Applied Sciences and Technologies • Champaign, IL • Campus • $193/Credit (In-District, incl. fees)
Parkland College offers 2 construction management pathways:
- A.A.S. in Construction Management
- Construction Design and Management Certificate
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.A.S. | $11.6K in-district / $33.2K out-of-state | 2 years (4 semesters + summer) | 60 |
| Certificate | $5.4K in-district / $15.5K out-of-state | 1 year (2 semesters) | 28 |
Tuition estimates use Parkland College’s 2026-27 on-campus per-credit tuition plus activity, registration, facility, and technology fees.
- Why choose it: Parkland’s A.A.S. covers buildings and civil work, with required surveying and infrastructure courses, Revit and Bluebeam training, and a capstone in which students plan a small project for a client and present it to industry professionals.
- Trade-off: The required field experience is a single credit that students can swap for a technical elective, and the A.A.S. costs more in-district than John A. Logan College’s $10,800 degree.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | A.A.S. in Construction Management; Construction Design and Management Certificate |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Location | Champaign (main campus) |
| Credit Hours | 28 (certificate); 60 (A.A.S.) |
| Internship | CIT 230 Construction Field Experience (1 credit) in the A.A.S.; advisor may approve a substitute |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated |
| Software Taught | AutoCAD, Revit, Bluebeam Revu, SketchUp; MicroStation elective |
| Apprenticeship Link | A.A.S. graduates eligible for direct entry into the Mid-America Carpenters apprenticeship |
| Tuition | $193/credit in-district, $436 out-of-district, $553.25 out-of-state (on campus, incl. fees) |
A.A.S. in Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the A.A.S. in Construction Management at Parkland College is approximately $11,580 (60 credits at $193/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (4 semesters plus a summer).
The Construction Management A.A.S. (program code E.CDM.AAS) prepares students for technical, managerial, and supervisory roles in residential, commercial, and civil construction.
A.A.S. Curriculum
- Management courses: CIT 215 Construction Cost Estimating (3), CIT 216 Construction Project Management (3), CIT 257 Construction Management Capstone (3), and MGT 101 Principles of Management (3)
- Building and civil systems: CIT 111 Construction Materials I (3), CIT 118 Introduction to Construction (3), CIT 135 Residential Building Systems (3), CIT 212 Commercial Building Systems (3), and CIT 236 Infrastructure Systems (3)
- Plans, drafting, and surveying: CIT 130 Construction Plan Fundamentals (3), CAD 114 Introduction to AutoCAD (2), CAD 214 BIM with Revit (2), and SRV 113 Basic Surveying (3-4)
- Field experience: CIT 230 Construction Field Experience (1)
- Program electives: 7 credits from civil CAD, MicroStation, construction surveying, plumbing, residential wiring, residential HVAC, and welding courses
- General education: 15 credits, including MAT 131 Applied Mathematics, ENG 101 or ENG 111, a second communications course, and 6 elective credits
Four required courses are management courses, and the rest of the core leans technical, with surveying and an infrastructure course covering earthwork, utilities, and paving. CIT 215 and CIT 216 each pair 2 lecture hours with 2 lab hours, and CIT 130 introduces Bluebeam Revu and SketchUp. Several program electives are trades courses, such as welding, plumbing, and wiring, rather than management courses.
More curriculum details are available in Parkland’s 2026-27 catalog.
You Should Know
- Parkland advises students planning to transfer to take MAT 124 College Algebra instead of MAT 131, and ENG 101 instead of ENG 111.
- Parkland’s 2024-25 sequence listed 63 credits and a 2-credit field experience; the 2026-27 catalog lowers the degree to 60 credits.
A.A.S. Internship and Field Experience
- CIT 230 Construction Field Experience: 1 credit, listed as 10 work hours per week, scheduled for the summer in the sample sequence
- Students must already hold a temporary or permanent construction job before enrolling
- Prerequisites: 15 program credits and approval of the program director or department chair
- A construction faculty advisor can approve a technical elective in its place
The field experience is short and depends on students finding their own construction job, so the capstone does more of the applied work. In CIT 257, students design and plan a small project for a client, prepare shop drawings, estimates, and schedules, and present to industry professionals.
A.A.S. Admissions
- Open admission as a community college
Construction Design and Management Certificate
The estimated tuition for the Construction Design and Management Certificate at Parkland College is approximately $5,404 (28 credits at $193/credit). The program can generally be completed in about 1 year (2 semesters).
The Construction Design and Management Certificate (program code E.BCR.CER) prepares students for entry-level design and management roles.
Certificate Curriculum
- Core: CAD 114 Introduction to AutoCAD (2), CAD 214 BIM with Revit (2), CIT 130 Construction Plan Fundamentals (3), CIT 215 Construction Cost Estimating (3), CIT 216 Construction Project Management (3), and MGT 101 Principles of Management (3)
- Electives: 12 credits from CIT 212 Commercial Building Systems, CIT 236 Infrastructure Systems, CIT 257 Construction Management Capstone, SRV 113 Basic Surveying, MAT 110 Business Mathematics, MicroStation, and civil survey CAD
The certificate keeps the A.A.S.’s estimating, project management, and software courses and drops general education, the field experience, and most building-systems requirements. All of its courses count toward the A.A.S.
You Should Know
- CIT 110 Introduction to Building and Construction Trades appears in the elective list but is restricted to Early College and Career Academy students.
Certificate Internship and Field Experience
No field experience is required; the capstone is available as an elective.
Certificate Admissions
- Same open admission as the A.A.S.
Tuition
Parkland College charges District 505 residents $168.75 per credit hour in 2026-27, plus $24.25 in fees (activity $3.50, registration $1.75, facility $5.00, technology $14.00), for $193 per credit. Construction courses are billed at the standard Tier One rate.
| Item | In-District | Out-of-District | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per credit, on campus (incl. fees) | $193 | $436 | $553.25 |
| A.A.S. (60 credits) | $11,580 | $26,160 | $33,195 |
| Certificate (28 credits) | $5,404 | $12,208 | $15,491 |
See Parkland’s 2026-27 tuition and fees.
Be aware that:
- Most courses carry an additional course fee, listed per section in the class schedule.
- Online classes cost $278 per credit for out-of-district Illinois residents and $315.25 for out-of-state students, well below the on-campus rates.
- Illinois residents outside District 505 may qualify for in-district rates under the Illinois Community College Career Agreement if admitted to a Parkland career program.
In-district students pay about $11.6K plus course fees for the A.A.S., more than Illinois Central College’s $10,020 A.A.S. in nearby East Peoria.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for Champaign-area students who want a construction degree that covers civil site work as well as buildings, with a client-facing capstone.
Civil and building coverage: Surveying, infrastructure systems, and civil CAD electives sit alongside residential and commercial building courses, which fits students aiming for site, road, or utility contractors as well as building firms.
Next steps: A.A.S. graduates are eligible for direct entry into the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council apprenticeship. For a bachelor’s, SIUE and Eastern Illinois University both publish construction transfer guides for Parkland students.
Accreditation and Credentials
Parkland 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.
Parkland doesn’t name an embedded industry certification in either program. It doesn’t state that its credentials count toward a contractor license; Illinois has no statewide general contractor license.