Construction Technology • Emmetsburg, IA • Campus • $244/Credit (In-State, incl. fees)
Iowa Lakes Community College offers 2 construction management pathways:
- A.A.S. in Construction Technology Management
- Construction Management Diploma
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.A.S. | $16.3K in-state / $17.4K out-of-state | 2 years (5 terms incl. summer) | 67 |
| Diploma | $7.3K in-state / $7.8K out-of-state | 1 year (2 semesters) | 30 |
Tuition estimates use Iowa Lakes Community College’s 2026-27 per-credit tuition plus the technology fee.
- Why choose it: Iowa Lakes’ A.A.S. builds a full year of hands-on residential construction before a year of management courses, and requires two internships: a 6-credit summer placement and a 3-credit internship focused on supervisors and managers.
- Trade-off: The management year is general business coursework (marketing, selling, accounting) with one estimating course and no scheduling course, and the degree is offered only at the Emmetsburg campus.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | A.A.S. in Construction Technology Management; Construction Management Diploma |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Location | Emmetsburg |
| Credit Hours | 30 (diploma); 67 (A.A.S.) |
| Internship | Required: CON 431 (6 credits) and CON 932 (3 credits) in the A.A.S.; CON 932 in the diploma |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated |
| Software Taught | Computer-aided residential drafting (CON 351); estimating software in CON 125 |
| Math | MAT 772 Applied Math |
| Tuition | $244/credit Iowa resident, $249 Minnesota resident, $259 other nonresident (incl. technology fee) |
A.A.S. in Construction Technology Management
The estimated tuition for the A.A.S. in Construction Technology Management at Iowa Lakes Community College is approximately $16,348 (67 credits at $244/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (5 terms, including summer).
The Construction Technology Management A.A.S. combines Iowa Lakes’ Construction Technology diploma (terms 1-3) with its Construction Management diploma (terms 4-5).
A.A.S. Curriculum
- Construction year (24 credits): CON 113 Construction Print Reading (2), CON 201 and 218 Framing Techniques and Lab I and II (2, 4), CON 217 Exterior Finishing (3), CON 300 Optimum Value Engineering-Advanced Framing (1), CON 399 Concrete Systems and Foundations (4), CON 228 Methods of Interior Finishing (3), CON 429 Interior Finishes (2), and CON 430 Methods of Exterior Finishing (3)
- Estimating: CON 120 Construction Estimating (1) or WEL 334 Trade and Industry Welding (2), and CON 125 Construction Estimating II (3)
- Business and management: BUS 102 Introduction to Business, BUS 161 Human Relations, MGT 101 Principles of Management, MKT 140 Principles of Selling, MKT 110 Principles of Marketing, and ACC 111 Introduction to Accounting (3 each)
- Drafting and computing: CON 351 Computer Generated Blueprint and Design (3) and CSC 110 or BCA 212 (3)
- Internships: CON 431 Construction Internship I (6) and CON 932 Internship (3)
- General education: COM 723 Workplace Communications (3) and MAT 772 Applied Math (3)
The first year is a residential building program; students frame, finish, and pour concrete. The second year adds six business courses but only one construction management course, CON 125, which brings in industry estimators and estimating software. There is no scheduling, contracts, or construction safety course, so graduates leave stronger in residential building methods than in project controls.
More curriculum details are available in Iowa Lakes’ 2026-27 catalog.
You Should Know
- CON 120, the first-year estimating course, is a 1-credit course on lumber desk estimating, and students can take welding instead.
- Iowa Lakes’ program page lists OSHA regulations and construction codes among the topics but doesn’t name a course or certification that covers them.
A.A.S. Internship and Field Experience
- CON 431 Construction Internship I: 6 credits of on-the-job training in the summer after the first year
- CON 932 Internship: 3 credits in the second fall, with a manager or supervisor emphasis, job shadowing, and time logs reviewed with the instructor
- Both are required
With 9 internship credits built into the degree, graduates finish with two separate work placements, the second aimed at supervision. Iowa Lakes doesn’t publish employer partners or whether placements are paid.
A.A.S. Admissions
- Open admission as a community college
- Students must bring their own hand tools and cold-weather gear, per the 2026-27 tool list
Construction Management Diploma
The estimated tuition for the Construction Management Diploma at Iowa Lakes Community College is approximately $7,320 (30 credits at $244/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1 year (2 semesters).
The Construction Management Diploma is the management year of the A.A.S. offered on its own, aimed at site supervision, project coordination, and construction planning roles.
Diploma Curriculum
- Term 1: BUS 102 Introduction to Business, BUS 161 Human Relations, CON 932 Internship, MGT 101 Principles of Management, and MKT 140 Principles of Selling (3 each)
- Term 2: ACC 111 Introduction to Accounting, CON 125 Construction Estimating II, CON 351 Computer Generated Blueprint and Design, CSC 110 or BCA 212, and MKT 110 Principles of Marketing (3 each)
The diploma holds no building-methods courses, so it suits people who already work in the trades or finished the Construction Technology diploma. Completers can continue to the A.A.S.
You Should Know
- The program page lists the diploma as 2 terms but also says students finish “in just three terms.”
- CON 125 builds on first-year estimating, which the diploma doesn’t include; students without that background should check with the instructor.
Diploma Internship and Field Experience
CON 932, the 3-credit supervisor-focused internship, is required.
Diploma Admissions
- Same open admission as the A.A.S.
Tuition
Iowa Lakes Community College charges Iowa residents $229 per credit in 2026-27, plus a $15 per-credit technology fee, for $244 per credit. Minnesota residents pay $234 and other nonresidents $244 in tuition before the same fee.
| Item | Iowa Resident | Minnesota Resident | Other Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per credit (incl. technology fee) | $244 | $249 | $259 |
| A.A.S. (67 credits) | $16,348 | $16,683 | $17,353 |
| Diploma (30 credits) | $7,320 | $7,470 | $7,770 |
See Iowa Lakes’ tuition and fees page.
Be aware that:
- Iowa Lakes charges program fees that its tuition page doesn’t list; the program’s 2025-26 cost worksheet showed $17,203 in tuition and fees for the A.A.S., above the per-credit math for that year.
- Books run about $550 over the degree, per the same worksheet, and students supply their own tools.
- On-campus housing and meals at Emmetsburg start at $3,940 per semester.
- The A.A.S. is listed as eligible for Iowa’s Last-Dollar Scholarship.
Residency matters little here: out-of-state students pay only about $1,000 more for the A.A.S. The bigger gap between the per-credit estimate and the real bill comes from program fees, books, and tools.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for students in northwest Iowa and southern Minnesota who want to learn to build first and then move toward supervision, with work experience built into both years.
Build, then manage: The first year trains students in framing, concrete, and finishing on job sites, and the second year adds business courses and a supervisor-focused internship, a fit for students who want to run residential crews or start a contracting business.
Limits for project management careers: Students aiming for commercial project management or a bachelor’s degree will find no scheduling or contracts course, applied rather than college-level math, and no published transfer agreement. Dordt University in Sioux Center, also in northwest Iowa, offers a construction management bachelor’s.
Accreditation and Credentials
Iowa Lakes Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which supports credit transfer and federal financial aid eligibility.
The construction programs carry no programmatic accreditation, and Iowa Lakes doesn’t state one.
Iowa Lakes doesn’t name an embedded industry certification. Iowa doesn’t license general contractors by exam; contractors earning at least $2,000 a year register with the state under the Iowa contractor registration program.