GE Johnson Department of Architectural Engineering and Construction Science • Manhattan, KS • Campus • $461/Credit (In-State, avg. incl. fees)
Kansas State University offers one construction management program: the B.S. in Construction Science and Management.
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. | $55.3K in-state / $131.7K out-of-state | 4 years (8 semesters) | 120 |
Tuition estimates use K-State’s 2026-27 Manhattan per-credit tuition, the full-time student services fee, and the College of Engineering surcharge on construction and engineering courses.
- Why choose it: K-State’s B.S. is the only Kansas program on ACCE’s bachelor’s list, and it pairs a full engineering-science base (trigonometry, physics, statics, strength of materials, and surveying) with separate courses in estimating, scheduling and cost control, preconstruction and design-build, financial management, and labor negotiations.
- Trade-off: The College of Engineering surcharge pushes the in-state total to about $55.3K, and the degree map has no internship course, so field experience depends on summer jobs students arrange through the department.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | B.S. in Construction Science and Management |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Location | Manhattan |
| Credit Hours | 120 |
| Internship | No internship course in the degree map; department reports 100% internship placement opportunities |
| Programmatic Accreditation | ACCE, last accredited 02/2022, expires 02/2028 |
| Math and Science | Plane Trigonometry and General Physics I, plus statics and strength of materials |
| Grade Rule | C or better in all departmental courses and prerequisites |
| Tuition | $367.50/credit in-state, $1,004.19 nonresident, plus $105.60/credit engineering surcharge |
B.S. in Construction Science and Management
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Construction Science and Management at Kansas State University is approximately $55,273 (120 credits at an average of about $461/credit with fees). The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (8 semesters).
The B.S. in Construction Science and Management prepares students for project management, estimating, preconstruction, and superintendent or field engineering roles.
B.S. Curriculum
- Estimating, scheduling, and project management: CNS 325 Construction Documents, CNS 641 Construction Estimating, CNS 642 Construction Management, CNS 645 Construction Scheduling and Cost Control, CNS 643 Preconstruction Services/Design Build, and CNS 660 Construction Operations (3 each)
- Business and management: CNS 646 Construction Financial Management (2), CNS 510 Technology for Management of the Construction Process (2), ACCTG 231 Accounting for Business Operations, MANGT 220 Principles of Management, MANGT 230 Business Law I, and MANGT 530 Labor Relations and Negotiations (3 each)
- Engineering science: CNS 231 Statics A (3), CNS 241 Strength of Material and Analysis (3) with lab (1), and CE 212 Elementary Surveying Engineering (3)
- Building systems: CNS 535 Electrical and Lighting, CNS 534 Heating and Air Conditioning, and CNS 536 Water Supply and Plumbing (3 each)
- Methods and materials: CNS 220 Construction Materials (2), CNS 330 Site Construction, CNS 440 Construction Methods and Equipment, CNS 524 Steel and Timber Construction, and CNS 528 Concrete and Masonry Construction (3 each)
- Graphics, BIM, safety, and ethics: CNS 210 Graphic Communication I (1), CNS 321 Graphic Communications II (3), CNS 310 Introduction to BIM (2), CNS 200 Computer Applications (2), CNS 550 Construction Safety (2), and CNS 542 Ethics and Professional Standards (1)
- Math, science, and communication: MATH 150 Plane Trigonometry (3), PHYS 113 General Physics I (4), ECON 110 Macroeconomics (3), COMM 106 Public Speaking (3), and ENGL 417 Written Communication for the Workplace (3)
- Electives: 4 credits of professional electives from department lists, plus K-State 8 general education and free electives
Twelve courses cover estimating, scheduling, project management, business, and law, and the technical side reaches into structural mechanics and all three MEP systems. That mix supports both commercial building and heavy civil careers. Math tops out at trigonometry, but statics and strength of materials make the program more quantitative than a College Algebra degree.
More curriculum details are available in K-State’s degree map.
You Should Know
- Students need a C or better in every departmental course and every prerequisite, and long chains (graphics to documents to estimating and management) mean one low grade can delay graduation.
- The degree map reviewed is the one effective fall 2024; students entering later should confirm requirements in the current catalog.
- MATH 220 Calculus I can substitute for Plane Trigonometry.
B.S. Internship and Field Experience
- The degree map lists no internship or co-op course
- The department reports “100 percent placement opportunities” through its internship program, with companies recruiting directly through the department
- Student chapters of AGC, the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, and the American Concrete Institute connect students with employers
- Teaching faculty average 17 years of full-time industry experience, per K-State
Because no internship counts for credit, the department’s recruiting network is the main route to summer jobsite experience. Students should start early, since employers often use internships to fill full-time project engineer roles.
B.S. Admissions
- Standard K-State undergraduate admission into the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering; no separate program application is listed
- Transfer students: K-State’s JCCC guide for this degree recommends trigonometry, physics, two accounting courses, business law, and principles of management, and says students need about three more years at K-State
Tuition
K-State charges Kansas residents $367.50 per credit in Manhattan for 2026-27 and nonresidents $1,004.19. Full-time students also pay a $512.28 student services fee each semester, and courses from the College of Engineering, including all CNS, DEN, and CE courses, carry a $105.60 per-credit surcharge.
| Item | Kansas Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (120 credits) | $44,100 | $120,503 |
| Student services fee (8 semesters) | $4,098 | $4,098 |
| Engineering surcharge (67 credits) | $7,075 | $7,075 |
| B.S. total | $55,273 | $131,676 |
See K-State’s campus tuition and fees page.
Be aware that:
- The surcharge estimate counts the 67 credits of CNS, DEN, and CE courses on the degree map; professional electives from engineering departments add $105.60 per credit.
- Missouri residents enrolled full-time can receive the Missouri Match award, which covers the difference between nonresident and resident tuition.
- The Wildcat Nonresident Award reduces part of the nonresident difference for other full-time out-of-state students; amounts vary.
- Housing, meals, books, and course breakage fees aren’t included.
A Kansas resident pays about $55.3K in tuition and fees for the degree, more than twice the $25.9K at Fort Hays State University, whose technology studies degree isn’t ACCE-accredited, and above the $38.7K for Pittsburg State University’s ABET-accredited B.S.T. A Missouri student using Missouri Match pays close to the in-state total.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for students who want an ACCE-accredited, engineering-grounded construction degree and are comfortable with trigonometry, physics, and structures courses.
Breadth of management coursework: Separate courses in estimating, scheduling and cost control, preconstruction and design-build, construction financial management, and labor relations and negotiations go further into contractor operations than a single combined management course.
Kansas City-area students: Missouri residents can pay close to the Kansas rate through Missouri Match. Students starting at Johnson County Community College should follow K-State’s general education and business course guide rather than the construction A.A.S., which the guide doesn’t address.
Accreditation and Credentials
Kansas State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which supports credit transfer and federal financial aid eligibility.
The B.S. in Construction Science and Management is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE). ACCE’s bachelor’s list (Rev. 2024.03.13) shows the program last accredited in February 2022, with accreditation running to February 2028, and it is the only Kansas program on that list.
K-State doesn’t name an embedded industry certification, though CNS 550 covers construction safety. Graduates who want a master’s can continue at the University of Kansas, whose online Master of Construction Management costs about $23.9K. Kansas has no statewide general contractor license; cities and counties set their own contractor licensing rules.