Construction Science and Management, PhD

Program Description

The Construction Science and Management PhD degree prepares students for scholarly research to advance the body of knowledge in construction science and management and prepare them for careers in academia, the construction industry, and government. The program is built to provide a sound body of knowledge but provide flexibility for students to customize the curriculum to fit their research needs.

Summary of Degree Requirements

The Construction Science and Management PhD requires a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree or 30 credit hours beyond the master’s degree (MCSM or equivalent construction science and management master’s program). This must include 18 credit hours of CSM 9910  (dissertation research) in order to prepare and defend a dissertation acceptable to the advisory committee and the Graduate School.

Additional requirements include a comprehensive examination and a dissertation defense. The PhD comprehensive examination is administered after all coursework has been completed and the dissertation proposal is ready for approval by the student’s graduate committee. The examination consists of two parts: (1) a written and/or oral examination by the advisory committee on the student’s preparation to complete the proposed research; and (2) a presentation of the proposed research. The written and/or oral examination may include consideration of graduate coursework, preliminary research and/or other demonstration of the student’s ability to conduct the proposed research. After passing this examination, the student is officially admitted to candidacy for the PhD degree.

Coursework

Students are required to take a minimum of 12 credit hours of approved coursework. Students must also complete 18 credit hours of CSM 9910 (Dissertation Research).

Beyond these course requirements, the curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of each student’s research and learning objectives and approved by the student’s advisory committee. Courses students select from include:

• CSM (ARCH) 8330 - Fundamentals of Integrated Project Delivery Systems 3 Credits  
• CSM (ARCH) 8340 - Team Building, Communication and Collaboration for Integrated Project Delivery Systems 3 Credits  
• CSM (ARCH) 8350 - Integrated Project Delivery Case Studies 3 Credits  
• CSM (ARCH) 8360 - Managing Integrated Project Delivery 3 Credits  
• CSM 8520 - Construction Management Research 3 Credits  
• CSM 8600 - Construction Financial Planning and Analysis 3 Credits  
• CSM 8610 - Construction Control Through CII Best Practices 3 Credits  
• CSM 8620 - The Human Side of Construction 3 Credits  
• CSM 8630 - Advanced Planning and Scheduling 3 Credits  
• CSM 8640 - Construction Business Strategy and Marketing 3 Credits  
• CSM 8650 - Project Management 3 Credits  
• CSM 8660 - Contractor Role in Development 3 Credits  
• CSM 8670 - Green Building Delivery 3 Credits  
• CSM 8680 - Emerging Technologies in the Built Environment 3 Credits  
• CSM 8690 - Applied Applications of Unmanned Aircraft Systems 3 Credits  

Other courses may be approved by the student’s advisory committee.

Outcomes, Learning Objectives, and Graduation Requirements

The candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree must pass a final oral examination (dissertation defense). The examination consists of a presentation of the student’s doctoral research and an assessment by the committee of the research approach, the significance of the findings, and the contribution to the advancement of the construction science and management profession.