Private Christian University • Sioux Center, IA • Campus • $38,400/Year Tuition
Dordt University offers 2 construction management pathways:
- B.A. in Construction Management
- B.A. in Business Administration: Construction Management Concentration
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.A. in CM | $156.2K | 4 years (8 semesters) | 124 |
| Business: CM | $156.2K | 4 years (8 semesters) | 124 |
Tuition estimates use Dordt University’s 2026-27 flat full-time tuition plus the required student fee, the same for all students.
- Why choose it: Dordt’s B.A. in Construction Management mixes engineering foundations, including soil mechanics and foundation design, with estimating, project management, and risk management, inside a Christian liberal arts degree in northwest Iowa.
- Trade-off: The program isn’t ACCE-accredited, several construction courses run only every other spring, and the internship is an elective rather than a requirement.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | B.A. in Construction Management; B.A. in Business Administration (Construction Management concentration); CM minor |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Location | Sioux Center |
| Credit Hours | 124 (degree minimum) |
| Internship | Elective: CM 371-373 (1-3 credits) after two years of CM courses |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None; not on ACCE’s bachelor’s list (Rev. 2024.03.13) |
| Math | Calculus I in practice (corequisite of Engineering 115) |
| Course Scheduling | Materials, safety, mechanical systems, estimating, and risk courses offered in alternating springs |
| Tuition | $38,400/year plus $650 student fee, same for all students |
B.A. in Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the B.A. in Construction Management at Dordt University is approximately $156,200 (4 years at $39,050/year). The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (8 semesters).
The Construction Management major prepares students for project manager, site supervisor, and estimator roles.
B.A. Curriculum
- Management courses: CM 101 Principles of Construction Management (3), CM 270 Project Management (3), CM 280 Construction Estimating (3), CM 370 Risk Management for Construction (2), Business Administration 200 Introduction to Accounting (3), and 205 Principles of Management (3)
- Construction and systems: CM 102 Construction Communication and Architectural Graphics (2), CM 220 Construction Materials and Methods (4), CM 225 Construction Safety and Quality (2), CM 241 Building Mechanical and HVAC Systems (3), and CM 242 Electrical Systems (3)
- Engineering and site: CM 207 GIS and Surveying (4), CM 318 Soil Mechanics and Foundation Design (4), and introductory engineering courses (1-credit Engineering 113, 114, and 115, plus Engineering 117 or the 4-credit Engineering Technology 115)
- Math and science: Mathematics 116 or 152, Physics 215 or 231, and Chemistry 115 (4 each for the sciences)
- Business electives: at least 6 credits from marketing, business law, economics, and related courses
Four of the major’s 11 CM courses are management courses (principles, project management, estimating, and risk); the other seven are technical, leaning toward engineering with soil mechanics, mechanical and electrical systems, and surveying. CM 242 Electrical Systems includes hands-on industrial wiring to National Electrical Code standards.
More curriculum details are available in Dordt’s 2026-27 catalog.
You Should Know
- The major list allows Mathematics 116, but Engineering 115 has Calculus I as a corequisite, so students should plan on Calculus I.
- CM 318 requires Engineering 212 Mechanics of Materials and CM 225 requires Statistics 131 as a corequisite; neither appears in the major list, so they add credits.
- CM 220, 225, and 370 run in odd-year springs and CM 241 and 280 in even-year springs, so missing one can push it back a full year.
B.A. Internship and Field Experience
- CM 371-373 Construction Management Internship: 1 to 3 credits, fall, spring, or summer
- Off-campus work in a project management role on a construction project, with written and oral reports
- Prerequisite: two years of the construction management curriculum
- Not listed among the major requirements
Dordt’s program page promotes internships, but the major doesn’t require one, so students need to plan for it themselves. Hours, pay, and employer partners aren’t published.
B.A. Admissions
- Standard Dordt undergraduate admission; no separate program application is listed
B.A. in Business Administration: Construction Management Concentration
The estimated tuition for the B.A. in Business Administration with a Construction Management concentration at Dordt University is approximately $156,200 (4 years at $39,050/year). The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (8 semesters).
The Construction Management concentration pairs Dordt’s business foundation with most of the construction management core.
Business: CM Curriculum
- Business foundation: Business Administration 100, 101, 201 and 202 (financial and managerial accounting), 205, 206, 241, 301 Business Law, 305 Corporate Finance, and 351, plus Economics 202 and 203
- Construction courses: CM 101, 102, 220, 225, 270, 280, and 370, plus CM 241 or 242
- Math and science: Mathematics 152 Calculus I, Statistics 131, Chemistry 115, and Physics 215 or 231
- Other: Communication 220 or 222 and at least 3 more business or construction credits
This route drops the major’s engineering foundations, surveying, and soil mechanics and adds business law, finance, marketing, and two accounting courses. It fits students headed toward the business side of a construction firm.
You Should Know
- Calculus I and Statistics 131 are listed requirements here, unlike in the CM major.
Business: CM Internship and Field Experience
No internship is required; the CM internship is available as an elective.
Business: CM Admissions
- Same admission as the B.A. in Construction Management
Tuition
Dordt University charges a flat $38,400 per year ($19,200 per semester) in full-time tuition for 2026-27, plus a $650 annual student fee. The rate is the same for Iowa and out-of-state students.
| Item | Per Year | 4 Years |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $38,400 | $153,600 |
| Student fee | $650 | $2,600 |
| Total | $39,050 | $156,200 |
See Dordt’s 2026-27 catalog expenses section.
Be aware that:
- A semi-private residence hall room with a meal plan adds about $12,250 per year.
- Credits over 18.5 per semester cost $510 each, which matters if the hidden prerequisites push a semester past that limit.
- Figures are before scholarships and grants; Dordt’s catalog notes that tuition covers only part of the cost of education.
Before aid, the degree costs about $156K in tuition and fees, or about $205K with four years of campus housing and meals. That sits below Bradley University’s $174,872 private B.S., which is ACCE-accredited.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for students who want a construction management degree with an engineering-flavored technical core at a small Christian university.
Engineering depth: Soil mechanics, statics, and building systems courses give graduates more technical grounding than a business-only route, and Dordt also offers a B.S.E. with a construction concentration and an Engineering Technology B.S. with a construction and facilities management concentration.
Accreditation and scheduling: Students who want an ACCE-accredited degree will need to look outside Iowa, since ACCE’s bachelor’s list (Rev. 2024.03.13) includes no Iowa programs. Transfer students should map the alternating-year courses before enrolling.
Accreditation and Credentials
Dordt University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which supports credit transfer and federal financial aid eligibility.
The construction management programs carry no programmatic accreditation. Dordt isn’t on ACCE’s accredited bachelor’s list (Rev. 2024.03.13), which has no Iowa entries.
Dordt doesn’t name an embedded industry certification. Iowa doesn’t license general contractors by exam; contractors earning at least $2,000 a year from construction register with the state, which the Iowa contractor registration program describes without any education requirement.