CONMGT:MS - Master of Science in Construction Management

College Policies

Non-Degree Seeking Students

In exceptional cases, students wishing to enroll in courses during the application process may do so as a non-degree seeking student. No more than 12 semester credits of work taken as a non-degree seeking student can be applied towards graduation. No courses with a grade lower than a “B”, earned as a non-degree seeking student, will be included in the Masters program upon admission. Students taking courses under the non-degree seeking student designation should consult other sections of this catalog in Policies and Processes for pertinent regulations covering the non-degree seeking student status.

Grades

The Moss Department of Construction Management requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in all courses taken towards a masters degree. The minimum acceptable grade for any work attempted as a graduate student is a “C.”

Grade of Incomplete

Please refer to the University Policy on Incomplete Grades. (https://policies.fiu.edu/files/767.pdf)

Graduation

In order to be eligible to graduate the student must have successfully completed his/her plan of study as established with the student’s graduate advisor, his/her supervisory committee (if applicable), and the Department Chair. This includes completion of all applicable graduate course work with an overall minimum grade point average of 3.0. A student choosing the thesis option must also have submitted a complete masters thesis, whose format, content, and presentation must be acceptable to and approved by his/her graduate advisor, supervisory committee, Department Chair, College Dean, and the Dean of the University Graduate School.

Students should contact an advisor at least one semester prior to their projected graduation and request a review of their file. At the start of the final semester the student is required to complete an Application for Graduation (online application). If for any reason a student fails to graduate in the semester after applying for graduation, the student must reapply for graduation and enroll for at least one graduate credit.

It is the student’s responsibility to ascertain that all requirements for graduation, as stated in the University Catalog and in the Department Program sheets, have been met.

Curriculum

Students seeking to obtain a Master of Science in Construction Management have a choice of either a thesis or a non-thesis option. Students have to complete 30-36 semester hours including thesis.  Students with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Construction Management, Construction Science, or Construction Engineering must complete at least 30 semester hours to graduate. Students with a BS degree in Engineering or a BA degree in Architecture must complete at least 33 semester hours to graduate. All other students with undergraduate degrees in disciplines such as business, accounting, finance, etc. must complete at least 36 semester hours to graduate. The thesis option consists of a minimum of 24-30 semester hours of course work and 6 semester hours of thesis. The non-thesis option consists of 30-36 semester hours of course work and may include up to 6 semester hours of independent studies. A student shall not register for masters thesis without first having received the approval from his/her thesis supervisor and the Chair of the Department. A student may not register for independent studies without the approval of his/her advisor, and the Chair of the Department.

Admissions Requirements for the Master of Science (MS) in Construction Management

In order to be admitted, applicants should hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction, Construction Management, Architecture, Engineering, Business or equivalent related fields. Students with baccalaureate degrees other than Construction Science, Construction Management, or Construction Engineering may be accepted with the understanding that they will be required to take specified basic undergraduate courses as determined by the Graduate Program Director, to provide an adequate background for more advanced courses. In addition, applicants must have earned a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the upper division course work related to their undergraduate degree.

Eligibility for admission for those students whose upper division undergraduate GPA is less than 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) may be evaluated on the basis of one or more of the following:

--GRE or GMAT scores

--Letters of reference

--Work experience

--Other relevant factors, including but not limited to, awards, recognitions, published journal articles, conference presentations, etc.

Applicants who do not satisfy the GPA requirement will be evaluated by the Department’s Graduate Program Director based on the factors identified earlier, and may be recommended for admission on a provisional/conditional status.

TOEFL

In addition to the above criteria, international graduate student applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a score for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  A total score of 80 on the iBT TOEFL or 6.5 overall on the IELTS is required.

Admissions Requirements for the Combined Bachelor of Science (BS) in Construction Management to MS in Construction Management Accelerated Degree Pathway

Students who pursue a BS degree in Construction Management, completed 75 credits and have an overall GPA of at least a 3.2 GPA may apply to enroll in the combined BS/MS pathway in Construction Management upon recommendation from the undergraduate advisor. Students should complete all lower division courses to be considered for this degree pathway. The student must also meet the admission criteria for the graduate degree program and the University Graduate School. Students need only apply once to the combined degree pathway, but the application must be submitted to Graduate Admissions before the student starts the last 30 credits of the bachelor’s degree program.

Students interested in the pathway should consult with the Undergraduate Advisor on their eligibility for admission. The students should also meet the Graduate Program Director to learn about the graduate program and available courses before completing the application form online.

Other Curricular Offering: Combined BS in Construction Management to MS in Construction Management Accelerated Degree Pathway

A student admitted to the combined degree pathway will be considered to have undergraduate status until the student applies for graduation from their bachelor’s degree program. Upon conferral of the bachelor’s degree, the student will be granted graduate status and be eligible for graduate assistantships.

Students enrolled in the pathway may count up to nine credit hours of BCN graduate courses towards the electives of the BS degree. A minimum grade of B is required for all graduate courses counted for both the BS and MS degrees. Only graduate courses with formal lectures can be counted for both degrees. The students are responsible for confirming the eligibility of each course with the Undergraduate Advisor.

The combined BS/MS pathway has been designed to be a continuous program. However, upon completion of all the requirements of the undergraduate program, students will receive their BS degrees. Students in this pathway have up to one year to complete the master’s degree after receipt of the bachelor’s degree. Students who fail to meet this one year post BS requirement or who elect to leave the combined pathway at any time and earn only the BS degree will have the same access requirements to regular graduate programs as any other student, but will not be able to use the nine credits in both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Admissions Requirements for the MS in Construction Management and Juris Doctor Joint Degree Pathway

Candidates for the pathway must meet the entrance requirements for and be accepted by both Colleges. Both Colleges must be informed by the student at the time of application to the second program that the student intends to pursue the dual degree. The joint degree pathway is not open to students who have already earned one degree.

Other Curricular Offering: MS in Construction Management and Juris Doctor Joint Degree Pathway

Florida International University (College of Engineering and Computing and College of Law) offers a joint degree pathway culminating in both a Juris Doctor degree, awarded by the College of Law, and a Master of Science in Construction Management (MSCM) degree, awarded by the College of Engineering and Computing.

Under this joint degree pathway, a student can obtain expertise in both fields (construction and law) in significantly less time than it would take to obtain both degrees if pursued consecutively.

Essential criteria relating to this joint degree pathway are as follows.

(1) For law students, enrollment in the MSCM program is required no later than the completion of 63 credit hours in the J.D. program. For MSCM students, enrollment in the J.D. program is required no later than the end of the first semester after beginning the MSCM program. (A summer session is counted as a full semester.)

(2) The College of Engineering and Computing will allow 9 credit hours of law courses to be credited toward both the MSCM and J.D. degrees. These [9] credit hours of law classes will be in lieu of the three elective courses required for the MSCM degree. Foundation courses must be completed as required and explained in the catalog and cannot be substituted with any College of Law courses. The students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in each of the three law courses for inclusion in their MSCM degree program. Reciprocally, law students may receive 9 hours of credit toward the satisfaction of the J.D. degree for courses taken in the MSCM curriculum upon completion of the MSCM degree curriculum with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. These 9 credit hours of construction management courses will be in lieu of electives required for the J.D.

(3) A student enrolled in the joint degree pathway may begin the student's studies in either College, but full-time law students must take the first two semesters of law study consecutively and part-time law students must take the first three semesters of law study consecutively. Students enrolled in the MSCM program must be enrolled at least in one course in any given semester during his/her entire course of study. Students admitted to one College but electing to begin study in the other College under the joint degree pathway may enter the second College thereafter without once again qualifying for admission so long as they have notified the second College before the end of the first week of the first semester in the second College and are in good academic standing when studies commence in the second College.

(4) A student enrolled in the joint degree pathway can receive either degree if the student has satisfied all of the requirements for that degree.

There are no majors associated with this program.