College of Engineering, J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management Program • San Diego, CA • Campus • $326/Credit (In-State, incl. fees)
San Diego State offers one construction management program: the B.S. in Construction Management.
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. | $39.1K in-state / $95.6K out-of-state | 4 years (8 semesters plus 1 summer term) | 120 |
Tuition estimates use San Diego State’s 2026-27 tuition and campus fees for full-time undergraduates; out-of-state adds $471 per unit.
- Why choose it: San Diego State’s B.S. pairs a sophomore-year virtual design and construction course with a dedicated preconstruction management course and real estate development electives, framed around infrastructure and resilient construction.
- Trade-off: The program graduated its first class in May 2024 and is not yet programmatically accredited, admission is impacted with a 2.5 GPA gate, and no internship is required.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | B.S. in Construction Management |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Location | San Diego, CA |
| Credit Hours | 120 (99 in major preparation and major) |
| Internship | Not required |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None yet; ABET Applied and Natural Science accreditation sought, expected Fall 2027 per SDSU |
| Software Taught | CON E 215 Virtual Design and Construction; specific software not named |
| Industry Certifications | None embedded |
| Admission | Impacted; C or better in five prerequisite courses and a 2.5 GPA |
| Tuition | $9,780 per year in-state, tuition plus campus fees (2026-27) |
B.S. in Construction Management
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Construction Management at San Diego State is approximately $39,120 in-state (120 credits at $326/credit, derived from 8 semesters at $4,890).
The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (8 semesters plus 1 summer term).
The B.S. in Construction Management combines 55 units of major preparation with at least 44 upper-division units, and prepares students to manage resilient infrastructure, such as airports, bridges, dams, roads, and water systems, alongside commercial and housing projects, per SDSU. The out-of-state estimate is about $95,640.
B.S. Curriculum
Upper-division courses are open only to students admitted to the major after clearing impaction.
- Estimating, controls, and preconstruction (7 courses, 21 units): CON E 215 Virtual Design and Construction, CON E 320 Construction Estimating, CON E 340 Analysis and Design of Construction Operations, CON M 350 Construction Project Controls, CON M 400 Preconstruction Management, CON E 401 Construction Planning and Scheduling, and CON E 590 Construction Management and Safety.
- Construction foundations (6 courses, 16 units): CON E 101 Construction and Culture, CON M 102 Fundamentals of Construction Management, CON E 201 Construction Concepts and Building Codes, CON E 240 Introduction to Construction Materials, CON E 280 Construction Methods, and CON E 312 Mechanical and Electrical Principles for Construction.
- Engineering and site (5 courses, 15 units): CIV E 218 Surveying, CIV E 225 Mechanics for Civil Engineers, CIV E 301 Introduction to Solid Mechanics, CON M 262 Soil Mechanics, and ENV E 320 Designing Solutions for Environmental Problems.
- Law, ethics, and capstone (3 courses, 9 units): CON E 301 Construction Ethics, Law, and Contracts, PHIL 101 Ethics, and CON M 495W Construction Management Capstone Project.
- Business and economics (4 courses, 12 units): ACCTG 201 Financial Accounting Fundamentals, ECON 101 or 102 Principles of Economics, CON E 330 Principles of Engineering Economy, and B A 350 Management and Organizational Behavior.
- Math and science (6 courses, 21 units): MATH 150 Calculus I, STAT 119 Elementary Statistics for Business, PHYS 180A and 180B Fundamentals of Physics with lab, CHEM 100 or 103 chemistry, and BIOL 100 or GEOL 100.
- Technical electives (5 units): 2 units of CON E 499 Special Study plus one of supply chain management, environmentally conscious construction, human resource management, real estate principles, or real estate development.
San Diego State puts virtual design and construction in the sophomore year and adds a dedicated preconstruction management course, a topic most construction management majors fold into estimating. Environmental engineering and real estate development electives fit students headed toward infrastructure owners or developers.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The 4-year roadmap includes a 3-unit summer course to reach 120 units; summer costs are not included in the estimate.
- Several major courses are offered only in fall or only in spring, including the capstone (spring), so falling out of sequence can delay graduation.
- Students follow the catalog in effect when they are accepted into the premajor.
- The catalog does not describe what the required 2 units of CON E 499 Special Study involve.
B.S. Internship and Field Experience
- Required: No internship, practicum, or co-op appears in the catalog.
- Capstone: CON M 495W Construction Management Capstone Project, which also satisfies the university writing requirement.
- Special study: 2 required units of CON E 499; content not described.
- Hours, pay, and employer partners: Not clearly stated.
Without a required internship, field experience depends on summer work, which the roadmap’s summer course can compete with. The capstone and special study units provide project work on campus.
B.S. Admissions
Construction Management is an impacted major, so students enter as premajors and must meet impaction criteria before upper-division courses.
- Prerequisite grades: C or better, not credit/no credit, in CIV E 225, CHEM 100 or 103, MATH 150, PHYS 180A, and PHYS 180B.
- GPA: a 2.5 overall cumulative GPA.
- Math: the roadmap starts MATH 150 Calculus I in the first semester.
Tuition
For 2026-27, San Diego State lists $9,780 per year in tuition and campus fees for full-time California resident undergraduates, or $4,890 per semester. Nonresidents add $471 per unit.
| Item (2026-27, full-time) | Per year | Per semester (derived) |
|---|---|---|
| CSU tuition | $6,838 | $3,419 |
| Campus fees | $2,942 | $1,471 |
| Total, in-state | $9,780 | $4,890 |
| Nonresident tuition | +$471 per unit | |
- B.S. estimate: 8 × $4,890 = $39,120 in-state (derived).
- Out-of-state: $39,120 + 120 units × $471 ($56,520) = $95,640 (derived).
Be aware that:
- The roadmap’s summer course is billed separately and is not in the estimate.
- Students at SDSU’s Imperial Valley campus pay $1,040 less per year, though the program is offered in San Diego.
- CSU tuition has risen each year, so later years may cost more.
- Housing, meals, books, and course materials are not included.
At about $39,100 in-state, San Diego State costs more than Sacramento State and Chico State, but well under Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. See San Diego State’s 2026-27 cost of attendance.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
San Diego State fits San Diego-area students who want construction management with an infrastructure and preconstruction focus, and who are comfortable with a program still building its accreditation record.
Headed toward infrastructure or development? Soil mechanics, environmental engineering, preconstruction, and real estate development electives point graduates toward public works owners, civil contractors, and developers.
Need accreditation now? SDSU expects ABET accreditation around Fall 2027. Students who want an accredited degree today can compare Cal Poly Pomona or CSUN, both ABET-accredited and lower in cost.
Want guaranteed field experience? San Diego State requires none, so students should plan summer jobs early or compare CSU Long Beach, which requires fieldwork.
Accreditation and Credentials
San Diego State University is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, which supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer.
The B.S. in Construction Management is not yet programmatically accredited. SDSU says the program graduated its first class in May 2024 and will seek accreditation from ABET’s Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission in the next cycle, expected in Fall 2027. The program does not appear on ACCE’s baccalaureate list (Rev. 2024.03.13).
The same program office also runs a B.S. in Construction Engineering, which SDSU says is ABET accredited; it is not profiled here. The B.S. in Construction Management embeds no industry certification.