Department of Engineering and Engineering Technology, College of Aerospace, Computing, Engineering, and Design • Denver, CO • Campus • $399/Credit (In-State, incl. fees, derived)
Metropolitan State University of Denver offers one construction management program, the B.A. in Construction Project Management, taught in person on the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver.
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.A. | $47.9K in-state / $131.8K out-of-state | 4 years (8 semesters) | 120 |
Tuition estimates use MSU Denver’s 2026-27 per-credit tuition after the College Opportunity Fund stipend plus mandatory fees.
- Why choose it: MSU Denver’s B.A. accepts lower-division transfer credit for completed U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeships, Denver Public Schools training, and Emily Griffith Technical College programs, and apprenticeship credit replaces the required internship.
- Trade-off: The degree is heavily management and business (17 required courses against 6 technical ones), with no algebra or trigonometry requirement and no structures course, and it holds no ACCE or ABET accreditation.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | B.A. Construction Project Management |
| Format | Campus (in person, per the catalog) |
| Campus Location | Auraria Campus, downtown Denver |
| Credit Hours | 120 |
| Internship | Required (CPM 3980, 3 credits) unless the student brings apprenticeship credit |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated |
| Transfer Pathway | Lower-division credit for DOL Registered Apprenticeships, DPS, and Emily Griffith Technical College training |
| Math | One quantitative literacy course; Introduction to Statistics recommended |
| Tuition | $326.25/credit in-state after COF, $1,024.70 out-of-state, $663.40 WUE, plus fees |
B.A. Construction Project Management
The estimated tuition for the B.A. in Construction Project Management at Metropolitan State University of Denver is approximately $47,937 in-state or $131,751 out-of-state (120 credits at $326.25 or $1,024.70 per credit, plus mandatory fees, derived).
The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (8 semesters), per MSU Denver’s four-year plan.
B.A. Curriculum
The 120 credits include 33 credits of general studies, 49 credits of required CPM courses, 18 credits of business and real estate requirements, a 3-credit senior experience, and 14-20 credits of electives or a minor.
- Project management: CPM 3120 Project Delivery and Scheduling, CET 3110 Construction Estimating, CPM 3300 Construction Documents, CPM 4000 Project Closeout, Commissioning, and Handoff, and the CPM 4925 Project Controls senior experience.
- Facilities management: CPM 1100 Introduction to Facilities Management and CPM 3020 Facilities Maintenance and Operations.
- Technical: CET 3100 Construction Methods and Materials, CPM 2000 Engineering Principles for Construction Managers, CPM 2100 Blueprint Reading, CPM 2200 Surveying, CPM 3040 Soils and Concrete, and CPM 2010 Building Technology and Software.
- Safety and law: CPM 3000 Workplace Safety and CET 4570 Engineering Law.
- Business and real estate (18 credits): accounting, Business and Professional Speaking, macro- or microeconomics, Legal Environment of Business I, Organizational Management, and REL 2200 Real Estate Principles.
- Math: one 3-credit quantitative literacy course, with Introduction to Statistics recommended.
- Recommended electives: Project Management, Supply Chain, Operations, Human Resources, Business Risk, Engineering Economy, Building Structures, and Team Project Experience; a Business, Architecture, or Spanish minor is suggested.
The degree is built for the business side of construction: 17 management, business, law, and facilities courses against 6 technical courses. Facilities management, real estate, and a closeout and commissioning course point graduates toward owner’s representative, facilities, and project controls roles as well as general contracting. There is no algebra, trigonometry, statics, or structural course in the requirements.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- Every course in the program needs a C or better.
- MSU Denver’s Fall 2025 four-year planning sheet lists a 9-credit CET 3980 internship and several management courses that the catalog shows as electives; the catalog requirements are used here.
- The department’s older planning sheets describe Management, Facilities Management, and CIS concentrations as B.S. degrees; the current catalog lists one B.A. with no concentrations.
B.A. Internship and Field Experience
- Requirement: CPM 3980 Industry Internship, 3 credits, in an approved construction industry placement.
- Additional credit: students can take up to 9 internship credits, with the extra counting as electives.
- Exemption: students who transfer in apprenticeship credit do not need the internship.
- Career prep: CPM 2950 Career Preparedness (1 credit).
- Hours, pay, employers, outcomes: not clearly stated.
For a student coming from high school, the 3-credit internship is the only required field experience, so taking extra internship credit as electives is worth planning. For an apprentice, the trade experience counts instead, which shortens the path to the degree.
B.A. Admissions
Apprentices and technical college completers should have their training reviewed before enrolling, since credit is decided by the department.
- Entry: through MSU Denver admission; no separate application to the major is stated.
- Prior training: DOL Registered Apprenticeships, Denver Public Schools (School District No. 1), and Emily Griffith Technical College training may earn lower-division transfer credit, usable only in this major.
- Credit amount: the number of credits awarded is not clearly stated.
Tuition
For 2026-27, MSU Denver charges Colorado residents $442.25 per credit, or $326.25 after the College Opportunity Fund stipend; nonresidents pay $1,024.70 and WUE students $663.40. A 15-credit semester costs a resident $5,973.32 with mandatory fees. A one-time $150 matriculation fee applies. See MSU Denver’s tuition and fees page.
| Charge | Colorado Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Semester, 15 credits (tuition + mandatory fees) | $5,973.32 | $16,450.07 |
| Tuition, 120 credits | $39,150 | $122,964 |
| Mandatory fees, 8 semesters, plus matriculation | $8,787 | $8,787 |
| B.A. total (derived) | $47,937 | $131,751 |
| B.A. total at WUE rate (derived) | n/a | $88,395 |
Be aware that:
- The resident figure assumes the College Opportunity Fund stipend is authorized.
- Apprenticeship or technical college credit lowers the cost by the credits awarded; the amount is not published.
- No program or differential fee for CPM courses is listed in the fee schedule.
MSU Denver and CU Denver share the Auraria Campus, and for a Colorado resident MSU Denver’s B.A. costs about $13,500 less than CU Denver’s B.S. in Construction Management ($61,400). The trade is accreditation and depth: CU Denver’s degree is ABET-accredited and includes statics and a business block, while MSU Denver’s leans further toward management and facilities.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for Denver apprentices, tradespeople, and technical college graduates who want a bachelor’s that credits their training.
Apprentices and Emily Griffith graduates. MSU Denver names DOL Registered Apprenticeships and Emily Griffith Technical College as sources of transfer credit in its catalog, and apprenticeship credit also replaces the internship.
Owner’s side and facilities careers. Two facilities management courses, real estate principles, and a closeout and commissioning course suit students aiming at owner’s representative, facilities, or property roles rather than field engineering.
Students who want engineering depth. They should compare CU Denver on the same campus, or Colorado State for ACCE accreditation, since this B.A. has no structures, statics, or algebra-based math requirement.
Accreditation and Credentials
Metropolitan State University of Denver is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which supports credit transfer and federal financial aid eligibility.
The B.A. lists no programmatic accreditation. MSU Denver does not appear on ACCE’s baccalaureate list (Rev. 2024.03.13), and the program does not claim ABET accreditation.
MSU Denver says students earn “industry-recognized” credentials during the program but does not name them, and it does not state that the degree counts toward any Colorado contractor license.