Architecture and Environmental Design • Palm Desert, CA • Campus • $49/Credit (In-State, incl. fees)
College of the Desert offers 3 construction management pathways:
- A.S. in Construction Management (Employment Preparation)
- A.S. in Construction Management (Transfer Preparation)
- Construction Management Certificate of Achievement
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.S. (Employment) | $3K in-state / $26.1K out-of-state | 2 years (4 semesters) | 60 (40 in the major) |
| A.S. (Transfer) | $3.3K-$3.4K in-state / $29.6K-$30.4K out-of-state | 2 years (4 semesters) | 68-70 |
| Certificate | $1.5K in-state / $12.7K out-of-state | 1.5 years (3 semesters) | 29 |
Tuition estimates use the $46 per unit California community college enrollment fee plus College of the Desert’s mandatory health, transportation, representation, and student center fees; out-of-state adds $377 per unit in nonresident tuition and a $9 per unit capital outlay fee.
- Why choose it: College of the Desert’s programs lean heavily on building codes, AutoCAD, and architectural practice, with two California code courses required in every pathway, a fit for Coachella Valley students heading toward plan review, inspection, or design-side construction roles.
- Trade-off: None of the pathways requires an estimating or scheduling course; construction planning and construction law appear only as electives in the employment A.S.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | A.S. in Construction Management (Employment Preparation); A.S. in Construction Management (Transfer Preparation); Construction Management Certificate of Achievement |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Location | Palm Desert, CA |
| Credit Hours | 60 (employment A.S., 40 in the major); 68-70 (transfer A.S.); 29 (certificate) |
| Internship | Not required |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated |
| Software Taught | AutoCAD (DRA 002, required in all pathways) |
| Code Coursework | California Building Codes and Building II and Fire Codes required in all pathways |
| Tuition | $46 per unit in-state; $432 per unit out-of-state |
A.S. in Construction Management (Employment Preparation)
The estimated tuition for the employment-preparation A.S. in Construction Management at College of the Desert is approximately $2,959 in-state (60 credits at $49.32/credit, derived from $46 per unit plus mandatory fees for 4 semesters).
The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (4 semesters).
The A.S. in Construction Management (Employment Preparation) prepares graduates for construction and building-industry jobs involving scheduling, estimating, and building projects, and can lead to a bachelor’s in construction management, per College of the Desert. The degree combines a 40-unit major with 18 units of local general education and 2 units of kinesiology. The out-of-state estimate is about $26,119.
Employment A.S. Curriculum
The major has 29 required units and 11 elective units.
- Architecture and drawings (4 courses, 13 units): ARCH 001 Intro to Architectural Professions, ARCH 003A Architectural Practice I, ARCH 011 Architectural Blueprint Reading, and DRA 002 AutoCAD.
- Codes and materials (3 courses, 11 units): ARCH 002 Materials of Construction, BIT 010 California Building Codes, and BIT 026 Building II and Fire Codes.
- Construction management and planning (2 courses, 5 units): CM 001 Introduction to Construction Management and CM 002 Intro to Urban Planning.
- Electives (11 units): chosen from ARCH 003B Architectural Practice II, BIT 020 California Mechanical Codes, BIT 030 California Plumbing Codes, BIT 040 California Electrical Codes, CM 003 Site and Terrain Analysis, CM 004 Construction Law Survey, and CM 005 Construction Planning.
College of the Desert’s required courses center on codes, materials, drafting, and architectural practice, with just 2 units of dedicated construction management. Students aiming for project engineer or estimator jobs should use their electives on CM 004 and CM 005, since the program description promises scheduling and estimating skills that no required course covers by title.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- DRA 002 AutoCAD lists DRA 001 Technical Drafting I (3 units) as a prerequisite in College of the Desert’s course sequences, which the unit totals do not count.
- The catalog pages for these programs do not show a catalog year.
- No course titled estimating or scheduling appears in any of the three pathways.
Employment A.S. Internship and Field Experience
- Required: No internship or co-op is listed.
- Project work: Not clearly stated.
- Hours, pay, and employer partners: Not clearly stated.
With no field component, students should line up summer or part-time construction work to pair the code and drafting coursework with jobsite experience.
Employment A.S. Admissions
College of the Desert is open-enrollment, and the program lists no separate admission requirements.
- General education: 18 units of College of the Desert’s local GE pattern plus 2 units of kinesiology activities.
- Prerequisite: DRA 001 before DRA 002 AutoCAD, per the college’s course sequence.
A.S. in Construction Management (Transfer Preparation)
The estimated tuition for the transfer-preparation A.S. in Construction Management at College of the Desert is approximately $3,329 to $3,422 in-state (68-70 credits at about $48.90/credit, derived from $46 per unit plus mandatory fees for 4 semesters).
The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (4 semesters) at a heavier load than the employment A.S.
The A.S. in Construction Management (Transfer Preparation) pairs 29 required construction and architecture units with a general education option of 37 to 39 units aimed at transfer to a CSU, UC, or private university, per College of the Desert. The out-of-state estimate is about $29,577 to $30,442.
- Required courses (29 units): the same core as the employment A.S., except ARCH 005A Introduction to Drawing and Perspective replaces ARCH 011 Architectural Blueprint Reading.
- General education option (37-39 units): chosen to match the transfer institution’s requirements.
The transfer degree has no construction electives, so its construction content is limited to the 29-unit core; students should check that core against the lower-division requirements of their target bachelor’s program.
Construction Management Certificate of Achievement
The estimated tuition for the Construction Management Certificate of Achievement at College of the Desert is approximately $1,479 in-state (29 credits at $51.00/credit, derived from $46 per unit plus mandatory fees for 3 semesters).
The program can generally be completed in about 1.5 years (3 semesters), following College of the Desert’s course sequence.
The Construction Management Certificate of Achievement prepares students for jobs in construction and the building industry, including document procurement and building construction or renovation, per College of the Desert.
- Courses (9 courses, 29 units): the employment A.S. required core of ARCH 001, ARCH 002, ARCH 003A, ARCH 011, BIT 010, BIT 026, CM 001, CM 002, and DRA 002, with no electives.
The college’s sample sequence adds DRA 001 as a prerequisite, bringing the realistic load to 32 units; every certificate course also counts toward the employment A.S.
Tuition
California residents pay the $46 per unit enrollment fee plus a $0.25 per unit student center fee and, each semester, a $19 health fee, a $25 transportation fee, and a $2 representation fee. Nonresidents add $377 per unit in tuition and a $9 per unit capital outlay fee.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Enrollment fee (all students) | $46 per unit |
| Nonresident tuition | +$377 per unit |
| Capital outlay fee (nonresidents) | +$9 per unit |
| Student center fee | $0.25 per unit |
| Health service fee | $19 per semester |
| Transportation fee | $25 per semester |
| Student representation fee | $2 per semester |
- Employment A.S. estimate: 60 × $46.25 = $2,775, plus 4 × $46 = $184, for $2,959 in-state; 60 × $432.25 + $184 = $26,119 out-of-state (derived).
- Transfer A.S. estimate: 68-70 units at $46.25 plus $184 = $3,329-$3,422 in-state; at $432.25 plus $184 = $29,577-$30,442 out-of-state (derived).
- Certificate estimate: 29 × $46.25 = $1,341, plus 3 × $46 = $138, for $1,479 in-state; 29 × $432.25 + $138 = $12,673 out-of-state (derived).
Be aware that:
- The California College Promise Grant waives the enrollment fee, but College of the Desert says the health, transportation, and representation fees are not covered by the waiver.
- Students can opt out of the representation fee by the posted deadline.
- DRA 001, parking, books, and materials are not included in these estimates.
At about $3,000 in-state, the employment A.S. costs a fraction of a year at Cal Poly Pomona, one of the CSU bachelor’s programs profiled here. See College of the Desert’s tuition and fees.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
College of the Desert is the Coachella Valley option for students who want a code- and design-focused route into construction.
Code and plan-review track: Required California building and fire code courses, plus elective mechanical, plumbing, and electrical code courses, build depth that suits inspection and permitting work.
Transfer students: The transfer A.S. builds in a 37- to 39-unit general education option aimed at CSU, UC, or private transfer, though students will likely take estimating and scheduling after transferring.
Students wanting a project-controls core: Those who want estimating and scheduling required at the two-year level should compare College of the Canyons.
Accreditation and Credentials
College of the Desert is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, which supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer.
No programmatic accreditation is listed for College of the Desert’s construction management programs.
None of the programs embeds an industry certification.