Construction Engineering Technology: Heavy, BSET

The Construction Engineering Technology: Heavy, BSET at Oklahoma State University is strongly practice-oriented, combining construction technology coursework with hands-on laboratory activities, field engineering, construction practicums, estimating, scheduling, site development, and heavy civil construction. Students gain direct experience in OSU’s dedicated Construction Laboratory, including concrete and soils facilities, while ENDEAVOR, CEAT’s 72,000-square-foot undergraduate laboratory, provides an additional environment for interdisciplinary, hands-on learning; the program also highlights industry-experienced faculty and guaranteed internships.

Students develop practical construction skills through:

• Construction Laboratory: The 5,926-square-foot Construction Laboratory contains dedicated concrete and soils rooms and a classroom, giving students a setting for hands-on construction learning and testing.
• Concrete testing: Students work with concrete production and testing techniques, including slump testing, fresh-concrete air-content measurement, and hydraulic compression testing of hardened concrete. Students taking Concrete Technology can also work toward ACI Field Grade 1 certification.
• Soils and site work: CET 3432 – Principles of Site Development covers site layout, surveying instrument adjustments, site investigations, excavation, drainage, and geotechnical considerations, providing direct relevance to heavy construction projects.
• Construction practicums: CET 3322 – Construction Practicum I and CET 3332 – Construction Practicum II give students structured opportunities to apply construction knowledge in practical settings.
• Industry internships: OSU states that CET students obtain guaranteed internships, providing an opportunity to gain professional experience alongside their academic preparation.
• Heavy civil construction: CET 4533 – Heavy Civil Construction and Estimating applies contractor estimating and bidding procedures specifically to heavy and highway construction projects.
• Scheduling and project management: CET 3273 – Scheduling Construction Projects, CET 4283 – Business Practices for Construction, and CET 4293 – Construction Manager Concepts develop practical skills in planning, business operations, and construction management.
• BIM and digital construction tools: CET 2253 – Printreading & BIM introduces Building Information Modeling, while the curriculum also offers CET 4133 – CAD and BIM for Construction Managers as an elective.
• Structural and materials laboratories: CET 4553 – Structural Steel Design & Connections includes laboratory work involving steel beams, columns, bolted and welded connections, while related options include CIVE 3623 – Engineering Materials Laboratory.
• ENDEAVOR: CEAT’s 72,000-square-foot undergraduate laboratory features state-of-the-art technology and an open floor plan designed to support hands-on, interdisciplinary learning.
• Construction technology and competition opportunities: The CET department also provides students with opportunities through competition teams, alongside its construction-focused facilities and industry connections. 

The Construction Engineering Technology: Heavy, BSET prepares graduates for careers focused on heavy/highway and industrial construction, with OSU identifying roles such as project manager, estimator, superintendent, field engineer, project engineer, and scheduler. The program includes two required 400-hour internships, and OSU reports a 100% job-placement rate for CET students, giving graduates substantial opportunities to connect classroom learning with construction-industry experience.

Career opportunities: Project Manager, Estimator, Superintendent, Field Engineer.

• University career services: OSU Career Services connects CET students with employers through the HIRE system, where employers can post positions, review resumes, contact students and arrange interviews. CET students also have access to the CEAT Career Fair, fall Construction Industry Week networking, and a spring Construction Career Fair; OSU’s 2026 Construction Industry Career Fair specifically brings employers seeking full-time employees, interns and co-op students.
• Employment statistics: OSU’s current CET program page reports 100% job placement, while the university’s CEAT career document reports starting average salaries for CET graduates of $61,400 in 2022, $61,400 in 2023, and $68,178 in 2024.
• Industry partnerships: OSU’s CET program maintains an active industry Advisory Board and collaborates with construction professionals and industry associations to keep the curriculum aligned with industry needs. A documented industry relationship is Manhattan Construction Company, which has partnered with the CET program, recruits OSU interns, and has hired interns as permanent employees; OSU also works with construction-company sponsors through Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) competitions.
• Professional accreditation: The BSET in Construction Engineering Technology is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET under the applicable Construction Engineering Technology criteria. This provides an established external quality framework for the engineering technology curriculum and can remain relevant to professional development throughout a graduate’s career.
• Graduation outcomes: OSU’s stated graduate objectives include applying mathematical, analytical and scientific engineering-technology skills to design, estimating, planning, scheduling and project management, while also developing leadership, teamwork, communication and continuing professional growth. The university reports that CET graduates have progressed into responsible industry positions including company executives, project managers, estimators, material and equipment sales roles, and construction managers.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BSET, students can continue into graduate-level study at Oklahoma State University, including the Master of Science in Engineering Technology. OSU also offers graduate certificates in areas such as Construction Project Administration, Engineering Management, and Supply Chain and Logistics, while students seeking a research-intensive engineering pathway can explore OSU’s graduate programs in fields including Civil Engineering.