Construction Management • Crystal Lake, IL • Campus / Hybrid • $143.25/Credit (In-District, incl. fees)
McHenry County College offers 2 construction management pathways:
- A.A.S. in Construction Management
- Construction Management Certificate
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.A.S. | $8.6K in-district / $34.4K out-of-state | 2 years (4 semesters) | 60 |
| Certificate | $3.4K in-district / $13.8K out-of-state | 1 year (2 semesters) | 24 |
Tuition estimates use McHenry County College’s fall 2026 per-credit tuition plus technology and infrastructure fees.
- Why choose it: McHenry’s A.A.S. pairs a building codes course with a dedicated project delivery course covering design-bid-build, CM at risk, design-build, and integrated project delivery, and many of its courses run in 8-week blended or online formats.
- Trade-off: The internship is an elective rather than a requirement, and the A.A.S. has no published transfer guide into a construction management bachelor’s; its named bachelor’s route is Northern Illinois University’s B.S. in Technology.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | A.A.S. in Construction Management; Construction Management Certificate |
| Format | Campus; many courses offered in 8-week blended or flexible online formats |
| Campus Location | Crystal Lake (main campus) |
| Credit Hours | 24 (certificate); 60 (A.A.S.) |
| Internship | Elective: CMT 250 (1-3 credits, 80 hours per credit) |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated |
| Software Taught | AutoCAD; estimating and scheduling software; AEC document software |
| Transfer Pathway | NIU B.S. in Technology (online degree completion) |
| Tuition | $143.25/credit in-district, $453.67 out-of-district, $573.69 out-of-state (incl. fees) |
A.A.S. in Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the A.A.S. in Construction Management at McHenry County College is approximately $8,595 (60 credits at $143.25/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (4 semesters).
The Construction Management A.A.S. prepares students for entry-level assistant project manager and project engineer roles with general and specialty contractors.
A.A.S. Curriculum
- Management courses: CMT 201 Construction Estimating (3), CMT 203 Construction Planning and Scheduling (3), CMT 205 Construction Project Management (3), and ARC 123 AEC Project Delivery (3)
- Technical courses: CMT 105 Intro to Residential Construction (3), CMT 107 Intro to Commercial Construction (3), CMT 109 Intro to MEP Building Systems (3), and CMT 120 Building Codes and Enforcement (3)
- Documents and software: ARC 121 AEC Construction Documents (3), ARC 125 AEC Productivity Software (3), and EGT 151 Technical Drawing AutoCAD I (3)
- Business: one of ACC 151 Financial Accounting, BUS 150 Introduction to Business, or MGT 150 Principles of Management (3)
- Program electives: 9 credits from ARC, CMT, or HVA courses or a short list including AutoCAD II and III, SolidWorks, and IMT 116 Industrial Safety Management; options include CMT 125 Survey Layout and Measurement and the CMT 250 internship
- General education: 15 credits; the sample pathway uses ENG 151, COM 151, MAT 106 Applied Mathematics I, SOC 151, and ART 151
Of the 11 required construction and design courses, four are management courses (estimating, scheduling, project management, and project delivery methods) and three cover construction documents, AEC software, and AutoCAD. The math in the sample pathway is applied math, so students planning a bachelor’s should check the receiving school’s math requirement early.
More curriculum details are available in McHenry’s 2026-27 catalog.
You Should Know
- McHenry’s program page describes many courses as 8-week blended or flexible online, but the catalog doesn’t mark which sections run that way; check the course schedule each term.
- The program page says the degree supports preparation for certification tests, but the catalog doesn’t name an embedded industry certification.
A.A.S. Internship and Field Experience
- CMT 250 CMT Internship is an elective, 1 to 3 credits, repeatable once for up to 6 credits
- Each credit requires at least 80 contact hours with a cooperating employer
- McHenry’s program page also mentions workplace tours and field trips
Because the internship counts toward the 9 elective credits, students can build up to 6 credits of work experience into the degree without adding time. Students who skip it graduate with no required field experience.
A.A.S. Admissions
- Open admission as a community college
- At least 15 credits of program coursework must be taken at McHenry
Construction Management Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Construction Management Certificate at McHenry County College is approximately $3,438 (24 credits at $143.25/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1 year (2 semesters).
The Construction Management Certificate covers construction documents, project delivery, software, and building methods, and McHenry says it prepares students for International Code Council exams.
Certificate Curriculum
- Core: ARC 121 AEC Construction Documents (3), ARC 123 AEC Project Delivery (3), ARC 125 AEC Productivity Software (3), CMT 105 Intro to Residential Construction (3), and CMT 107 Intro to Commercial Construction (3)
- Choose one: CMT 109 Intro to MEP Building Systems or CMT 120 Building Codes and Enforcement (3)
- Electives: 6 credits from ARC, CMT, or HVA courses, AutoCAD I or II, or HRT 161 Landscape Design
All certificate core courses also count toward the A.A.S., so certificate graduates can continue into the degree. The certificate doesn’t require the estimating, scheduling, or project management courses, which sit in the A.A.S. only.
You Should Know
- Students aiming for the ICC exams should choose CMT 120 Building Codes and Enforcement in the choose-one slot.
Certificate Internship and Field Experience
No internship is required, though CMT courses can fill the elective credits.
Certificate Admissions
- Same open admission as the A.A.S.
Tuition
McHenry County College charges $126.50 per credit hour for District 528 residents in fall 2026, plus a $9.00 technology fee and a $7.75 infrastructure fee, for $143.25 per credit. Out-of-district tuition is $436.92 and out-of-state tuition is $556.94 per credit before the same fees.
| Item | In-District | Out-of-District | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per credit (incl. fees) | $143.25 | $453.67 | $573.69 |
| A.A.S. (60 credits) | $8,595 | $27,220 | $34,421 |
| Certificate (24 credits) | $3,438 | $10,888 | $13,769 |
See McHenry’s tuition and fees page.
Be aware that:
- McHenry’s program page estimates additional costs of $2,970 for the A.A.S. and $1,328 for the certificate.
- Online courses cost $126.50 per credit for all students regardless of residency, plus a $15 online course fee; blended courses add a $7.50 fee.
- McHenry’s program page shows out-of-district and out-of-state totals from tuition alone, so its figures run lower than this page’s.
In-district students pay about $8.6K for the A.A.S., or about $11.6K with McHenry’s estimate of additional costs. That is below College of DuPage’s in-district A.A.S. of about $9.9K to $10.2K.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for McHenry County residents who want a low-cost construction management degree with codes, project delivery, and AEC software, on a schedule that fits around work.
Codes and delivery methods: CMT 120 covers building, zoning, and environmental codes, and ARC 123 covers delivery methods from design-bid-build to integrated project delivery.
Bachelor’s plans: NIU’s online B.S. in Technology accepts the Construction Management A.A.S. as an approved technology program, applying up to 43 credits. Students who want a construction management bachelor’s should compare that route with Joliet Junior College’s A.A.S., which has published guides into three construction bachelor’s programs.
Accreditation and Credentials
McHenry County College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which supports credit transfer and federal financial aid eligibility.
The construction programs carry no programmatic accreditation, and ACCE’s associate list includes no Illinois programs.
McHenry says the certificate prepares students for International Code Council exams and can lead toward work as a building inspector. It doesn’t state that its credentials count toward a contractor license; Illinois has no statewide general contractor license.