Five Arkansas schools offer construction management credentials profiled on this site: four public (Arkansas State University, NorthWest Arkansas Community College, the University of Arkansas, and UA Little Rock) and one private (John Brown University). Two schools offer certificates, two offer associate degrees, three offer bachelor’s degrees, and one offers a master’s. UA Little Rock’s and John Brown University’s bachelor’s degrees are on ACCE’s accredited list; UA Little Rock’s B.S. also holds ABET ANSAC accreditation, per the university.
Estimated in-state costs at public schools run about $3.1K to $7.6K for an undergraduate certificate, $9.9K to $22.5K for an associate degree, $36.2K to $50.8K for a bachelor’s, and $11.9K for the online master’s. John Brown University’s private B.S. costs about $136.1K, the same for every student.
Arkansas Construction Management Programs at a Glance
| School | Location | Credentials | Format | Credits | Est. In-State Tuition | Program Accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State University | Jonesboro, AR | Bachelor's, Certificate | Campus, Online | 18–120 | $7,578–$50,750 | None stated |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | Bachelor's | Campus | 120 | $136,050 | ACCE |
| NorthWest Arkansas Community College | Bentonville, AR | Associate, Certificate | Campus | 18–60 | $3,094–$9,860 | None stated |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | Master's | Online | 30 | $11,850 | None stated |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock, AR | Associate, Bachelor's | Campus | 63–120 | $22,451–$42,764 | ACCE |
Costs are estimated program totals (credits × per-credit tuition plus mandatory fees) from each school’s profile. Ranges cover all of a school’s construction management pathways.
Best Arkansas Construction Management Programs by Goal
- Lowest-cost credential: NorthWest Arkansas Community College’s 18-credit Certificate of Proficiency costs about $3.1K in-district, on campus in Bentonville.
- Trades to a construction degree: NWACC’s A.A.S. lets licensed HVAC, electrical, and plumbing apprentices swap its 12-credit construction core for their trade sequence. About $9.9K in-district, with a required 1-credit internship.
- Associate degree that feeds an ACCE bachelor’s: UA Little Rock’s 63-credit A.S. in Construction Science applies its construction core to the university’s B.S. About $22.5K in-state.
- ACCE bachelor’s at a public rate: UA Little Rock’s B.S. in Construction Management costs about $42.8K in-state. Residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas also pay the in-state rate.
- Working tradespeople: UA Little Rock’s B.S. counts prior work toward its 800-hour experience requirement and offers credit by exam for some courses.
- Online bachelor’s at one rate for every state: Arkansas State University’s B.S. costs about $36.2K online in 7-week courses and requires a 3-credit internship. It is not ACCE accredited.
- Field work from freshman year: John Brown University’s ACCE B.S. puts students on sites through the student-run Eagle Construction. About $136.1K before aid; JBU reports average gift aid of $22,755 a year across majors.
- Online master’s for any bachelor’s: University of Arkansas’s 30-credit M.S. in Construction Management costs about $11.9K for every student, with no GRE.
Arkansas Construction Management Programs by Degree Level
Certificates
| School | Program | Format | Credits | Est. In-State Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NWACC | Certificate of Proficiency in Construction Management | Campus | 18 | $3.1K (in-district) |
| NWACC | Technical Certificate in Construction Management | Campus | 38 | $6.3K (in-district) |
| Arkansas State University | Certificate in Construction Management | Not clearly stated | 18 | $7.6K |
Arkansas State’s six certificate courses all come from its B.S. major, so every credit applies to the bachelor’s. Four of the six cover drawings, CAD, BIM, and estimating. NWACC’s two certificates sit inside its A.A.S.; the Technical Certificate adds general education but not the internship or BIM course.
Associate Degrees
| School | Program | Format | Accreditation | Est. In-State Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NWACC | A.A.S. in Construction Management (60 credits) | Campus | None stated | $9.9K (in-district) |
| UA Little Rock | A.S. in Construction Science (63 credits) | Campus | None stated | $22.5K |
- Purpose: NWACC’s A.A.S. is a job degree with a 1-credit internship and a trades route. UA Little Rock’s A.S. is the first half of its ACCE B.S.
- Math: NWACC stops at Survey of Technical Math. UA Little Rock’s B.S. sequence runs College Algebra, Trigonometry, or Precalculus, then Calculus or statistics.
- Cost: NWACC costs about $12.6K less for in-district students; Arkansas residents outside NWACC’s district pay about $13.6K.
You Should Know
- ACCE’s associate list (Rev. 2025.03.20) includes no Arkansas program.
- NWACC names no transfer agreement with a bachelor’s program.
Bachelor’s Degrees
| School | Program | Format | Accreditation | Est. In-State Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State University | B.S. in Construction Management (120 credits, online) | Online | None stated | $36.2K (all students) |
| UA Little Rock | B.S. in Construction Management (120 credits) | Campus | ACCE, ABET ANSAC | $42.8K |
| UA Little Rock | B.P.S., Construction Concentration (120 credits) | Campus | None stated | $42.8K |
| Arkansas State University | B.S. in Construction Management (120 credits, campus) | Campus | None stated | $50.8K |
| John Brown University | B.S. in Construction Management (120 credits) | Campus | ACCE | $136.1K (private, all students) |
- Field experience: UA Little Rock requires 800 documented work hours, and prior work counts. Arkansas State requires a 3-credit internship course. JBU requires a 0-credit internship plus on-site work through Eagle Construction.
- Math and science: UA Little Rock requires College Algebra, Trigonometry, or Precalculus, then Calculus or statistics. JBU requires Trigonometry and Physics I with lab. Arkansas State requires College Algebra plus a calculus option, though History of Mathematics also counts.
- Technical content: UA Little Rock’s B.S. includes surveying, statics, steel, and concrete. Its B.P.S. holds 18 construction credits out of 120, with estimating and scheduling as electives.
- Out-of-state cost: Arkansas State online runs about $36.2K for every student, Arkansas State campus $85.4K, UA Little Rock $94.1K outside its six waiver states, and JBU $136.1K.
You Should Know
- Arkansas State’s B.S. does not appear on ACCE’s baccalaureate list (Rev. 2024.03.13), and Arkansas State lists no border-state tuition waiver for undergraduates.
- UA Little Rock’s B.P.S. has no internship or work-hour requirement and is a different degree from the accredited B.S.
- JBU’s construction courses are campus only; some business and core courses are offered online.
Master’s Degrees
| School | Program | Format | Credits | Est. In-State Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | M.S. in Construction Management | Online | 30 | $11.9K (all students) |
The University of Arkansas M.S. admits any accredited bachelor’s with a 3.0 GPA and requires no GRE. Half the degree is construction core and half is engineering electives. It has no internship or capstone and names no programmatic accreditation.
Arkansas Contractor Licensing and Where a Degree Fits
The Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, part of the Department of Labor and Licensing, issues both commercial and residential licenses.
- Commercial license: Required for projects of $50,000 or more in labor and materials (Ark. Code § 17-25-101). Any project that is not a single-family residence is commercial, and buildings with five or more units count as commercial. Major classifications need 5 years of experience, and every applicant passes a business and law exam.
- License tiers: A Restricted license caps bids at $1.5 million under Act 235 of 2025 (raised from $750,000 on August 4, 2025, per the board’s news page). An Unrestricted license has no cap but requires a CPA-reviewed or audited financial statement.
- Business and law exam: PSI gives an open-book, 50-question, 2-hour exam on NASCLA’s Arkansas edition contractor guide, per the board’s testing information.
- Residential builder and home improvement: Required for single-family (one to four unit) work over $2,000 (§ 17-25-513). New residential builder and remodeler applicants take an exam, and builders show positive net worth (§ 17-25-506).
No Arkansas statute or board rule found lets a construction management degree replace experience or waive an exam. The existing waivers cover out-of-state licensees, military members and spouses, and reciprocity with Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee. A degree helps as preparation: estimating, contracts, and law courses map to the business and law exam topics.
You Should Know
- The board’s commercial application (revised October 2026) still lists the $750,000 Restricted limit; confirm the current figure with the board.
- A proposed rule would raise the Light Building classification limit to $1.5 million; it was not shown as adopted when this page was verified.
- Electrical, plumbing, HVACR, gas fitting, and fire sprinkler work each need a separate Arkansas trade license.
Transferring from an Arkansas College to a University
The Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS), run by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education, lists comparable courses at public colleges. ACTS courses with a grade of A, B, or C are guaranteed to transfer for full credit to any Arkansas public institution. Under Ark. Code § 6-61-231, public universities accept a completed 35-hour state minimum core in full. John Brown University is private and outside this system.
- A.A.S. first: ADHE lists the A.A.S. as non-transferable and designed for direct employment (degree types). A.A.S. credit moves only through agreements between schools, and NWACC names none for construction.
- A.S. first: The A.S. is built to transfer toward a named bachelor’s. UA Little Rock’s A.S. construction core applies directly to its own B.S.
- Online completion: Arkansas State’s online B.S. accepts up to 90 transfer credits.
- Prerequisites: Plan math early. NWACC’s A.A.S. math stops at Survey of Technical Math, while UA Little Rock’s B.S. expects Trigonometry or Precalculus and JBU requires Trigonometry and physics.
You Should Know
- Act 566 of 2025 creates a 15-hour Requisite Core; ADHE targets full implementation in fall 2027, so general education rules may change for students starting now.
- ADHE lists no statewide construction articulation agreement.
Bottom Line
Among the schools on this page, estimated in-state costs fall into four ranges: certificates and associate degrees at about $3.1K to $22.5K, the University of Arkansas online master’s at about $11.9K, public bachelor’s degrees at about $36.2K to $50.8K, and JBU’s private B.S. at about $136.1K.
- Accreditation: UA Little Rock and JBU hold ACCE-listed bachelor’s degrees; UA Little Rock’s B.S. also holds ABET ANSAC, per the university.
- Format: Arkansas State’s B.S. and the University of Arkansas M.S. are fully online; Arkansas State also runs its B.S. on campus. The other programs are on campus, except Arkansas State’s certificate, whose format is not clearly stated.
- Internship: Arkansas State, JBU, and NWACC’s A.A.S. require an internship course; UA Little Rock’s B.S. requires 800 work hours instead.
- Next step: Open each linked profile and confirm tuition and admission dates with the school.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many construction management programs are in Arkansas?
This page compares 10 construction management credentials at five Arkansas schools: four public and one private.
Which Arkansas construction management programs are ACCE accredited?
UA Little Rock’s B.S. in Construction Management and John Brown University’s B.S. in Construction Management.
Can I study construction management online in Arkansas?
Yes. Arkansas State University’s B.S. is fully online at about $36.2K for every student, and the University of Arkansas M.S. is fully online at about $11.9K. No certificate or associate degree on this page is listed as online.
What is the cheapest construction management program in Arkansas?
Among the schools on this page, NWACC’s 18-credit Certificate of Proficiency costs least, at about $3.1K in-district. The lowest-cost bachelor’s is Arkansas State’s online B.S. at about $36.2K.
Does a construction management degree help me get an Arkansas contractor license?
Not directly. No Arkansas rule found lets a degree replace the 5 years of experience for major commercial classifications or waive the business and law exam, but construction law and estimating courses prepare students for that exam.
Program data verified October 2026 from each school’s profile. Licensing and transfer information from the Arkansas Code Titles 6 and 17, the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, and the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.