Construction Systems
Management

About the Construction Systems Management Program

Construction Systems Management (CSM) is the planning, construction, and management of dwellings, service structures, and other permanent facilities. The systems approach to curriculum in the CSM specialty provides understanding of land acquisition and development, social, environmental and legal factors, as well as financial management and marketing. This option will provide the student with a background in the technical and managerial aspects of construction. In a construction firm, one might plan the construction operations of a new project. This would include site layout, sequencing and scheduling of tasks, temporary structures, equipment selection, work organization, materials management, and environmental safeguards.

Construction Systems Management at The Ohio State University

The Construction Systems Management Program at OSU uses a “systems” approach to familiarize each student with his or her future responsibilities as a project manager. Every CSM graduate must have a solid basic knowledge of personnel management, project cost estimation, job site selection/preparation, materials selection, scheduling, office administration, and time management skills to bring any assigned project in on time, under budget, through the efforts of a productive crew/team.

Commercial Applications

Students who aspire to work in commercial construction are offered excellent career opportunities. Many of the major construction companies in the country have been eager to hire Ohio State’s CSM students for both intern and fulltime positions. On any given day, several OSU interns and graduates can be found working for these companies and others in a variety of positions. Ohio State’s CSM alumni have contributed to the construction of such large-scale projects in Columbus as the Ohio Stadium renovation on campus and Nationwide Arena downtown.

Residential Applications

Students interested in residential construction leave OSU with an in-depth education in the technical and managerial aspects of home construction, plus a strong working knowledge about the latest materials and the newest trends in the industry. Residential specialists can work for either large or small residential builders, or may start their own companies. There are many interesting opportunities available for students who specialize in residential construction.

Career Placement

A wide variety of positions within the construction industry are available to CSM graduates, including sales, marketing, project management, construction, layout, design support, estimating, purchasing, safety advising/ supervision, and more. The combined technical and managerial skills that graduates and interns can bring to a company are very valuable and marketable assets. These assets have generated a high demand for OSU’s Construction Systems Management interns and graduates, resulting in CSM students experiencing a 100% post-graduation employment rate with annual starting salaries now averaging $45,000. A few of the companies who have hired CSM graduates from The Ohio State University are:

• Corna/Kokosing
• Dominion Homes
• Dugan & Meyers
• Joshua Homes
• Kokosing Construction
• Lithco Construction
• M/I Homes
• Miles McClellan
• P.J. Dick, Inc.
• Pulte Homes of Ohio
• Centex Homes
• Rudolph/Libbe
• Turner Construction
• Urban Environments
• The Quandel Group, Inc.

Program Requirements

Unconditional admission to the CSM major is offered to entering freshmen. Current students transferring into the ACSM major must have a minimum grade point average of 2.0. To remain in good academic standing in the major, students must maintain a 2.0 or higher gpa. The CSM major requires completion of a minor of 20-25 credit hours in another academic area. Any officially recognized minor on campus is acceptable; however, a minor in agribusiness or business is recommended because either program complements the management aspects of the ACSM major. In addition, at least one quarter of internship experience is required. Additional quarters of internship are encouraged. All students at OSU are required to take general education courses (English, literature, etc.). Besides the GEC requirements, the Construction Systems Management curriculum includes site surveying and preparation, data analysis, an introduction to architectural structures, wood and steel construction design, technical drawing, blueprint reading, CAD, estimating, safety, professional development and management. Department classrooms and labs are modern and well equipped. Instructors for CSM courses within the FAB Engineering Department are full-time OSU faculty/staff who enjoy teaching. Major courses are primarily “hands-on” and many include up-to-date computer applications.

Importance of CSM

The U.S. construction industry today is a dynamic, changing work environment. Many firms and companies are modernizing, applying new technologies, expanding, and employing more people than ever before. People work in construction management today are professional, diverse, education, "people oriented," and well paid. Now in the 21st century careers for construction management people provide a widening range of career opportunities. For the college-bound person who feels a sense of accomplishment from being able to say, "I built that," a career in construction is worth considering. The excitement of new challenges provide a lifetime of rewarding satisfactions. In addition, with the constant demand for newer, more technologically advanced buildings there will never be a replacement for construction, or a fear the human society will not need construction anymore. The average useful lifespan of dwellings, rural buildings, and service structures is approximately 40 to 50 years. The cost of new construction and that of maintenance exceeds $10 billion each year. This is evidence of a constant demand for professionals in the construction industry. Construction managers must be able to respond to changing customer requirements and construction practices. The development of new technologies has given way to advances in structural design, power, usage, and soil and water issues, to name a few. Construction companies and agencies require managers that can understand and apply these principles.