology degree.
Graduation outcomes: OSU's program educational objectives emphasize graduates solving construction-industry problems involving design, estimating, planning, scheduling, and project management, while developing professional communication and technical capabilities.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the bachelor's degree, students can continue into OSU graduate study in areas such as Engineering Management, while students seeking a more construction-focused graduate pathway can also consider OSU's graduate certificate in Construction Project Administration. OSU's current graduate catalog also lists MS programs in Engineering Technology, although the currently listed specializations are Fire Safety and Explosion Protection and Mechatronics and Robotics, rather than a construction-management master's.