Construction Trades Program, Mesa Community College • Mesa, AZ • Hybrid • $97/Credit (In-State, plus $15/semester registration)
Maricopa Community Colleges offers 2 construction management pathways:
- A.A.S. in Construction Management (two specializations)
- Certificate of Completion: Construction Management
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.A.S. | $6.0K-$7.3K in-state / $22.8K-$28.0K out-of-state | 2 years (4 semesters) | 61-75 |
| Certificate | $2.0K-$2.8K in-state / $7.5K-$10.8K out-of-state | 1 year (2 semesters) | 20-29 |
Tuition estimates use Maricopa’s 2026-27 lower-division per-credit rate plus the $15 per-semester registration fee.
- Why choose it: One A.A.S. splits into two published tracks: a management track with Cost Estimating, and an ASU transfer track built around Plane Trigonometry, General Physics I, and Applied Statics.
- Trade-off: The ASU transfer track drops CON181 Cost Estimating from its sequence, and Maricopa publishes no internship, no named employer partners, and no transfer guarantee for this degree.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | A.A.S. (Specialization I or II); Certificate of Completion |
| Format | Hybrid: in-person, hybrid, live-online, and online sections mixed by course |
| Campus Location | Mesa (Southern and Dobson Campus); A.A.S. also listed at Glendale, which showed no CON sections for fall 2026 |
| Credit Hours | A.A.S. 61-75 on pathway maps (60-85 published); certificate 20-29 |
| Internship | None in either pathway map |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated; not on ACCE associate list (Rev. 2025.03.20) |
| Industry Certifications | OSHA 30 coverage; LEED Green Associate exam prep claimed |
| Transfer Pathway | Specialization II mapped to ASU B.S. Construction Management and Technology; no guarantee stated |
| Tuition | $97/credit in-county; $372 out-of-state residing in Arizona |
A.A.S. in Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the A.A.S. at Maricopa Community Colleges is approximately $5,977-$7,335 (61-75 credits at $97/credit, plus four $15 registration fees). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (4 semesters).
The Associate in Applied Science in Construction Management (plan 3502) is a district degree listed at Mesa and Glendale. Glendale’s fall 2026 schedule showed no CON sections, so plan on taking construction courses at Mesa. Duration is derived from the four-term pathway maps.
A.A.S. Curriculum
Both specializations share a construction core. They split on math, science, estimating, and statics.
Shared construction core
- CON100 Introduction to Construction (2) and CON101 Construction and Culture (3, counts as humanities)
- CON244 Blueprint Reading and CON251 Microcomputers for Constructors
- CON252 Building Construction Methods and CON243 Heavy Construction Equipment, Methods, and Materials
- CON262 International Residential Code and CON263 Building Codes
- CON223 Strength of Materials and CON273 Electrical Construction Fundamentals
- CON271 Construction Safety (OSHA 30 content)
Specialization I: Construction Management
- GTC107-108 Technical Mathematics (or any approved math course)
- CON181 Cost Estimating
- CON220 Statics Application for Construction (no prerequisites) or CON221
- One of: MS Project scheduling (CIS224), Surveying, Management and Leadership I, or Owning a Small Business
- CON106 Foundations of Concrete recommended as the 4-credit lab science
Specialization II: ASU Transfer
- College Algebra or Precalculus, then MAT182 Plane Trigonometry
- PHY111 General Physics I (4)
- CON221 Applied Statics (requires trig and PHY111) and CON241 Surveying
- ECN211 and ECN212, both required by ASU’s B.S. program
- COM225 Public Speaking and a humanities course carrying the cultural diversity tag
The shared core leans technical. Of 11 shared construction courses, 4 cover methods, structures, and electrical systems, 2 cover codes, and only CON100 and CON251 touch project delivery and software. Specialization I adds the program’s only estimating course. Specialization II replaces it with physics and trigonometry. No required course covers scheduling, contracts, or construction law, although the program description names estimating, contracts, and ethics. Scheduling appears only as the optional CIS224 slot.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Specialization II sequences list no CON181 Cost Estimating. ASU transfer students would take estimating after transfer.
- Pathway-map totals run 61-69 credits (Specialization I) and 61-75 (Specialization II). The published plan range is 60-85.
- CON221 requires C or better in College Algebra, trigonometry or precalculus, and PHY111. Specialization I students who want ASU later should choose CON221 over CON220.
- Maricopa recommends MAT206 Statistics plus the ECN and HU/C electives to reach junior standing at ASU.
A.A.S. Internship and Field Experience
- No internship, co-op, or capstone appears in either specialization.
- No employer partners or placement support are published for this degree.
- Mesa schedules many CON sections in late afternoon or evening (4:25 PM and 7:10 PM starts in the 2026-27 schedule).
Field experience is left to the student. The evening schedule suits people already working in construction, who can apply coursework on the job. Career changers without site work will finish with codes, methods, and structures coursework but no documented field hours.
A.A.S. Admissions
Admission is open. Math placement sets the starting point, which matters most for Specialization II.
- Grade of C or better required in every program course.
- FYE101 or FYE103 may be required within the first two semesters.
- Course placement uses district measures or prior 100-200 level coursework.
Certificate of Completion: Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the certificate at Maricopa Community Colleges is approximately $1,970-$2,843 (20-29 credits at $97/credit, plus two $15 registration fees). The program can generally be completed in about 1 year (2 semesters).
The Certificate of Completion in Construction Trades: Construction Management (plan 5595) is offered at Mesa only. Maricopa describes it as an entry pathway into the A.A.S.
Certificate Curriculum
- CON100 Introduction to Construction (2)
- CON251 Microcomputers for Constructors (3)
- CON181 Cost Estimating (3)
- CON244 Blueprint Reading and CON252 Building Construction Methods (3 each)
- MGT229 Management and Leadership I (3)
- CON271 Construction Safety (0-3; waivable with OSHA 30)
- Math: GTC108, College Algebra, or Precalculus (3-6), plus MAT182 if College Algebra is taken (0-3)
The certificate is more management-weighted than the degree core. It includes estimating and a leadership course, and each course also appears in the Specialization I map, as a requirement or an option. That overlap makes it a clean first step for working tradespeople.
You Should Know
- GTC108 requires GTC107, which is not part of the certificate. Students on the technical-math route may need 3 extra credits.
- The 2023 Mesa trades certificates (carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVACR) are separate 30-credit programs, not this certificate.
Certificate Internship and Field Experience
- No internship or field component is listed.
The certificate is classroom-only. It fits people already on a crew who want estimating and supervisory basics.
Certificate Admissions
- Open admission; same C-or-better rule and placement process as the A.A.S.
- Students holding OSHA 30 may have CON271 waived, cutting 3 credits.
Tuition
Maricopa charges $97 per credit for in-county students, plus a $15 registration fee each semester. Residents of every Arizona county except Apache and Greenlee pay the in-county rate.
| Residency | Per Credit | A.A.S. (61-75 cr) | Certificate (20-29 cr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-county (most Arizona residents) | $97 | $5,977-$7,335 | $1,970-$2,843 |
| Out-of-state, residing in Arizona | $372 | $22,752-$27,960 | $7,470-$10,818 |
| Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) | $145.50 | $8,936-$10,973 | $2,940-$4,250 |
Totals include $15 per semester (4 semesters for the A.A.S., 2 for the certificate). Full rates are on Maricopa’s tuition and fees page.
Be aware that:
- Course fees vary by section. Examples at Mesa for spring 2027: $15 for CON101 and CON181, $60 for CON106 Foundations of Concrete.
- Required materials can be costly. Mesa lists a $231.75 estimating course packet for CON181 and two concrete texts totaling $446 for CON106.
- Out-of-state students taking only online classes pay $253 per credit, but this degree includes in-person and lab courses.
- Apache and Greenlee county residents without an Out-of-County Residence Affidavit pay $546 per credit.
- Rates are for 2026-27 and are subject to change without notice.
For most Arizona residents, the A.A.S. runs about $6,000-$7,300 in tuition and registration fees. Books and per-section course fees add several hundred dollars more. The rate gap between Specialization I and II comes only from extra math and science credits.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for Phoenix-area students who already know whether they plan to stop at two years or continue to ASU.
Students heading to ASU: Specialization II front-loads the trigonometry, physics, statics, and economics that ASU’s B.S. in Construction Management and Technology expects. Maricopa frames it as preparation for junior standing, not a guaranteed admission pathway. Students should confirm requirements with ASU before relying on the map. Compared with the University of Arizona’s civil engineering B.S., this is a management-track route at community college rates.
Working tradespeople: Specialization I or the certificate offers estimating, codes, and a statics course without trig prerequisites. Many Mesa sections meet late afternoon, evening, or online. An OSHA 30 card can waive the certificate’s safety course.
Students who need field experience: Neither pathway requires an internship, and Maricopa names no employer partners. Students without site experience should arrange their own summer work.
Accreditation and Credentials
Mesa Community College and Glendale Community College are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Institutional accreditation supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer to Arizona universities.
No programmatic accreditation is listed for the A.A.S. or the certificate. Maricopa is not on ACCE’s associate degree program list (Rev. 2025.03.20). Most two-year construction programs are not ACCE-accredited.
The degree description states that the curriculum covers OSHA 30 safety content and prepares students for the LEED Green Associate exam. No course in either pathway map is labeled as LEED preparation. Maricopa does not claim the degree counts toward Arizona Registrar of Contractors licensing experience.