Industrial Technology • Council Bluffs, IA • Campus • $242/Credit (In-State, incl. fees)
Iowa Western Community College offers 3 construction management pathways:
- A.A.S. in Construction Management
- Construction Management Diploma
- Construction Management Certificate
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.A.S. | $17.2K in-state / $17.5K out-of-state | 2 years (4 semesters + summer) | 71 |
| Diploma | $9.4K in-state / $9.6K out-of-state | 1 year (2 semesters + summer) | 39 |
| Certificate | $4.4K in-state / $4.4K out-of-state | 1 semester | 18 |
Tuition estimates use Iowa Western Community College’s current per-credit tuition plus the college service fee.
- Why choose it: Iowa Western’s A.A.S. stacks a certificate and diploma on the way to the degree, with OSHA certification in the first semester, a required 4-credit internship, and a capstone in which students plan, schedule, and estimate a simulated project.
- Trade-off: At 71 credits the degree runs 11 credits past a standard associate degree, and its first year is mostly hands-on building labs, with the management courses concentrated in the second year.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | A.A.S.; Diploma; Certificate (each stacks into the next) |
| Format | Campus; the program page also lists online, evening, and part-time options without saying which courses |
| Campus Location | Council Bluffs |
| Credit Hours | 18 (certificate); 39 (diploma); 71 (A.A.S.) |
| Internship | Required in the A.A.S.: CON 425 (4 credits), summer after year one |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated |
| Industry Certifications | OSHA certification through CON 266 Construction Safety |
| Math | MAT 743 Technical Math (MAT 102 or higher may substitute) |
| Tuition | $242/credit Iowa resident, $247 nonresident (incl. $17 service fee) |
A.A.S. in Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the A.A.S. in Construction Management at Iowa Western Community College is approximately $17,182 (71 credits at $242/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (4 semesters plus a summer).
The Construction Management A.A.S. emphasizes management, scheduling, estimating, and legal issues, and its graduates also earn the certificate and diploma along the way.
A.A.S. Curriculum
- Building year: CON 114 Blueprint Reading (3), CON 115 Commercial Print Reading (3), CON 180 and 181 Principles of Building Construction I and II (3 each), CON 170 and 171 Building Construction Techniques I and II (6 each, 12 lab hours a week), CON 244 Related Trade Applications (3), and CON 118 Introduction to Sustainable Construction (3)
- Management courses: CON 325 Estimating (3), CON 329 Construction Management (3), CON 348 Supervision and Leadership in Building Construction (3), CON 440 Construction Management Capstone (4), and MGT 101 Principles of Management (3)
- Safety and inspection: CON 266 Construction Safety (3) and CON 119 Construction Materials and Inspection (3)
- Leadership and general education: MGT 195 Workplace Empowerment, PHI 142 Ethics in Business, HUM 287 Leadership Development Studies, ENG 110 Writing for the Workplace, and MAT 743 Technical Math (3 each)
- Internship: CON 425 Internship (4)
The first year is a lab-heavy building program, with 12 lab hours a week in each techniques course, plus an introduction to HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems. The second year turns to management: estimating with spreadsheets and scheduling software, a construction management course on finance, labor relations, and risk, and a supervision seminar run by industry professionals.
More curriculum details are available in Iowa Western’s 2026-27 catalog.
You Should Know
- The catalog lists the summer term as 3 credits and the third semester as 16, but the courses in them total 4 and 15; the 71-credit total matches the courses.
- The program description mentions legal issues, but no contracts or construction law course appears in the sequence; CON 329 covers risk management.
A.A.S. Internship and Field Experience
- CON 425 Internship: 4 credits, listed as 16 internship hours, at an off-campus construction site
- Focus: practicing supervisory skills
- Prerequisite: the second-semester building courses; required before the capstone
Because CON 440 Capstone requires the internship, students bring field experience into the final project. Iowa Western doesn’t publish employer partners or whether placements are paid.
A.A.S. Admissions
- Open admission as a community college
- Students buy a required toolkit, about $609 for 2026-27, plus their own safety boots
Construction Management Diploma
The estimated tuition for the Construction Management Diploma at Iowa Western Community College is approximately $9,438 (39 credits at $242/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1 year (2 semesters plus a summer).
The Construction Management Diploma is the first year of the A.A.S. plus a summer course.
Diploma Curriculum
- All first-year A.A.S. courses: blueprint and commercial print reading, Principles of Building Construction I and II, Building Construction Techniques I and II, Related Trade Applications, Sustainable Construction, Construction Safety, and Technical Math
- MGT 195 Workplace Empowerment (3) in the summer
The diploma is mostly building methods and safety, with no estimating or construction management course; those come in the A.A.S. second year.
You Should Know
- The diploma doesn’t include the internship.
Diploma Internship and Field Experience
No internship is required.
Diploma Admissions
- Same open admission as the A.A.S.
Construction Management Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Construction Management Certificate at Iowa Western Community College is approximately $4,356 (18 credits at $242/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1 semester.
The Construction Management Certificate is the first semester of the A.A.S.
Certificate Curriculum
- MAT 743 Technical Math (3), CON 114 Blueprint Reading (3), CON 180 Principles of Building Construction I (3), CON 170 Building Construction Techniques I (6), and CON 266 Construction Safety (3)
The certificate gives a one-semester start with OSHA certification and blueprint reading, and every credit counts toward the diploma and degree.
You Should Know
- Despite its name, the certificate has no management, estimating, or scheduling course.
Certificate Internship and Field Experience
No internship is required.
Certificate Admissions
- Same open admission as the A.A.S.
Tuition
Iowa Western Community College charges Iowa residents $225 per credit plus a $17 per-credit college service fee, for $242 per credit. Nonresident and international students pay $230 plus the same fee, or $247.
| Item | Iowa Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Per credit (incl. service fee) | $242 | $247 |
| A.A.S. (71 credits) | $17,182 | $17,537 |
| Diploma (39 credits) | $9,438 | $9,633 |
| Certificate (18 credits) | $4,356 | $4,446 |
See Iowa Western’s costs page.
Be aware that:
- The required construction toolkit costs about $609 for 2026-27, and safety boots and jeans are extra.
- Iowa Western estimates books at about $500 per semester and charges a one-time $35 first enrollment fee.
- Program and course fees may apply, and the costs page doesn’t label its rates with an academic year.
Nonresidents pay only $5 more per credit, so Nebraska students in the Omaha area pay about $355 more for the degree than Iowa residents. The A.A.S. costs slightly more than Iowa Lakes Community College’s $16,348 degree, largely because it is 4 credits longer.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for Council Bluffs and Omaha-area students who want hands-on building experience followed by estimating, supervision, and a capstone, with a credential at each stopping point.
Stackable credentials: Students earn the certificate after one semester and the diploma after the first year, so those who leave early still hold a credential, and those who stay finish with all three.
Management year: Estimating, construction management, supervision, and a capstone that requires the internship first give the second year a clear project management focus. Students who want a bachelor’s should note that Iowa Western doesn’t publish a transfer agreement for this A.A.S.
Accreditation and Credentials
Iowa Western 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 Western doesn’t state one.
Students receive an OSHA certification in CON 266 Construction Safety; the catalog doesn’t say whether it is the 10-hour or 30-hour card. 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.