Construction Education: Past, Present, and Future

Higher education for construction managers demands increased attention by the colleges and universities, and the construction industry. The present-day programs have developed only recently because of constraints such as the industry's diversity and divisions, and differences in the backgrounds and traditions of the participants. These programs have followed three main streams: (1) Four-year programs in civil engineering; (2) five-year programs in civil engineering leading to the M.S. degree; and (3) four-year programs outside engineering. University research on construction problems is minimal. Neither of the four-year programs, which produce most of the graduates, cover the subject matter the industry says it wants, but the transition to, or development of, more five-year programs will be slow if present conditions continue. To maintain and improve construction education and launch the universities into research and in-service education will be impossible without industry attention and support far beyond the present low levels. Fortunately, there are strong signs that this attention and support is developing so that the future seems bright.