Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics • Tucson, AZ • Campus • $491/Credit (In-State, incl. fees, derived)
The University of Arizona offers 2 construction management pathways:
- B.S. in Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Management (CEM) emphasis
- Undergraduate Certificate in Construction Engineering Management
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.S. | $62.8K in-state / $187.8K out-of-state | 4 years (8 semesters) | 128-132 |
| Certificate | $7.9K in-state / $23.5K out-of-state | 1-2 semesters | 12 |
Tuition estimates use the University of Arizona’s 2026-27 flat full-time tuition, mandatory fees, and College of Engineering college fee.
- Why choose it: Selected first-year engineering students can land a paid heavy-civil construction internship after freshman year through the UA Beavers program, with OSHA 10 and Bluebeam training built into a spring prep seminar.
- Trade-off: The CEM emphasis is not a catalog subplan. It is a set of electives inside an ABET civil engineering degree, so construction coursework tops out at about four courses (12 units) out of 128.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | B.S. in Civil Engineering (CEM emphasis); Undergraduate Certificate |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Location | Main campus, Tucson |
| Credit Hours | 128-132 (B.S., advised plan); 12 (certificate) |
| Internship | Not required; optional paid Beavers internship from freshman year |
| Programmatic Accreditation | B.S. Civil Engineering: ABET EAC; not ACCE |
| Software Taught | Primavera P6, Bluebeam (per CEM program); BIM elective in certificate |
| Industry Certifications | OSHA 10 in CE 199 (Beavers participants only) |
| Math Requirement | Calculus I-II, vector calculus, differential equations (B.S.) |
| Advanced Standing | 2.25 GPA in foundation coursework before 300/400-level courses |
| Tuition | $15,706/yr in-state; $46,938/yr out-of-state (incl. fees) |
B.S. in Civil Engineering, CEM Emphasis
The estimated tuition for the B.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of Arizona is approximately $62,824 in-state (8 semesters at $7,853 flat full-time rate, about $491/credit at 128 units).
The program can generally be completed in about 4 years (8 semesters).
The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering is a full ABET-accredited engineering degree. The Construction Engineering Management emphasis is how students point its electives toward construction.
B.S. Curriculum
The catalog lists no subplans for this degree. Construction content comes from one core slot and the technical electives.
- Construction core slot: CE 381 Construction Engineering Management (3), which shares a Core I slot with CHEE 270
- Construction electives: CE 482 Planning, Scheduling and Control; CE 483 Cost Estimating; CE 485 Equipment and Methods (3 each)
- Elective budget: 15 technical-elective units (6 design-oriented + 9 general)
- Math: Calculus I-II, MATH 223 Vector Calculus, MATH 254 Differential Equations
- Engineering science: Statics, Mechanics of Solids, Mechanics of Fluids, Numerical Analysis, Probability and Statistics
- Civil core: Structural Analysis, Concrete or Steel Design, Soil Mechanics, Foundation Engineering, Hydraulics, Transportation and Pavement Design
- Field and drafting: CE 251 Elementary Surveying, CE 210 Engineering Graphics
- Capstone: CE 408A Issues in Civil Engineering Practice and CE 408B Senior Capstone Design
Count by type: about four construction-management courses (12 units, roughly 9% of 128) against 30-plus engineering science and civil design courses. This is an engineering degree with a construction tilt, not a management degree. Students gain design depth and a PE-track credential. They get less estimating, contracts, and business coursework than a dedicated CM major.
More curriculum details are available here.
B.S. Internship and Field Experience
- Required: No internship is required for the degree
- UA Beavers Heavy Construction Internship: selective; freshmen apply each fall and meet the program director
- Prep seminar: CE 199 in spring covers plan and spec reading, OSHA 10, Bluebeam, and Excel for construction
- Placement: resumes go to industry partners, who make independent hiring decisions
- Paid status: summer field or office internships are paid, per UA
- Continuation: participants can pursue internships each summer through junior year
- Program supporters named by UA: Granite Construction, Sundt Construction, KE&G Construction, Ashton Contractors and Engineers
- Clubs: AGC and DBIA student chapters, UA Heavy Civil Team
A paid construction internship after freshman year can mean three summers of jobsite experience before graduation. That matters for field engineer and project engineer hiring. The catch is selectivity. Students not chosen for Beavers find internships on their own through Handshake, AGC, or DBIA job boards.
B.S. Admissions
First-year students enter the College of Engineering with no major selected and must earn advanced standing before upper-division courses.
- Apply to UA and select Engineering; admission uses comprehensive review
- Math placement (ALEKS) is required; engineering students typically start in calculus
- Advanced standing requires a 2.25 GPA in foundation coursework
- Students with 3 or more D grades in 300-level core courses cannot advance to 400-level courses
- Transfer students apply directly to the major; UA points to Arizona Transfer Admissions Pathways
- Major requirements: 70 units in the major, 56 upper-division, 2.0 major GPA, 18 units in residence
You Should Know
- The CEM emphasis does not appear as a catalog subplan, so it may not print on the diploma or transcript. Confirm with CAEM advising.
- A student can graduate with zero construction courses by taking CHEE 270 and non-construction electives. The emphasis depends on elective choices.
- The Accelerated Master’s Program allows a B.S. plus M.S. or M.Eng. in civil engineering in as few as five years. UA does not position either master’s as a construction management degree.
Undergraduate Certificate in Construction Engineering Management
The estimated tuition for the Undergraduate Certificate at the University of Arizona is approximately $7,853 in-state (12 units as one full-time semester, derived).
The program can generally be completed in about 1-2 semesters.
The Construction Engineering Management Undergraduate Certificate brings the CEM courses to students outside civil and architectural engineering. CAEM majors are not eligible.
Certificate Curriculum
- Core (3 units): CE 381 Construction Engineering Management
- Remaining core (6 units): CE 482 Scheduling, CE 483 Cost Estimating, CE 485 Equipment and Methods, or internship (CE 393/493)
- Supplementary (3 units): ARCE 210 Building Information Modeling, CE 251 Elementary Surveying, another CEM course, or internship
- Rules: 12 units minimum, 9 upper-division, 2.0 GPA, 6 units at UA
- Delivery: courses are in person; campus attendance is required
The certificate is almost entirely management content: procurement, takeoff and estimating, scheduling, cash flow, RFIs and change orders, and equipment costs. It pairs well with architecture, business, real estate, or other engineering majors. Graduate-level versions (CE 582/583/585) can apply toward a UA M.S. or M.Eng., per CAEM.
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Internship and Field Experience
- Required: No
- Credit: up to 3 internship units may count (CE 293/393/493/593)
- Limit: internship credit is limited to students without a bachelor’s degree, per CAEM
- Hours, paid status, placement support: not clearly stated
The certificate includes site visits, guest speakers, and industry plans and documents in coursework. Without a required internship, field readiness depends on what the student arranges outside class.
Certificate Admissions
CE 381 requires advanced standing, which makes this a junior- and senior-level add-on rather than an entry credential.
- Intended for undergraduates with advanced standing in related majors
- CAEM also lists working architecture, engineering, and construction employees as an audience
- Students in UA civil or architectural engineering are not eligible
You Should Know
- How a working professional enrolls (non-degree status, prerequisites, per-unit pricing) is not clearly stated.
- A UA certificate proposal for this program states that UA undergraduate and graduate certificates are not approved as federal financial aid eligible programs. Confirm aid before enrolling as a stand-alone certificate student.
- CAEM’s course list and the catalog structure differ in presentation; the catalog’s core-plus-supplementary rules govern.
Tuition
UA charges flat full-time undergraduate tuition, not a per-credit rate. For 2026-27, in-state tuition is $12,168 per year and out-of-state is $42,600. Mandatory fees add $1,738 per year for both.
| Charge (2026-27, annual) | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| Base tuition | $12,168 | $42,600 |
| Mandatory fees | $1,738 | $1,738 |
| College of Engineering college fee (Tier 4) | $1,800 | $2,600 |
| Annual total | $15,706 | $46,938 |
| B.S., 8 semesters (derived) | $62,824 | $187,752 |
| Certificate, one full-time semester (derived) | $7,853 | $23,469 |
Effective in-state cost is about $491 per credit at 128 units (derived: $62,824 ÷ 128). Rates are from the UA Bursar FY 2027 tuition chart and UA’s college fee schedule.
Be aware that:
- A one-time $20 first-year student fee applies to new freshmen.
- Main campus undergraduates are in UA’s Guaranteed Tuition Program, which holds tuition and mandatory fees for 8 continuous semesters.
- UA has announced a tuition and mandatory fee freeze for all undergraduates in 2027-28.
- Whether the college fee is covered by the guarantee is not clearly stated.
- The B.S. total assumes 8 semesters; a ninth semester adds about $7,853 in-state.
- For current UA students, the certificate adds no tuition when its courses fit inside a full-time load. The $7,853 figure applies only to a stand-alone 12-unit semester.
- Per-unit pricing for part-time or non-degree certificate students is not clearly stated.
The engineering college fee is the item families miss. UA’s headline $13,900 in-state figure excludes it, so the real in-state number for this degree is $15,706 per year. Out-of-state students pay about three times as much, which makes residency the biggest cost variable.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Best suited for students who want an engineering license path and a construction career, and who can handle calculus through differential equations.
What it gains: An ABET EAC civil engineering degree keeps the FE exam and PE route open. The Beavers program offers paid heavy-civil experience from the first summer, and CEM courses teach P6 and Bluebeam. UA reports average Arizona starting salaries in the $70,000s for construction managers.
What it gives up: Management depth. Four construction courses cannot match a full CM major in estimating, contracts, law, and finance. Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University both hold ACCE-accredited construction management bachelor’s programs (ACCE list Rev. 2024.03.13), which suit students who want management over design.
What it does not solve: Working adults. Everything is in person in Tucson, and the certificate’s enrollment route for non-students is unclear. Students not selected for Beavers still need to find internships on their own.
Accreditation and Credentials
The University of Arizona is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation supports credit transfer and federal financial aid eligibility.
The B.S. in Civil Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, per UA. That accreditation supports the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and later Professional Engineer licensure. The CEM emphasis and the certificate are not separately accredited. The University of Arizona does not appear on the ACCE baccalaureate list (Rev. 2024.03.13); ACCE accredits construction management degrees, not civil engineering degrees.
Credential relevance: Beavers participants earn OSHA 10 in CE 199. CAEM states that certificate coursework can count as professional development hours toward licensure. No embedded LEED, AIC, or Procore credential is stated.