Department of Computer Science and Engineering (B.S.) and CMU Tech (A.A.S.) • Grand Junction, CO • Campus • $373/Credit (In-State, incl. fees)
Colorado Mesa University offers 2 construction management pathways:
- A.A.S. in Construction Technology, Supervision emphasis (CMU Tech)
- B.S. in Construction Management
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.A.S. | $16.9K in-state / $59.8K out-of-state | 2 years (4 semesters) | 63 |
| B.S. | $45.0K in-state / $113.8K out-of-state | 4 years (8 semesters) | 120 |
Tuition estimates use CMU’s 2026-27 per-credit tuition after the College Opportunity Fund stipend, the CMU Tech career and technical rate for A.A.S. major courses, and student fees.
- Why choose it: Six of the A.A.S. Supervision courses (18 credits: safety, building materials, mechanical/electrical, equipment, site layout, and estimating) are the same courses the B.S. lists as its construction foundation, so a CMU Tech graduate on the Western Slope can move into the bachelor’s without leaving Grand Junction.
- Trade-off: The B.S. has no ACCE or ABET accreditation, the internship is one of three restricted-elective options rather than a requirement, and CMU publishes no placement or employer data for the program.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | A.A.S. Construction Technology (Supervision); B.S. Construction Management; 3+2 B.S./MBA |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Location | Grand Junction (CMU main campus and CMU Tech) |
| Credit Hours | 63 (A.A.S.); 120 (B.S.) |
| Internship | Optional: CONM 499 is one of three B.S. restricted-elective choices |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated |
| Math | A.A.S.: Career Math. B.S.: College Algebra, Trigonometry, and Statistics |
| Transfer Pathway | A.A.S. continues into the CMU B.S., per CMU |
| Tuition | $332/credit in-state after COF, $905 out-of-state, $526 WUE, plus about $41/credit fees |
A.A.S. Construction Technology, Supervision Emphasis
The estimated tuition for the A.A.S. in Construction Technology, Supervision emphasis at Colorado Mesa University is approximately $16,861 in-state or $59,828 out-of-state (46 major credits at the CMU Tech rate and 17 general education credits at the university rate, plus fees, derived).
The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (4 semesters), per CMU’s suggested plan.
A.A.S. Curriculum
The 63 credits split into 15 general education credits, 2 wellness credits, a 37-credit construction core, and 9 restricted-elective credits.
- Math: MATH 107 Career Math.
- Supervision core: CONC 245 Project Management, CONC 265 Planning and Scheduling for the Construction Supervisor, CONC 228 Estimating and Cost Control, CONC 251 Codes and Permits, and CONC 101 Construction Safety and Regulations.
- Plans and drafting: CONC 104 Architectural/Civil Print Reading, CONC 234 Commercial/Industrial Plans, and CADT 106 Computer Aided Design.
- Materials and site: CONC 116 Building Materials, CONC 117 Building Materials Testing, CONC 161 Building Mechanical/Electrical, CONC 208 Construction Equipment, and CONC 222 Site Layout.
- Restricted electives (9 credits): CADT or CONC courses, or business courses such as Financial Accounting, Principles of Management, Business Law, and Human Resource Management, plus physics, chemistry, statistics, or Spanish.
The core is supervision-focused: 5 management courses sit alongside 8 plan-reading, materials, and site courses, and the electives can tilt it further toward business. Business electives such as Business Law I and Human Resource Management also appear in the B.S., which helps a student who plans to continue.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Career Math does not meet the B.S. math requirement; students moving into the B.S. will still need College Algebra and Trigonometry.
- Every program course needs a C or better.
A.A.S. Internship and Field Experience
The A.A.S. has no internship requirement, and the catalog lists no internship course for it.
A.A.S. Admissions
- Entry: through CMU Tech; no separate program application is stated.
- Next step: CMU says graduates can continue to the B.S. in Construction Management; it does not state how many A.A.S. credits apply beyond the shared CONC courses.
B.S. Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Construction Management at Colorado Mesa University is approximately $44,990 in-state or $113,750 out-of-state (120 credits at $373 or $946 per credit including fees, plus one-time fees, derived).
The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (8 semesters), per CMU’s suggested plan.
B.S. Curriculum
The 120 credits break into general education (31), other lower-division requirements (6), foundation courses (27), program courses (46), and general electives (10).
- Math and science: MATH 113 College Algebra, MATH 114 Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry, STAT 200, and General Physics I with lab.
- Estimating and controls: CONC 228 Estimating and Cost Control, then CONM 341 Vertical or CONM 342 Horizontal Estimating and Bidding, CONM 472 Planning and Scheduling, and CONM 380 Project Management.
- Business of construction: CONM 475 Construction Company and Financial Management, FINA 301 Managerial Finance, BUGB 351 Business Law I, HRMA 371 Human Resource Management, and ACCT 201 Financial Accounting.
- Technical: CONM 362 Statics and Strength of Materials, CONM 462 Soil and Foundation Construction with lab, CONM 361 Advanced MEP Systems, CONM 316 Materials and Methods, CONM 234 Graphic Communication, and CONC 222 Site Layout.
- Regulation or sustainability: CONM 370 Managing the Regulatory Environment or CONM 375 Sustainability in the Built Environment.
- Restricted elective: CONM 499 Construction Internship, CONM 485 Construction Management Issues, or CONM 495 Independent Study.
Required courses lean toward management, about 12 management and business courses to 9 technical courses. The business side runs deeper than estimating and scheduling: managerial finance, business law, human resources, and a construction company management course point graduates toward running a contracting firm. The vertical-or-horizontal estimating choice lets a student lean toward buildings or toward roads and heavy civil work.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- CONM 342 Horizontal Estimating and CONM 370 Regulatory Environment are offered only in spring.
- HRMA 371 may require MANG 201 Principles of Management as a prerequisite, which is not in the B.S. requirements.
- CMU’s program page names residential, commercial, heavy civil, and industrial construction but does not name the software taught.
B.S. Internship and Field Experience
- Option: CONM 499 Construction Internship (3 credits), planned between junior and senior year; internship courses can be repeated up to 15 credits.
- Alternatives: a student can meet the same requirement with a construction issues course or an independent study instead.
- Support: an engineering-wide internships and jobs page, a construction management club, an advisory board, and student competitions, per CMU.
- Hours, pay, employers, outcomes: not clearly stated.
A student can graduate from this B.S. without construction work experience. Students should take CONM 499 or line up summer work on their own, since employers in the region are not named and no placement data is published.
B.S. Admissions
CMU states no separate admission step for the major.
- Grades: a C or better in every program-specific course, and ENGL 111 with a C or better by 60 credits.
- 3+2 B.S./MBA: students with a 3.25 GPA can apply by March 1 of the spring before a fall start and finish both degrees in five years; the MBA is 36-45 credits.
Tuition
For 2026-27, CMU lists $3,984 per 12-credit semester for Colorado residents after the College Opportunity Fund stipend ($332 per credit), $10,860 for nonresidents ($905), and $6,312 for WUE students ($526), plus about $492 in student fees per 12 credits. First-time students pay a $140 matriculation fee and a $90 orientation fee. CMU Tech career and technical courses carry a lower in-state rate ($182.70 per credit after the stipend). See CMU’s tuition and fees page.
| Charge | Colorado Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Per credit, tuition + fees | $373 | $946 |
| A.A.S. major courses, 46 credits at CMU Tech rate + fees | $10,290 | n/a |
| A.A.S. total, 63 credits (derived) | $16,861 | $59,828 |
| B.S. total, 120 credits (derived) | $44,990 | $113,750 |
| B.S. total at WUE rate (derived) | n/a | $68,270 |
Be aware that:
- The 2026-27 catalog lists a slightly higher resident rate ($336.90 plus $45.80 in fees per credit), which would put the B.S. near $46,150; the estimate uses the Student Accounts figures.
- The out-of-state A.A.S. figure uses the university nonresident rate, since a nonresident CMU Tech rate was not found.
- Resident figures assume the College Opportunity Fund stipend is authorized.
- Course and lab fees for CONC and CONM courses are not listed.
- Graduate tuition for the MBA varies by program and is not included.
Colorado Mesa’s B.S. costs a Colorado resident about $45,000, below the in-state estimates for CSU Pueblo ($51,483), Colorado State ($63,726), and CU Denver ($61,400). Starting with the A.A.S. at the CMU Tech rate lowers the cost of the first two years further.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for students on Colorado’s Western Slope who want to stay in Grand Junction, and for anyone who wants to start in a two-year supervision degree and finish a bachelor’s at the same school.
Western Slope geography. Colorado State, CU Denver, and CSU Pueblo are on the Front Range or in Pueblo. Students in Grand Junction get a bachelor’s without moving across the mountains.
Future contractors and business owners. Managerial finance, business law, HR, and a construction company management course make this degree a fit for students who expect to run or own a firm. Students who want ACCE accreditation and a required internship should compare Colorado State.
Budget-first students. The resident B.S. estimate is below the in-state estimates at CSU Pueblo, Colorado State, and CU Denver, and the A.A.S. route lowers it again for students who start at CMU Tech.
Accreditation and Credentials
Colorado Mesa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which supports credit transfer and federal financial aid eligibility.
Neither the A.A.S. nor the B.S. lists programmatic accreditation. Colorado Mesa does not appear on ACCE’s baccalaureate list (Rev. 2024.03.13), ACCE’s 2024 report lists no Colorado associate programs, and CMU’s pages do not mention ABET for construction management.
The A.A.S. includes a codes and permits course, and both degrees include construction safety and regulations. CMU does not name an embedded certification such as OSHA 10 or 30, and does not state that either degree counts toward a Colorado contractor license.