College of Business • New Castle, DE • Campus, Online, Hybrid • $439/Credit
Wilmington University offers 2 construction management pathways:
- Certificate in Construction Management
- B.S. in Applied Business, Construction Management concentration
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | $8.0K | 1 year (2 semesters) | 18 |
| B.S. | $53.2K | 4 years (8 semesters) | 120 |
Tuition estimates use Wilmington University’s 2026-27 per-credit tuition for New Castle and online courses plus per-semester registration and technology fees; the same rate applies to every U.S. student.
- Why choose it: Wilmington built its construction courses for tradespeople moving into management: Delaware apprenticeship completers can receive up to 42 credits for their work experience, and all 18 certificate credits count toward the B.S. in Applied Business, which Wilmington says puts them halfway to a bachelor’s.
- Trade-off: Both pathways are business credentials with five construction courses and no drafting, engineering, or required internship, so students without field experience get far less construction content than a dedicated construction management degree provides.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | Certificate in Construction Management; B.S. in Applied Business, Construction Management concentration |
| Format | Certificate: New Castle campus or 100% online; B.S.: online and face-to-face courses, most core courses hybrid |
| Campus Location | New Castle, DE (certificate) |
| Credit Hours | 18 (certificate); 120 (B.S.) |
| Internship | None required; optional two-semester, 6-credit co-op |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated for construction |
| Software Taught | Excel (CTA 326, B.S.); construction software not named |
| Industry Certifications | None embedded |
| Prior Learning Credit | Up to 42 credits for a completed Delaware apprenticeship |
| Tuition | $439 per credit plus $60 per semester in fees (2026-27) |
| Course Length | Seven-week courses |
Certificate in Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the Certificate in Construction Management at Wilmington University is approximately $8,022 (18 credits at $439/credit, plus $120 in fees for two semesters).
The program can generally be completed in about 1 year (2 semesters).
The Certificate in Construction Management is an undergraduate credential for “construction tradespeople and workers who have completed an apprenticeship or have related construction experience,” per Wilmington. Duration is derived from 18 credits at 9 credits per semester.
Certificate Curriculum
- BBM 105 Introduction to Construction Management
- BBM 371 Employee Relations for Construction Managers
- BBM 372 Construction Accounting and Financial Management
- BBM 373 Construction Site Safety
- BBM 374 Law and Regulation in Construction Management
- BBM 375 Construction Project Management (estimating, quantity takeoffs, scheduling, and cost control; requires BBM 371-374)
All six courses are management courses; none covers drafting, building systems, or structures. BBM 375 combines estimating and scheduling in one course, so the certificate gives a working overview of project controls rather than separate estimating and scheduling courses. It suits students who already know how buildings go together from the trades.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Students with a construction management apprenticeship, or industry experience approved in advance by the program chair, do not take BBM 105, but the certificate still requires 18 credits.
- Wilmington accepts up to 6 transfer credits toward the certificate.
- No course description names an OSHA card or construction software.
Certificate Internship and Field Experience
- Required: No internship or co-op is part of the certificate.
- Intended students: Wilmington designed the certificate for people who already have apprenticeship or field experience.
The certificate assumes field experience instead of providing it. Students without construction work behind them would finish with management coursework but no site exposure, which limits its value as a first credential.
Certificate Admissions
Wilmington lists no formal admission requirements beyond its target audience of tradespeople and construction workers.
- Prerequisites: BBM 373 requires BBM 105, an apprenticeship, or program chair approval; BBM 375 requires the four other 300-level courses.
- Delivery: offered at New Castle and fully online, per Wilmington’s certificate page.
B.S. in Applied Business, Construction Management Concentration
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Applied Business with a Construction Management concentration at Wilmington University is approximately $53,160 (120 credits at $439/credit, plus $480 in fees over eight semesters).
The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (8 semesters).
The B.S. in Applied Business lets students fold prior college credit, work experience, and military training into a 120-credit business degree. Duration is derived from 120 credits at 15 credits per semester, before any prior learning credit.
B.S. Curriculum
The degree is mostly business and general education, with the five 300-level construction courses as the concentration.
- General education (13 requirements, 39 credits): ENG 121, ENG 122, ENG 131 Public Speaking, ENG 310 Research Writing, two humanities electives, ECO 105, PSY 101 or SOC 101, MAT 205 Introductory Survey of Mathematics, a natural science elective, CTA 326 Excel for business problem solving, PHI 100, and HIS 381.
- Business core (7 courses, 21 credits): Intro to Business Analytics, Principles of Management, Organizational Behavior, Business Communications, Strategic Management, Marketing, and MAT 312 Business Statistics.
- Applied business core: BLA 303 Legal and Ethical Environment of Business, FIN 300 Applied Concepts in Accounting and Finance, and FYE 101 or a free elective (9 credits).
- Construction Management concentration (5 courses, 15 credits): BBM 371 Employee Relations, BBM 372 Construction Accounting and Financial Management, BBM 373 Construction Site Safety, BBM 374 Law and Regulation, and BBM 375 Construction Project Management.
- Electives: the concentration fills 15 of 21 upper-level business elective credits, leaving 6, plus 30 credits of free electives, where apprenticeship and prior learning credit can apply.
Five of the 40 courses in the degree are about construction. The large free-elective block is what makes the degree practical for tradespeople, since apprenticeship and prior credit can fill it, but students looking for estimating, scheduling, and building-systems depth will find one combined estimating and scheduling course. The math requirement is a survey course and business statistics, with no college algebra.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- A grade of C or better is required in all program core courses.
- The catalog lists seven upper-level business elective slots but also says students “may take 20 Business Electives”; confirm the count with an advisor.
- Students with an accredited associate degree can enter a 45-credit Applied Business completion track.
- Wilmington does not publish how apprenticeship credit is evaluated or which Delaware apprenticeships qualify.
B.S. Internship and Field Experience
- Required: No.
- Optional co-op: two consecutive semesters for 6 credits of program chair-approved electives, after 60 credits with at least a 2.5 GPA.
- Hours, pay, and employer partners: Not clearly stated.
Students coming from the trades bring their field experience with them, and Wilmington credits it. Students without that background should take the optional co-op, since the degree itself includes no site work.
B.S. Admissions
Delaware Tech graduates have a published route into this degree.
- Delaware Tech: Wilmington’s June 2025 Delaware Tech pathways document maps the Delaware Tech Construction Management A.A.S. to this degree and concentration, with guaranteed admission for 2025-26; it does not state how many credits transfer.
- Associate degree holders: the 45-credit completion track requires a conferred associate degree from an accredited school.
- Apprentices: up to 42 credits for a completed Delaware apprenticeship, per Wilmington.
Tuition
Wilmington charges $439 per credit for courses at its Brandywine and New Castle locations and online in 2026-27, with no in-state or out-of-state difference. Fees are $30 for registration and $30 for technology each semester.
| Item (2026-27) | Certificate | B.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Credits | 18 | 120 |
| Tuition at $439/credit | $7,902 | $52,680 |
| Registration and technology fees ($60/semester) | $120 (2 semesters) | $480 (8 semesters) |
| Total | $8,022 | $53,160 |
- With apprenticeship credit: a student awarded the full 42 credits would pay tuition on 78 credits, about $34,242 plus fees, or about $34,602 with six semesters of fees (derived).
- Dover rate: Wilmington’s Dover location charges $380 per credit, but Wilmington lists only New Castle and online for the certificate.
Be aware that:
- Wilmington does not say whether it charges a fee to evaluate apprenticeship or prior learning credit.
- A $35 application fee and a $150 graduation fee apply.
- Semester counts for the fee estimates are derived; studying part time over more semesters adds $60 for each extra semester.
- Active-duty service members pay $250 per credit.
At about $53,200 for 120 credits, the B.S. is priced the same for Delaware residents and out-of-state students, and the apprenticeship credit can cut it to about $34,600 with fees. The certificate, at about $8,000, is the low-cost way to test the coursework, since every credit carries into the bachelor’s. See Wilmington’s 2026-27 tuition and fees.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for journeyworkers and experienced tradespeople in Delaware who want a supervisory credential on a part-time, seven-week schedule.
Cost for apprentices: With 42 apprenticeship credits and the 18-credit certificate, Wilmington says a tradesperson reaches 60 of 120 bachelor’s credits. That makes the B.S. a shorter and cheaper path than starting a four-year degree from zero.
Compared with other Delaware options: The University of Delaware’s ABET-accredited degree and Delaware Tech’s A.A.S. teach construction as a technical field, with drafting, surveying, or engineering courses and a required co-op. Wilmington teaches it as a business specialty, which fits students who already have the technical side from the trades.
Who should look elsewhere: Students new to construction, or those who want detailed estimating, scheduling, and building-systems training, will get more from a dedicated construction management or construction engineering program.
Accreditation and Credentials
Wilmington University is a private nonprofit university accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer.
Wilmington’s College of Business says it holds IACBE accreditation for its business programs but directs readers to IACBE’s member status page for the program list, which was not checked. Neither construction pathway lists ACCE or ABET accreditation, and neither is designed to.
The pathways embed no industry certifications. Their value is a business credential that recognizes apprenticeship training, which can support a move from the trades into supervision.