Program Website: www.clemson.edu/caah/csm/GRAD/index.htm
Introduction
The Department of Construction Science and Management (CSM) at Clemson University offers a master’s degree program (master of construction science and management, MCSM) and a post-baccalaureate certificate program that provide students with a high level of skill and understanding in the areas of construction project administration and control. The graduate and certificate programs focus on advanced study in the field of business techniques, in new and emerging technologies for construction project delivery systems and in the administration of construction firms. Clemson’s MCSM program is the first of its kind to be formally recognized by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, an international professional body headquartered in the United Kingdom. This honor reflects the caliber of program alumni, faculty, students and staff.
Programs of Study
Both the certificate program and the master’s degree program can be taken either full or part time on the Clemson campus or by distance learning.
MCSM The master’s degree program has both a thesis and nonthesis option. If you have a construction-related undergraduate degree, the thesis and nonthesis options will each require a minimum of 36 semester credit hours of core and elective course work and the successful completion of a comprehensive examination. If you do not have a construction-related undergraduate degree, additional course work will be required, the amount of which will depend on your undergraduate degree and construction experience. Up to 12 semester hours of approved graduate credit can be transferred from other accredited universities.
Certificate If you do not desire to obtain a master’s degree or are not sure about pursuing a degree but want to enhance your construction-related skills and knowledge for career-development purposes, CSM’s graduate certificate program
has been designed for you. The certificate program requires students to take all six of the graduate core courses. If you enroll in the certificate program, you can elect to apply for the CSM graduate program and fulfill the other admission requirements, but you must do so prior to taking the fifth core course.
Student Outcomes
As the largest single industry in the US and one of the most important, construction offers unlimited opportunities to highly motivated and educated young men and women. CSM is the study of theoretical and practical processes utilized in the management of the construction process. With a 95 percent placement rate, Clemson’s CSM undergraduate and graduate programs are the basis for a rewarding career in the various sectors of the construction industry. Graduates find opportunities as estimators, assistant project managers, construction contract representatives and even owners of their own companies.
Research Facilities
The CSM program is headquartered in Lee Hall, which also houses offices, classrooms and studios devoted to programs in art, architecture, planning, design and landscape architecture. CSM laboratories will introduce you to the latest industry-approved computer equipment and construction software for resource control, estimating and scheduling. Also located in Lee Hall, the Gunnin Architecture Library of 28,000 volumes, 80,000 slides, 250 current periodical titles and 500 videotapes contributes greatly to study and research pursuits. The University’s Robert Muldrow Cooper Library houses over 1.7 million volumes, documents and reports. Computing facilities include a campus-wide high-speed network, which provides access to on-campus information, email, student data, the web and other Internet resources. There are hundreds of personal computers available for your use.
Besides utilizing the department’s dedicated space, the master’s degree program extensively utilizes actual project sites and construction company offices as “living laboratories” to conduct its research. The CSM program has also established a Center for the Improvement of Construction Management and Processes to conduct research and professional development courses for the construction industry and plans to construct state-of-the art research facilities to house the center in the near future.
Constructor Guild
The Constructor Guild is the organization that serves as the umbrella for all student chapters of trade and professional associations. Its officers coordinate the major activities of the student chapters and conduct monthly meetings and social events. As a member of the guild, you will have the opportunity to attend many excellent educational programs, field
trips and social events. In addition, you will be eligible to be considered for the wide range of the department’s annual student awards and scholarships, many of which are sponsored by the national trade and professional associations with which the department is affiliated.
Student Group
The CSM department maintains an enrollment of approximately 30 master’s degree students. Seventeen percent of the students are women, 65 percent attend full time and 25 percent are international students. These students come from a variety of academic backgrounds from throughout the world. All of the students have construction-related experience. About 50 percent of the students enrolled in the program complete their studies via distance learning.
Financial Aid
The Department of Construction Science and Management has a limited number of graduate assistantships available to students on a competitive basis. For 2006–07, the stipends were $3,500 for a nine-month period. There are many opportunities, both on and off campus, to acquire part-time work. Students with excellent academic credentials may apply for University scholarships and fellowships through the Clemson University Graduate School.
Admission Requirements
If you are applying to the MCSM program, a bachelor’s degree in construction science, construction management, building construction or a related area is required. If you are from a different discipline, you may be admitted, but may be required to remedy any deficiencies in course work to provide the needed prerequisite skills and knowledge for the graduate program. The minimum admission requirements for the MCSM program
are acceptable scores on the general and writing portions of the GRE, an acceptable GPA in undergraduate work (successful students most often have at least a 3.0 GPA), an acceptable score on the TOEFL (foreign students), one year of experience working for a registered construction company, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts from all undergraduate and/or graduate schools attended and a detailed resume of construction experience.
The minimum admission requirements for the certificate program are a satisfactory GPA for a construction-related undergraduate degree, one year of construction experience with a registered construction company, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts from all undergraduate and/or graduate schools attended and a detailed resume of construction experience.
Applying
To apply, you must have at least one year of acceptable experience working for a construction company and must meet other academic-related admission requirements as listed on the CSM department’s website. You may apply on the web at www.grad.clemson.edu/Admission.php. Applications, with a $65 nonrefundable fee ($75 for international students), should be received no later than May 1 for fall semester and October 1 for spring semester. Every required item in support of your application must be on file by that date.
Location
Clemson is a beautiful college town in upstate South Carolina. The Upstate is one of the country’s fastest-growing areas and is an important part of the I-85 Corridor, a multi-state area along Interstate 85 that runs from the metro Atlanta area (home to nearly five million people) to Richmond, Virginia and encompasses Charlotte, North Carolina (the US’s second-largest financial center) as well as North Carolina’s Research Triangle. Atlanta and Charlotte are each a two-hour’s drive away. Many financial institutions have regional offices located in the Upstate, including Wachovia and Bank of America. Other major industries of commerce in the Upstate include the auto
industry, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Corporations based in or with a major presences in the Upstate include BMW, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Bosch North America, Bowater, Charter Communications, Ernst and Young, Fluor Corporation, IBM, Microsoft, Michelin of North America and others.
The University
Clemson is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as Doctoral/Research University–Extensive, a category comprising less than four percent of all universities in America. The University’s mission is to fulfill the covenant between its founder and the people of South Carolina to establish a “high seminary of learning” through its responsibilities of teaching, research and extended public service.
Cost of Study
Tuition for 2007–08 is $3,641 per semester for in-state students and $7,285 per semester for nonresidents. Graduate assistants pay a flat fee of $950 per semester. Graduate fellows pay South Carolina resident fees.
Faculty
• Dennis Bausman, Assistant Professor; PhD, Heriot-Watt (Scotland). Construction and project management.
• Shima Clarke, Associate Professor; PhD, University of Tennessee. Structures.
• Gregg Corley, Associate Professor; MSCE, Clemson. Construction estimating and information technology.
• Roger Liska, Professor and Graduate Coordinator; MS, Wayne State; EdD, University of Georgia. Construction personnel and productivity improvement.
• Christine Piper, Associate Professor; MCSM, Clemson. Construction and project management.
• Raymond Schneider, Associate Professor and Interim Chair; MBA, LIU. Environmental systems, clean rooms.
• Joseph Wintz, Associate Professor; JD, George Mason University. Construction documents and materials.
For More Information
Dr. Roger Liska
Graduate Coordinator Department of Construction Science and Management
124 Lee Hall
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0507
United States
Telephone: 864-656-0181
Email: riggor@clemson.edu
