Thoughts on construction science degree - what school?

[andre3k]

Degrees and college grads are a dime a dozen now. I say go for the school that offers that major and will offer the most scholarship money.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[CJ776]

I have a Civil Engineering degree from A&M. I started working for an engineering firm my sophomore year in college during summers and Christmas breaks and graduated already employed full time. I luckily got called up to "the show" (real estate development company) after 3 years.

When the development door got opened to me the Civil Engineering degree was what set me apart and helped me beat the competition.

Cannot stress the value of an Engineering degree from TAMU is. One of Top civil programs around, Aggie network, 95% of Aggies staying in Texas, many different career paths (engineer, work for GC, work for subcontractor, consultant, go into technical sales) etc...

The program is brutal but if he can make it to the other side, it will pay dividends.

[ClayW]

I'd focus less on the degree and more on getting construction experience. If I'd do it over again, I'd put more effort in my minors (economics & business), electives, and summer work experience.

With that said, don't overlook some of the Ag degrees from A&M and the Construction Science program at Texas State.

[Dale Moser]

I'd put more effort in my minors (economics & business), electives, and summer work experience.

So much this! Basic economics, and how to run a business are invaluable assets regardless of what he ends up doing.

[cjk349]

I graduated from A&M in May of 2016 with a Construction Science Degree. At the time of graduation I had interned for multiple companies and worked on Kyle Field and other projects around campus while going to school. I started full time with the company that I had been working for 2 weeks after graduation and quickly promoted to PM.

Texas A&M has one of the better programs. Other notable programs are U of H, OU, and Kansas State. I've worked with guys from each of those programs and they were all good. If his high

The only drawback to the program that I can speak to in recent years is how much it has grown in terms of students. Many engineering students will dropout of the engineering school and jump to COSC since it is considerably easier and the starting salaries are usually competitive or higher than those from the engineering school. As others have said this has resulted in a majority of the students not having any hands on construction experience. He can set himself apart from other students by taking a job in high school with a home builder or small commercial outfit and gaining that experience.

Also, if he is wanting to stay outside on the field side of things, he can have his pick of companies to intern/work for at the career fair. Typically the students in the program are seeking estimating or project management routes.

[lck90]

I'm an A&M CoSci graduate. I went to Blinn for two years then transferred in to CoSci at A&M. I strongly suggest that your son start working summers or after school for a trade such as concrete, framing, etc. I graduated with roughly 100 people in my class and I was one of maybe a half-dozen or so people that actually had any hands on experience. There is no amount of reading that can substitute for the experience of working in a trade and knowing how to actually build what you are working on. Looking at plans and physically putting a project together are two totally different things.

A&M offers several different CosSci capstone classes depending on which route he decides to take. Residential, mechanical and commercial design-build were some of the options when I was in school. Job placement upon graduation is over 90% and starting salaries in the commercial GC side of things are probably in the mid-$60k area right now, maybe a little higher. No matter which school he attends if he goes this route, job placement should be fairly easy.

That being said, in my area home builders are a dime-a-dozen right now. Most of the new guys don't know how to actually work on any one part of the house other than running the show. I cannot emphasize enough to learn a trade so that he knows when something is wrong and/or how to fix it.

[El General]

If he wants to own his own company and be an entrepreneur, then a business degree will be more valuable than a construction science degree particularly if he wants to be a homebuilder. Production home companies hire tons of kids of all degree types straight out of college and that is a good place to get a crash course in home building.

Most small construction companies are long on construction expertise and short on business expertise, much to their detriment.

I would recommend getting a summer job as a carpenter. That skill and knowledge has wide value. It seems like every other commercial construction superintendent I meet started off as a carpenter.

As mentioned above by most posters, getting summer jobs in the trades is a good learning experience and I think it will be more beneficial long term if he wants to be a home builder or work for a general contractor. You can really learn alot about which GC's know what they are doing as a trade subcontractor.

No matter what, hands on experience is what is generally lacking with CS or engineering degree holders.

As far as schools, I think the main difference is job placement. If he wants to work for a big general contractor, A&M is probably the place to go. If he wants to be a home builder, it won't matter much where his degree is from if he makes good grades.

[aggieman12]

If he wants to own his own company and be an entrepreneur, then a business degree will be more valuable than a construction science degree particularly if he wants to be a homebuilder. Production home companies hire tons of kids of all degree types straight out of college and that is a good place to get a crash course in home building.

Most small construction companies are long on construction expertise and short on business expertise, much to their detriment.

I would recommend getting a summer job as a carpenter. That skill and knowledge has wide value. It seems like every other commercial construction superintendent I meet started off as a carpenter.

As mentioned above by most posters, getting summer jobs in the trades is a good learning experience and I think it will be more beneficial long term if he wants to be a home builder or work for a general contractor. You can really learn alot about which GC's know what they are doing as a trade subcontractor.

No matter what, hands on experience is what is generally lacking with CS or engineering degree holders.

As far as schools, I think the main difference is job placement. If he wants to work for a big general contractor, A&M is probably the place to go. If he wants to be a home builder, it won't matter much where his degree is from if he makes good grades.

I'll second this. I have worked in Commercial Construction since I was 16. I took a few COSC classes at A&M and quickly realized it wasn't for me. Instead, I worked full time in Construction and took classes at night to get my Business Management Degree from TX State. After graduating, I was miles ahead of any COSC major.

I now own my own Commercial GC Business and am glad that I have a Business Management Degree.

[GARY]

Construction Science is good...Civil is as well. 32 two years at Fluor (Business side) and they both do well in our company.

A&M (direct or via Blinn)
Ok State
Texas Tech
UH

GAP....then

Others (Texas State, SFA, Sam

Summer jobs / interns in all cases.

[Txhunter3000]

I'll second this. I have worked in Commercial Construction since I was 16. I took a few COSC classes at A&M and quickly realized it wasn't for me. Instead, I worked full time in Construction and took classes at night to get my Business Management Degree from TX State. After graduating, I was miles ahead of any COSC major.

I now own my own Commercial GC Business and am glad that I have a Business Management Degree.

X2. Same as a above. Construction management degree for PM is not right now a good paying stress free job. It could be if the PM'S could actually build something. I held tongue in cheek until I could actually talk to lifetime superintendents and ask just what the current crop of PM'S actually do. Their answers are not printable. I spent 43 years as a Commercial GC and as such I did not want to get supersized, just do the best job that I could. I will mention that it was 95% public work. I started at the bottom as a carpenter and within 10 years I built my house that I currently live in. I did all of the work myself. I am retired at 62 mostly because I can't put up with the BS in the current landscape of building.

My advice would be to learn a trade and watch and learn the other trades at the same time so you don't need to ask questions. Experience will win out later in life. Just my opinion.

[DanLeaAnn]

Seconding all the folks saying blinn then TAMU. I graduated in December with a COSC degree and a business minor.

I’d say to get the most experience possible too. Like a bunch of other guys mentioned there were a ton of kids that never swung a hammer. I interned for a couple different companies. I started out as a laborer in the summers for the company I’m with now and that really helped. Made some very good money for being a college kid too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[StrayDog]

I suggest your son find a few construction firms and ask if he could do a “ride along” with a construction manager, superintendent, engineer. Spend a day with each discipline. What you think a job entails may be drastically different than reality.

A few fun facts I’ve experienced in the engineering/construction world:

1. I’ve worked with some very sharp people with degrees from relatively unknown programs.
2. I’ve worked with some very not sharp people with advanced degrees from top-notch programs.
3. I personally won’t hire an engineer or construction manager who hasn’t ever worked with their hands. I don’t care if you tinkered on cars with dad, did some wood working, grew up on a ranch, etc. The important part is understanding whatever is drawn on paper has to be built - I can easily draw something on paper that’s nearly or completely impossible to build.
4. You need to impress upon your son, engineering or construction, is rarely a M-F, 8AM-5PM job. No matter how cool it sounds or how much money they pay, if you don’t really love the job you’ll be miserable. Lots of kids going into civil engineering think they will be designing cool bridges and high rise buildings - many do but the first few years will likely be lots of grunt work and learning. They teach you to do math in college but 90% of knowledge needed to apply your education comes after graduation. I always tell young graduates they greatest benefit a company can offer you as a first job isn’t salary, insurance, 401K, etc. but rather a great mentor who’s willing to teach by answering the thousands of questions you better be asking. Become knowledgeable after graduation and show a good work ethic and the money will be yours for the taking.

[mjhaverkamp]

I cannot tell you how many jobs we have acquired because of Texas A & M grads, we are doing one this weekend, Saturday night, 100K plus, all because of A & M contacts. The business degree is fine but if you want to go into construction i think it would be a mistake to not go for the CS degree, jmo. Either way i think a degree is well worth having, I barely made it out of high school, graduated from the school of hard knocks, I think if i had a degree I would have made it a lot sooner.

[Huntindad]

My son wants to study construction in college. He was on the fence between civil engineering and construction management, and I think he's leaning construction management due to the fact that he wants to be outside and not stuck behind a desk. His big plan is to be a custom home builder but he understands that he needs to work and learn about design, estimating, etc. as well as the business side of accounting, etc.

He has hoped to get into A&M since he was 5 but is looking at backup options. His HS is very competitive academically so the top 10% auto acceptance is not an option. Here are some of the ones he's found and I'd love to hear if anyone can give some of your experiences with any of these programs.

Sam Houston
SFA
UTSA
UNT
Tarleton
A&M Commerce

My youngest son goes to A&M Commerce. Majoring in Contruction Engineering and Mathmatics. It is a good fit for him

He has a full academic scholorship. The covid crap messed up plans for internship this summer. He will be working part time doing thesis type work at the school about drones in the fall. Will push him to get an internship next spring/summer.

[backwoods]

I have a Construction Science degree from TAMU (2004) and it has been an great choice. I loved the classes and I love my career.
I will ay that many construction professionals in the industry have civil engineering degrees. It is easy to go into construction with a civil engineering degree, but the opposite is not true. If you can handle the science and math, I'd lean towards civil engineering and then take some construction classes.

Regardless of degree, experience will matter more in order to get ahead in construction. Start working construction jobs in high school and college and take as many internships as you can.

Finally, don't be afraid to go into the subcontractor trades. The starting salaries may be lower, but the long term upside and entrepreneurial opportunities can be greater.