Construction engineering and management undergraduate education

Construction education is not new. It was a part of the practical aspects of many early civil engineering degree programs. As early as the 1920's, specializations in construction engineering were found in a few civil engineering programs, paralleling structural engineering and other areas. However, the gradual need for more specialization than could normally be integrated in the civil engineering degree eventually led to the formation of some construction specialty degree undergraduate programs, particularly after World War II. This paper documents the historical evolution of construction education, promotes construction as a stand alone professional engineering discipline, provides information for schools that are interested in starting an undergraduate construction engineering and management (CEM) degree program, and discusses the engineering accreditation aspects of the CEM curriculum and the role of the construction industry in the CEM curriculum development.