Department of Construction Management • Siloam Springs, AR • Campus • $1,133.75/Credit (All Students, incl. fees)
John Brown University offers one construction management program: the Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. | $136.1K | 4 years (8 semesters) | 120 |
Tuition estimates use JBU’s 2026-27 flat full-time tuition, general fee, and published course fees.
- Why choose it: JBU students build from their first semester. Four semesters of construction techniques and methods labs lead to a two-semester senior Construction Management sequence in which seniors run a project, supervise underclassmen, and coordinate subcontractors.
- Trade-off: At about $136,000 before aid, the ACCE-accredited B.S. costs roughly three times UA Little Rock’s in-state price for the same accreditation.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | B.S. Construction Management |
| Format | Campus; all CM courses on campus only |
| Campus Location | Siloam Springs, AR (Balzer Technology Center) |
| Credit Hours | 120 (90 major, 30 core) |
| Internship | Required internship course (CM 2440, 0 credits); hours and pay not stated |
| Programmatic Accreditation | ACCE (to 07/2028) |
| Software Taught | VDC/BIM course; software not named |
| Industry Certifications | OSHA 10 in Construction Techniques I; Professional Certification course (1 credit) |
| Math | Trigonometry, Fundamentals of Physics I with lab, Business Statistics |
| Tuition | Flat $16,114/semester for 12-18 credits + $733 general fee; same for all students |
B.S. Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Construction Management at John Brown University is approximately $136,050 (120 credits at $1,133.75/credit, derived from flat tuition plus fees).
The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (8 semesters), following JBU’s published four-year plan.
JBU is a private Christian university in northwest Arkansas, on the Oklahoma line. Its construction degree is built around field work done in class, not only in an outside internship.
B.S. Curriculum
The 90-credit major holds 32 CM course entries (lectures and their labs) worth 54 credits, 12 business, math, and science courses (33 credits), and one 3-credit elective. The remaining 30 credits are JBU’s core, including Bible, theology, and humanities courses.
- Field and methods (4 lecture-lab pairs): Construction Techniques I and II, Construction Methods I and II, starting freshman fall.
- Technical and design (7 courses): Graphic Communication, Surveying, Statics and Strength for Technology, Structural Systems for Buildings, Architectural Design, VDC/BIM, and Mechanical/Electrical Systems.
- Management (9 courses, 24 credits): Introduction to CM, Safety and Quality, Estimating I and II, Construction Contracting, Planning and Scheduling, Construction Management I and II, and Professional Certification.
- Business (7 courses, 21 credits): Financial Accounting, Principles of Management, Marketing, Microeconomics, Business Statistics, Spreadsheet Analytics, and Business Law and Ethics.
- Math and science: Trigonometry (2 credits), Fundamentals of Physics I with lab, and Earth Science.
- Elective (3 credits): Principles of Finance or one of three international business courses.
Counting business courses, the degree leans toward management: 16 management and business courses against 11 technical and design ones. Construction Management I is the senior capstone, covering planning, estimating, procurement, and execution of a real project while supervising underclassmen. Trigonometry and physics put the math above a College Algebra floor, but there is no calculus.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The catalog lists Construction Management II and its lab as required, but the four-year plan lists them as an elective option. The 90-credit major only adds up if they are required.
- The plan’s elective list also includes Wellness, which the catalog does not list.
- The Professional Certification course carries a $200 fee; the certification it prepares for is not clearly stated.
B.S. Internship and Field Experience
- Internship: CM 2440 Construction Internship is required; it carries 0 credits, and hours, pay, and timing are not clearly stated.
- In-class field work: students work on sites from freshman year through the student-run Eagle Construction, per JBU.
- Senior project: Construction Management I has seniors supervise underclassmen and coordinate subcontractors.
- Recruiters named by JBU: Turner, Nabholz, Crossland, Flintco, Caddell, and Rausch Coleman.
- Advisory board: 15 members, including Turner, JE Dunn, Nabholz, Crossland, Caddell, and Kinco.
- Outcomes: JBU claims 100% job placement for new graduates (undated); its teams have placed in the regional ASC/TEXO competition 11 years running, per a 2024 JBU release.
The field experience runs through the coursework itself, which sets JBU apart from UA Little Rock’s 800-hour requirement that students meet on their own. A JBU student gets jobsite time without having to find it; a UA Little Rock student can count an existing job toward graduation.
You Should Know
- A 2009 report described Eagle Construction finishing one house a year for 14 years and pausing when a home went unsold. Current project scale and type are not clearly stated.
B.S. Admissions
Students enter the major as freshmen through regular JBU admission; no separate program gate is stated.
- First semester: Construction Techniques I with lab and Graphic Communication start freshman fall.
- Delivery: every CM course is listed as on campus only; some business and core courses are also offered online.
- Transfer and prior learning: no articulation agreement or experience credit is stated for the major.
Tuition
JBU charges flat full-time tuition of $16,114 per semester for 12 to 18 credits in 2026-27, plus a $733 per-semester general fee. The rate is the same for Arkansas and out-of-state students. See JBU’s tuition and costs page.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition (12-18 credits) | $16,114/semester |
| General fee | $733/semester |
| Tuition and general fee, 8 semesters | $134,776 |
| CM course fees (15 courses) | $1,200 |
| Other required course fees (physics lab, English I and II) | $74 |
| B.S. total (derived) | $136,050 |
| Effective per credit (120 credits) | $1,133.75 |
Be aware that:
- Course fees are from JBU’s 2026-27 fee list; the largest are Construction Safety and Quality ($250) and Professional Certification ($200).
- The plan never exceeds 17 credits a semester, so the 18-credit overload charge ($537/credit) should not apply.
- JBU reports average gift aid of $22,755 per year and says 99% of incoming students received JBU aid; these averages cover all majors.
- Textbooks through the Regal Ready bundle cost $28 per credit unless students opt out.
- Room and board are extra, about $11,056 per year in a residence hall.
- JBU says tuition increases have averaged under 3% per year; the total uses 2026-27 rates for all four years.
The sticker price is about $136,000, roughly $93,000 more than UA Little Rock’s in-state total and $42,000 more than its out-of-state total. With JBU’s average gift aid, the tuition gap narrows sharply, so the net-price calculator matters more here than the published rate.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for students who want to learn by building from the first semester, in a small private Christian setting, and who can bring JBU’s price down with aid.
Freshmen who want site time early. Construction techniques labs start in the first semester, and the senior sequence puts students in charge of a real project. Students who have never worked construction get structured field time without having to find it.
Compared with UA Little Rock. Both B.S. degrees hold ACCE accreditation. UA Little Rock adds ABET, costs far less at sticker price, and credits prior work and exams for experienced workers. JBU puts more trigonometry, physics, and business into the degree and builds the field experience into its courses.
Who it fits less well. Working adults gain little here: there is no online or evening CM coursework, no experience credit, and a full-time flat rate. The Christian core (Bible, theology, and humanities) is required of every student.
Accreditation and Credentials
John Brown University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which supports credit transfer and federal financial aid eligibility.
The B.S. in Construction Management appears on ACCE’s baccalaureate list (Rev. 2024.03.13), last accredited 07/2022 with accreditation expiring 07/2028. JBU’s accreditation page lists ACCE for the program. The construction management major is not listed under ABET; JBU’s ABET accreditation covers its electrical and mechanical engineering programs.
For credentials, Construction Techniques I includes instruction for the OSHA 10-hour card, and the degree requires a 1-credit Professional Certification course. JBU does not state which certification exam that course covers or whether the degree counts toward Arkansas contractor licensing.