Different companies have different construction manager requirements. You want to ensure you have a well-rounded knowledge of concepts in construction management so that you can adapt to the company’s preferences for managing construction projects.

Pursuing a degree in construction management is the ideal choice to ensure you have the educational understanding necessary to manage complex construction projects. Gaining an understanding of critical elements through an accredited degree program will help you satisfy the requirements of the company you join.

Find out more about the baseline educational requirements that every construction manager should possess.

Educational Concepts to Learn in Construction Management

Aspiring construction managers should walk away from their academic program with a strong understanding of the following core areas of construction management.

Communication Skills

One of the most important aspects of any job description for a construction manager is the ability to communicate effectively.

Communication in the construction industry goes beyond simply telling employees and workers what to do during the life of a project. Instead, it involves communicating with clients, vendors, government agencies, employees, and other stakeholders involved in the construction process.

In addition to verbal communication that must take place, project managers must also know how to handle written communications and generate reports that are critical for each project.

Engineering Concepts

While you will likely subcontract certain parts of the construction process out to other general contractors, it’s important that you have a working knowledge of various engineering concepts that will come into play throughout the lifespan of the project.

Soil mechanics, air and fluid mechanics, material strength, and electricity are all involved in the construction process. While you can hire experienced professionals to handle those aspects, you still need to know how things should work and be able to communicate with third parties involved in each project.

Management Skills

Long before the first footer is poured, and even as support beams are being hoisted into place, there is a lot of paperwork that goes into a construction project. Knowing about different contract types, contract delivery methods, and how to operate ethically in business settings is a vital component of a successful construction management career.

Additionally, it’s crucial to monitor the profitability of a project. If you are serving as a construction manager and your supervisor wants to know about the accounting associated with a building project, you need to be able to provide them with that information. 

Completing your education in construction management ensures that you have strong management skills to support the work that needs to happen beyond the job site.

Materials, Methods, Project Modeling, and Visualization

Knowing how to use the equipment that you have on a job site is one of the foundational concepts of construction project management.

Obviously, the men and women who make up your construction crew are the most important resource that you have. However, most construction companies, especially those who tackle larger projects, have a lot of money invested in the equipment that they use.

As a construction manager, you need to understand the cost associated with using different pieces of equipment, how to use it safely, and much more. Pursuing higher education and additional certifications will help with this area.

Bidding and Estimating

Another important role of a construction manager is the ability to provide an estimate to potential clients. Not only do accurate estimates ensure that the company isn’t losing money on a job, but handling this step correctly will help you establish a good reputation among clients.

Ethics is critical for this stage of the construction project. If you provide estimates and then charge the client a significantly higher price for the project, it won’t take long for clients to stop choosing your company because of unethical dealings.

However, if you quote prices that are too low, you may earn a lot of work, but your company will struggle to remain profitable. Knowing how to bid on jobs will help sustain your career.

Planning

In order to be a successful construction manager, you must be proactive instead of reactive. So much of the construction process involves careful planning; as a construction manager, that planning falls on your shoulders.

First of all, you will need to have financial plans in place. Budgeting, controlling costs, and finalizing costs ensure that the project is profitable.

Additionally, you will need to put a plan in place regarding your labor schedule. You can’t afford to understaff a project, as it will lead to missing deadlines. You also can’t overstaff the project, as you will end up paying people to stand around. Proper planning will help you find the sweet spot.

Understanding Codes

You will need to be familiar with building codes and safety codes. Safety codes ensure that you’re protecting every member of your team, which is not only the ethical thing to do, it’s also the financially responsible thing to do. Knowledge of codes will help reduce lost time incidents that otherwise would result in significant financial loss.

Additionally, you will need to understand local, state, and federal building codes. These codes dictate every part of the construction process, so you will need to know how to understand and implement them.

Completely Satisfy Construction Manager Requirements with Our Exam

When you reach the end of your construction management degree program, it’s important to obtain your degree to prove that you completed the program. But, there is one additional element that we believe is essential before entering the workforce.

We recommend that construction management students sit for our Certified Associate Constructor (CAC) Level I exam to validate their understanding of construction management concepts.

We work directly with colleges and universities to include the CAC exam as a capstone requirement to complete a degree program. Passing the exam provides assurance to a future employer that you have completed construction manager requirements and are prepared to enter the workforce with confidence.

Find out more about the CAC exam on our website. If your college or university does not offer the exam as part of your program, contact us to discuss options to sit for the exam. Our team is eager to work with you to put your construction management career on the fast track.