BSU construction management MBA to be delivered online

Obtaining a construction management master’s degree for the working adult is one way to advance professionally, even for those who aren’t wearing hardhats.

But building time for traditional classroom study into a busy schedule can be a challenge, so Boise State University has a solution: an online Master of Business Administration program with an emphasis in construction management, which will launch this fall.

While the focus is on architects, engineers and current construction managers, those who might also profit from the MBA are working in human resources, accounting, law and marketing and “want to be ahead of the industry curve,” said Casey Cline, department chairman in the College of Engineering.

“You’ll have accountants who’ve gone to work for general contractors, but they don’t necessarily understand the construction side of things,” said Cline of the program, which is being marketed by the College of Business and Economics.

“This program allows those in a different sector to better understand the terminologies, and get that ‘big picture’ perspective specific to the industry,” said Cline, adding that the online program in construction management is one of a handful being offered in the U.S.

Since there are very few online MBA programs in the U.S. with this emphasis, the program is looking for participants from out of the area.

“When I investigated, I found four (with a similar focus) in the U.S,” said Cline of the MBA, which can be earned in as few as 12 months. “With this emphasis, we focus on the increasingly integrated nature of the construction industry. We’re helping to prepare students to lead in a changing landscape where technology, people and business are more important than ever.”

With all coursework online and multiple start dates per year, the program offers the same level of education that is found on campus. To ensure that the curriculum remains current and industry-relevant, the College of Engineering maintains close relationships with a variety of construction firms, many of them led by BSU alums.

It’s a high-demand field, said Cline of the bachelor of science program in the discipline, which graduates 30 to 40 students a year.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a need for 44,800 construction managers by 2026. Because few universities offer architecture, engineering and construction management in their MBA curriculum, graduates from the online MBA in construction management could have that extra edge, said Cline.

“The recorded online courses are instructor-led and designed. But it’s not just watching videos and taking a test,” said Cline. “There are interactive functions with the professors and other students.”

Tuition of $36,750 for the 49 credit-hour MBA includes all eTextbooks required for the program. Financial aid and scholarships are available for those who qualify.

Across the country, business schools are taking more of their learning online. In the past five years, the number of accredited business schools offering online MBA programs has increased by 69%, from 97 to 164 schools, according to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.