Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering • Lawrence, KS • Online and Campus • $795/Credit (Online, All Residencies)
The University of Kansas offers 2 construction management pathways:
- Graduate Certificate in Construction Management
- Master of Construction Management (MCM)
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grad Certificate | $9.5K online, any state | 1 year (2-3 semesters) | 12 |
| MCM | $23.9K online, any state | 1-2 years full-time; 2-3 years part-time | 30 |
Tuition estimates use KU’s 2026-27 online program rate for construction management.
- Why choose it: KU’s MCM charges the same $795 per credit online to students in every state, about $23.9K for the degree, and its CMGT courses cover contracts, bonds, and insurance, alternative project delivery, risk analysis, and three safety courses, with evening sections on the Lawrence campus for local students.
- Trade-off: Admission leans toward engineers and architects: non-engineers need a 3.3 GPA, statistics and engineering economics prerequisites, and preferably two years of construction work, and KU says four-year technology degrees are generally not acceptable.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | Graduate Certificate in Construction Management; Master of Construction Management |
| Format | Online (asynchronous and live online courses); Campus (evening courses in Lawrence) |
| Campus Location | Lawrence; KU also lists in-person study at the Edwards Campus in Overland Park |
| Credit Hours | 12 (certificate); 30 (MCM: 18 core, 12 elective) |
| Internship | None |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated |
| Admission | 3.0 GPA with an engineering degree; 3.3 with another bachelor’s |
| Prerequisites | Probability and statistics; engineering economics or financial analysis |
| Tuition | $795/credit online, all residencies |
Graduate Certificate in Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the Graduate Certificate in Construction Management at the University of Kansas is approximately $9,540 (12 credits at $795/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1 year (2-3 semesters), derived from four courses taken part-time.
The Graduate Certificate in Construction Management is a four-course credential drawn from the same CMGT courses as the master’s.
Certificate Curriculum
- Choose four (3 credits each): CMGT 700 Construction Project Management, CMGT 701 Construction Planning and Scheduling, CMGT 702 Construction Equipment and Methods, CMGT 703 Construction Quality, Productivity, and Safety, CMGT 704 Construction Estimating and Bidding, CMGT 705 Construction Contracts, Bonds and Insurance, CMGT 706 Construction Alternative Project Delivery Methods, CMGT 707 Engineering Risk and Decision Analysis, CMGT 711 Construction Safety, CMGT 712 Construction Safety Solution Development, or CMGT 713 Request for Proposal in Design and Construction
- Grade rule: B or better in each course
Students can build the certificate around a focus, such as scheduling, estimating, and contracts for a project manager, or the three safety courses for a safety professional. Because it uses the same course list as the MCM, it works as a trial run before committing to the degree.
More curriculum details are available in KU’s catalog.
You Should Know
- The catalog lists a bachelor’s in engineering with a 3.0 GPA as the admission requirement, which is narrower than the MCM’s.
- Transfer credit from other schools can’t be applied to the certificate.
- KU doesn’t state whether certificate courses count toward a later MCM.
Certificate Internship and Field Experience
The certificate has no internship or field component. It is designed for working professionals who apply the coursework on their own jobs.
Certificate Admissions
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering with at least a 3.0 GPA
Master of Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the Master of Construction Management at the University of Kansas is approximately $23,850 (30 credits at $795/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1-2 years full-time or 2-3 years part-time.
The Master of Construction Management is designed for working construction professionals, with courses offered in the evening in Lawrence and online.
MCM Curriculum
- Project controls: CMGT 700 Construction Project Management, CMGT 701 Construction Planning and Scheduling, and CMGT 704 Construction Estimating and Bidding
- Contracts and delivery: CMGT 705 Construction Contracts, Bonds and Insurance, CMGT 706 Construction Alternative Project Delivery Methods, and CMGT 713 Request for Proposal in Design and Construction
- Field operations and quality: CMGT 702 Construction Equipment and Methods and CMGT 703 Construction Quality, Productivity, and Safety
- Safety: CMGT 711 Construction Safety and CMGT 712 Construction Safety Solution Development
- Risk: CMGT 707 Engineering Risk and Decision Analysis
- Electives: 12 credits
The CMGT list leans toward owner-side and contract topics: bonds and insurance, design-build and other delivery methods, writing requests for proposals, and decision analysis under risk. Safety gets three courses. The degree has no capstone or thesis listed for the MCM, so it is coursework only.
More curriculum details are available on KU’s MCM page.
You Should Know
- ⚠️ KU’s department page calls 18 credits “core” but lists 11 CMGT courses of 3 credits each (33 credits), and it doesn’t list the electives; students should confirm which courses are required with an advisor.
- KU’s program pages also mention a research-based Master of Science in Construction Management, but the department page describes only the MCM.
- KU architecture graduates with a 3.3 GPA may receive a 6-credit reduction.
MCM Internship and Field Experience
The MCM has no internship. The department designs it for working professionals and prefers non-architecture applicants with two years of construction-related employment, so field experience comes before admission rather than during the degree.
MCM Admissions
Admission is selective by GPA and background, which can rule out some construction technology graduates.
- Engineering bachelor’s: 3.0 GPA; other bachelor’s (architecture, business, and related fields): 3.3 GPA, per KU’s program page
- Two years of construction-related employment preferred for non-architecture applicants
- Four-year technology degrees are generally not acceptable, per the department
- Prerequisites: probability and statistics, and engineering economics or financial analysis
- Rolling admission; deadlines Aug. 13 (fall), Jan. 6 (spring), and May 1 (summer)
Tuition
KU charges $795 per credit for its online construction management programs in 2026-27, the same for every state. On-campus students in Lawrence pay standard graduate tuition of $501.80 per credit as Kansas residents or $1,176.10 as nonresidents, plus a $95 per-credit School of Engineering course fee and semester campus fees.
| Item | Online (All States) | Lawrence, Resident | Lawrence, Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per credit | $795 | $596.80 incl. engineering fee | $1,271.10 incl. engineering fee |
| Certificate (12 credits) | $9,540 | $7,162 plus campus fees | $15,253 plus campus fees |
| MCM (30 credits) | $23,850 | $17,904 plus campus fees | $38,133 plus campus fees |
See KU’s online program rates and on-campus tuition and fees.
Be aware that:
- KU’s online rate table doesn’t say whether the $795 includes all fees.
- Campus students taking 6 or more credits also pay a $287.10 student fee and a $245.40 wellness fee each fall and spring.
- Edwards Campus engineering master’s courses carry a lower $61.30 per-credit course fee.
- Full-time study requires the GRE, per the department, though KU’s program page says it isn’t required.
A Kansas resident studying in Lawrence pays about $17.9K before campus fees, less than the $23.9K online rate, while a nonresident saves about $14.3K by studying online. For out-of-state professionals, the online MCM is the lower-cost route.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for engineers, architects, and experienced construction professionals who want a part-time, coursework-only master’s focused on contracts, delivery methods, risk, and safety.
Kansas City-area professionals: Evening courses in Lawrence and in-person options at the Edwards Campus in Overland Park sit within reach of Kansas City employers, and residents pay less on campus than online.
Who it doesn’t fit: Graduates of construction technology bachelor’s programs, such as Pittsburg State University’s B.S.T. or Fort Hays State University’s technology studies degree, should confirm eligibility first, since KU says four-year technology degrees are generally not acceptable. Pitt State’s own Master of Engineering Technology with a construction management emphasis is an alternative for them.
Accreditation and Credentials
The University of Kansas is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which supports credit transfer and federal financial aid eligibility.
KU doesn’t state a programmatic accreditation for the MCM or certificate.
KU doesn’t name an embedded industry certification, though the safety courses support safety-focused roles. Kansas has no statewide general contractor license; cities and counties set their own contractor licensing rules.