Graduate Degrees, page 4
School of Urban and Regional Planning

Master of Construction Management

Curriculum Requirements

Students possessing a bachelor's degree and with sufficient training in capital management and statistics may work toward the Master of Construction Management. This is an interdisciplinary degree program offered jointly by the Department of Civil Engineering and the School of Urban and Regional Planning. A single application is made to the Department of Civil Engineering. The purpose of the Master of Construction Management program is to educate and train multidisciplinary professionals to understand and execute the broad array of technical and non-technical activities associated with construction management. The program provides special attention to the function of the constructor in real estate development.

The core of the program is drawn from the Master of Science in Civil Engineering program in construction engineering and management and from the School of Urban and Regional Planning's Master of Real Estate Development program:

Core CurriculumUnits
ARCH 511LSeminar: Building Systems4
CE 501Functions of the Constructor3
CE 556abProject Cost Estimating, Planning and Scheduling3-3
CE 502Construction Accounting and Finance, or
GSBA 510Accounting Concepts and Financial Reporting, or
ACCT 538Tax and Accounting Issues in Real Estate3
RED 509Market Analysis for Real Estate Development4
RED 542Finance of Real Estate Development4
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At least three elective courses totaling at least 10 units are required for the Master of Construction Management degree. These may be taken from the Department of Civil Engineering, other engineering departments, the School of Urban and Regional Planning, the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, the Law Center or the Graduate School of Business Administration subject to advisor approval. Admission to some classes requires advanced prerequisites and is subject to availability and approval of the instructor.

General Requirements

Residence and Course Load

The normal time required for earning the Master of Construction Management is three semesters, including one summer semester beginning in July and continuing through the spring semester ending in May. Students are expected to participate in extracurricular activities associated with the Master of Construction Management program, including the speaker series and field trips. A candidate must complete the last four semester units of course work at USC.

Students who wish a leave of absence for a semester or longer must request it from the chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering in writing. Such leaves may be granted for up to one year.

Time Limits

It is expected that the work for a Master of Construction Management degree will be completed within a maximum of five calendar years. An extension of up to one year at a time may be granted for a maximum of two years. Courses taken more than seven years prior to the date upon which the degree is to be awarded cannot be included for the degree.

Grade Point Average

A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (A = 4.0) is required for the Master of Construction Management degree. The minimum GPA must be earned on all course work applied toward the degree. A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in a course to receive graduate credit. Work graded C- or below is not acceptable for subject or unit credit toward any graduate degree. Transfer units count as credit toward the Master of Construction Management degree and are not computed in the grade point average.

Probation and Disqualification

Any student with a cumulative grade point average below 3.0 for all courses taken in the program will be placed on academic probation. A student may be disqualified to continue toward a graduate degree if the student has been on academic probation for two consecutive semesters. Whether or not on academic probation or warning, a student may be disqualified at any time from continuing in the program if the chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering, after consultation with the Civil Engineering faculty and the dean of the School of Urban and Regional Planning, determines that the student is deficient in academic achievement or in another qualification required for the attainment of the Master of Construction Management degree.

Course Exemptions and Transfer of Credits

Up to four transferred units will be accepted from another engineering school with the approval of the Department of Civil Engineering.

Real estate development classes may not be transferred from other schools. Courses taken toward other degree programs, if determined by the dean of the School of Urban and Regional Planning to be equivalent to real estate development courses in the construction management curriculum, may be accepted for subject credit only. The acceptance of previous course work for subject credit will enable the student to take additional elective courses. Real estate development courses taken at USC prior to admission to the Master of Construction Management program may be applied toward the Master of Construction Management degree.

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Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
David Henriquez
univpub@stuaff.usc.edu