The North Texas construction industry has gotten a boost from a local university — a new bachelor’s degree program in construction management at the University of Texas at Arlington.

The degree is intended to meet the increasing demands in the area for construction workforce.

The university said that the construction management degree is the only one of its type in North Texas, and is approved by the Texas Higher Education Board.

In 2014, UTA announced a master’s of science degree in construction engineering. Both degrees are administered by the Department of Civil Engineering at UTA.

MANY CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COURSES WILL BE ONLINE

The new degree program must meet students where they want to be taught, and that might not be in a conventional classroom, said Ali Abolmaali, chair of the Department of Civil Engineering.

He said most of the courses are being offered online.

“You have to be nimble in reaching students on their terms.”
ALI ABOLMAALI

“You have to be nimble in reaching students on their terms,” Abolmaali said in a release. “I expect some of our students will be working professionals already in the field, but looking to gain that edge in an industry that is demanding many things of managers. We will provide those tools that will enable our construction management graduates to advance up the ladder.”

According to the release, the construction management degree equips students with knowledge of the latest in sustainable building techniques as well as traditional skills such as detailing project budget, scope, construction schedules, and the “ability to satisfy quality, safety, and environmental expectations.”

There are roughly 30,000 construction managers working in Texas, making the state the nation’s highest employment rate in the field. The average annual salary for construction management is $87,400, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Construction managers can earn substantially more, however, as the bureau said construction managers with bachelor’s degrees have earned annual salaries as high as $150,250.

And, there should be plenty of job opportunities in the future.

“The construction industry is exploding in North Texas.”
MONTE THURMOND

According to the release, the demand for construction managers in Texas state is expected to increase by 25.2 percent by 2022.

The North Texas area is the fourth fastest-growing region in the country and is among the top three U.S. metropolitan areas for business expansion, relocation, and employment growth, the release said.

“The construction industry is exploding in North Texas,” Monte Thurmond, executive vice president of AECOM Hunt, said in the release. “We need the construction management professionals necessary to continue efficiently and without delay on our projects. In starting this new degree, UTA is providing just that.”

UT Arlington is one of three North Texas universities to be named a Carnegie Research-1 “highest research activity” institution.

The university is one of the largest educational institutions in the state, with a projected global enrollment of close to 57,000.

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