Advising and Resources: Master of Science in Building Construction and Management

The Industry Track offers opportunities for students who are interested in a career in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry after graduation. This track allows students to explore the key topics and issues that face the AEC industry, working closely with faculty and industry leaders. Students in this track may customize their course of study though their choice of elective courses both inside and outside the School of Construction, as well as through independent study working directly with faculty. Internships, executive shadowing experiences, and extracurricular opportunities round out the industry track experience, resulting in students who are well-prepared to develop cutting edge solutions to industry challenges and carry their companies forward into the future. Students will complete their degree in this track with a final oral exit exam administered by a graduate faculty committee.

The Research Track offers students the opportunity to explore an industry problem at a more detailed level, or who are considering further study at the doctoral level as part of their future career goals. This track offers both, the basic coursework to equip graduates for a construction career, as well as a chance to focus on a specific problem of interest in higher detail through a faculty-supervised one-semester project or two-semester thesis. Students in this track may customize their course of study using electives both inside and outside the School of Construction, and will form an individual faculty advisory committee choosing three faculty with complementary expertise to supervise their research in the problem area of their interest. Students in this track have the opportunity to interact with industry through internships as well as working directly with companies to complete their research investigations. Graduates of this track will be equipped to pursue fast-track careers in industry or in academia through further study.

All MS BCSM students must satisfy the Graduate School requirements for maximum or minimum credit hours in accordance with graduate school policy as indicated in the Graduate Catalog under Policies for Credit Hour Requirements.

The Master of Science in Building Construction Science and Management degree requirements have been structured so that graduate students admitted to the program may obtain an advanced degree in construction building on diverse backgrounds, experience, or prior degrees.

• A minimum of 32 credit hours are required for the degree. These credit hours fall into three major categories:
  • Common Core Courses
  • Track Requirements
  • Construction Electives
• Nineteen (19) hours of core coursework is recommended for all MS students.
• Students who have taken equivalent courses elsewhere may substitute other electives pending approval from their advisory committee and the Graduate Chair.
• Two tracks of study are available at the Masters level.

For a list of all degree requirements for each track please consult the following check lists:

The Common Core consists of 19 credit hours of coursework that will establish each student’s credibility and basic knowledge for work in the U.S. Construction industry. All students without an undergraduate degree from an ACCE-accredited Building Construction Program must take these courses unless they can demonstrate through direct comparison that previous coursework or personal experience has provided equivalent learning. The Course Requirements Checklist for the MS BCSM degree contains information about the sequencing and prerequisite/corequisite requirements for these courses.

Students with an undergraduate degree in Building Construction or with substantial industry experience should consult directly with the BC Graduate Chair, their committee chair and committee to explore the possibility of substituting other coursework for the Common Core Courses. Substitutions require specific evidence of learning equivalence. This evidence may include:

• Transcript of grade earned on similar courses plus syllabus or detailed description of course contents
• Detailed resume’ and description of specific experiences on industry projects where equivalent skills and capabilities have been demonstrated.

Students receiving permission to substitute other coursework for the core should include their evidence along with a letter from their committee chair describing the substitutions approved by the advisory committee as part of their Plan of Study submitted for review to the department.

During their first semester of study, each student will select and declare a track that will determine their exit option from the program. Six to ten credit hours of the 32 hours required for the degree will be determined by the student’s choice of track, as follows.

Students achieve the balance of required credit hours for the degree through one or more elective courses selected to further develop their knowledge in construction-related areas of personal interest. All electives included as part of the required 32 credit hours must be related or relatable to construction in some way in order for the Plan of Study to be approved. Elective courses may be chosen from the following as well as other disciplines related to the Architecture/Engineering/Construction industry:

• Building Construction
• Architecture
• Landscape Architecture
• Business (Finance, Marketing, Accounting, and other sub-disciplines)
• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Industrial and Systems Engineering
• Urban Affairs and Planning
• Natural Resources

Students may also make the case for courses in disciplines such as Computer Science, the natural or applied sciences, or other disciplines based on their personal interests and career goals. Students taking elective courses for which the construction relevance is not obvious should include a memo of justification from their committee chair attached to their approved Plan of Study.

For other types of coursework options that may or may not count towards degree requirements, see the Coursework Options section of the Graduate Advising and Resources page:

Students choosing the Industry Track will exit the program through an oral exam administered by the Industry Track Advisory Committee (ITAC). These students have as their objective a career in the construction industry following graduation. Students in this track are required to

• take CNST 5214: Construction Company Management during spring of their first year, and
• select at least one elective course of 3 credit hours from the Pamplin College of Business to complete the track.

Students may also receive approval to take courses from other colleges to complete the elective requirement, as long as they can demonstrate to the ITAC that the course meets the objectives of the Industry Track. Students should obtain written approval of all substitutions from the ITAC in the form of a memo attached to their approved Plan of Study before taking any courses outside the Pamplin College of Business to meet this elective requirement.

Students choosing the Research Track will exit the program through a final written report and thesis that is orally defended in their final examination. Some students in this track intend to continue their graduate studies in the future by pursuing a Ph.D., while others may be interested in pursuing a specific problem or area of inquiry not covered by available courses, followed by a career in industry.
All students in the Research Track must

• take CNST 5084: Methods in Construction Research or an equivalent course to prepare them for the rigors of designing and implementing a research study.
  CNST 5084 is available in spring semester only.
  • Students in the Accelerated UG/GR program who intend to pursue the Research Track should consider enrolling in CNST 5084 during spring semester of their senior year so that they can begin their research in time to complete all requirements.
  • Students are not advised to take CNST 5084 in their final semester and must find an earlier course on research methods and design to substitute. The justification for substitution must be supported by a memo from the student’s academic advisor attached to the approved Plan of Study.
• enroll in either BC 5904: Project and Report or BC 5994: Research and Thesis while undertaking their research investigation.
  Only three hours of BC 5904 for Project & Report students, and only six hours of BC 5994 for Thesis students, may be counted toward the 32 required credit hours.
• register for CNST 5424: Construction Research Presentation in their final semester.
  This one hour seminar course is offered both spring and fall semesters. The objective of the course is to provide guidance for designing and delivering the graphical and oral presentation of research findings.

While students may elect to register for additional research hours to achieve minimum enrollment requirements (e.g., at least 12 hours to maintain assistantship funding) or to dedicate additional time to complete their study, these extra hours will not be counted toward the minimum 32 hours. In total, Thesis-option students will devote ten hours of their degree to this track, and Project & Report students will devote six hours.

• Project & Report students typically complete and defend their research study in one semester, and may use the summer between their first and second years of study as additional unregistered research time.
• Thesis students typically require two semesters to complete their research, and will register for three hours each semester to meet the six hour requirement. Due to the significantly larger scope of thesis research, students are not encouraged to register for six hours of thesis research in a single semester. Few students are able to successfully complete all requirements for a thesis in one semester no matter how much time is devoted.

All ITAC members are available to the student for discussion outside regular committee meetings, and students may also approach any of the other faculty on the ITAC for advice or input at any time. All official degree milestones will be transacted during end­-of-­semester meetings, and students are required to make themselves available each semester for these meetings or risk delaying their degree completion by a semester. 

FIRST SEMESTER

In the student’s first semester, the whole committee will evaluate the student’s background and goals through an interview process, and will recommend or require coursework for the student’s Plan of Study. Three members of the committee will volunteer to be appointed as that student’s individual advisory committee based on capacity and interest, with one faculty volunteering to serve as advisor and the other two serving as advisory committee. During the interview the committee will

• review any proposed transfer credits or old courses,
• review progress in courses to date,
• identify remaining courses that are suggested or required for the student to take.

The outcome of this meeting will enable the student to develop a draft Plan of Study that meets the committee’s requirements.

SECOND SEMESTER

In the student’s second semester, the ITAC will formally review the student’s academic performance and approve his or her final Plan of Study along with all documentation during the student’s regular progress meeting with the Industry Track Committee. The Graduate Chair will participate in that meeting and will also review the Plan of Study at this time, after which it will be entered for approval by the Graduate School.

THIRD/FINAL SEMESTER

In the student’s final semester, the ITAC will administer a final oral exit examination to assess the student’s readiness to graduate, and the members of the student’s individual committee will register their votes to determine whether or not the student has passed the final examination. Students will be provided with written feedback from the ITAC following each semester’s meeting, and will be responsible to take any recommended or required actions to address committee concerns. Students requiring special accommodations for these meetings must notify the ITAC in writing at least three weeks prior to the scheduled meeting so that alternate arrangements can be made.

In order to meet with the ITAC during its regular end­of­semester meetings, Industry Track students must provide the following information for review at least two weeks prior to the regular end­of semester ITAC meeting:

FIRST SEMESTER

• Resume
• One paragraph statement of career goals

SECOND SEMESTER

• Plan of Study (with all revisions incorporated from Graduate Coordinator Review)
• Activity and Accomplishments Report

FINAL SEMESTER

• Unofficial transcript of all coursework to date
• Activity and Accomplishments Report

All documents should be provided electronically as PDFs and must be uploaded by the student to a repository for ITAC review no later than two weeks prior to the ITAC meeting in order to schedule their committee meeting. Students requiring more than three semesters to complete the Industry Track degree must meet with the ITAC every semester and should provide the same documentation for these meetings as in the final semester.

Additional limitations and requirements of faculty committees are described under Choosing an Advisor and Advisory Committee in the Faculty Advisor & Committee section on the Graduate Advising and Resources page.

To meet the Plan of Study requirements and deadlines, Research Track students must obtain the commitment of a faculty advisor to serve as their committee chair.

FIRST SEMESTER

• Research Track students should actively meet with potential advisors and review information about current faculty research during their first semester in order to identify and obtain the commitment of a primary faculty advisor. The primary advisor serves as the chair for the Advisory Committee supervising the student’s research and will also provide guidance and advice on coursework and other activities in which students can partake to achieve their personal and academic goals while pursuing their degree.
• Students should prepare a research abstract as soon as possible and no later than the beginning of their second semester. The abstract should be prepared in conjunction with the advisor and is used to recruit committee members, beginning early in the second semester.

SECOND SEMESTER

• Students must choose a major advisor and obtain the agreement of that faculty member to serve in this role no later than their second semester.
• In addition to the major advisor who serves as the committee chair, a minimum of two additional faculty must serve on the advisory committee. Students must also obtain agreement of these additional faculty to serve on their advisory committee no later than the end of the second semester of study.
• All committee members indicate their formal commitment to serve via their signatures on the student’s Plan of Study, which is due before the completion of 15 credit hours.
• The approved Plan of Study including all required documentation should then be submitted to the Building Construction Graduate Chair, who will review and approve the document and submit it for Graduate School approval. 

OTHER SEMESTERS

The schedule for Advisory Committee meetings for an M.S. students is determined by the student’s progress and degree completion goals. Typically, committee meetings may be held

• to review a student’s plan of study and preliminary research proposal,
• to hear the proposal defense,
• to conduct a pre-­defense, and
• to conduct the final defense.

The Graduate School requires that the committee convene in real time for the final defense/final examination. All other meetings may be conducted asynchronously, with the student and/or faculty advisor coordinating activities and documenting outcomes. It is the student’s responsibility to keep all committee members informed of progress, particularly any challenges or changes that occur as the research progresses. The means for reporting progress is at the discretion of the committee and may include written updates, individual meetings with committee members, or meetings of the entire committee together.

Additional limitations and requirements of faculty committees are described under Choosing an Advisor and Advisory Committee in the Faculty Advisor & Committee section on the Graduate Advising and Resources page.

Students must take the following steps to obtain approval of their plan of study:

• Develop draft of plan of Study in the above referenced form (follow instructions on first tab on how to use the form)
  • Research Track M.S. students are encouraged to consult first with their academic advisors and committees and second with the Graduate Chair and/or Graduate Coordinator to answer questions regarding courses and requirements for the Plan of Study.
  • Industry Track students should consult first with the Graduate Chair and/or Graduate Coordinator during the semester, and with the Industry Track Advisory Committee at the end­of­semester meetings to address any questions.
• Have Advisory Committee Chair review and approve (signature on printed form) of Plan of Study
• Have the entire student’s Advisory Committee Members approve,
• Send to BC Graduate Chair, for compliance review and approval
• Graduate Chair will forward to Graduate Coordinator and processing in system.

Plans of Study documents may be submitted in hard copy to the Building Construction Graduate Coordinator, or electronically as a single pdf file. Documentation should include:

• Plan of Study template with appropriate committee signatures.
• Independent study forms and supporting information, if applicable.
• Transcripts to support transfer credits from other institutions, if applicable, along with justifications and course descriptions for courses being transferred.
• Course Justification Request for “old” coursework, if applicable.

If physical signatures cannot be obtained for all committee members, electronic signatures will suffice as long as documentation is provided as evidence to support the committee member’s approval. A printout of an email from the committee member sent to the chair of the committee will suffice in lieu of a physical signature.

The following timelines apply:

All elective courses must meet minimum Graduate School Plan of Study requirements to be included on the Plan of Study, including the following limitations:

• No course less than a 4xxx-level may be included on the Plan of Study
• No more than six (6) hours of 4xxx-level courses may be included.
• The number of credit hours in 5974, 5984, and 6984 courses must be less than or equal to the limits required for the student’s degree type.

• Students admitted to the Accelerated UG/GR program should meet with the BC Graduate Chair as early as possible when considering their plan of study for this program, and must work with the Graduate Chair to complete the Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Degree and Course Designation Form. This form will establish which courses can be double­counted toward both undergraduate and M.S. degrees, and these courses will establish the foundation for the student’s Plan of Study.
• The Graduate Chair will also review the student’s undergraduate Plan of Study and determine which courses in the M.S. BCSM core are redundant for each student. All core M.S. BCSM courses not approved by the Graduate School for double­counting must be substituted with elective courses to meet minimum credit hour requirements.
• During this initial meeting with the BC Graduate Chair, students will choose a track (Research or Industry) and will work with the Graduate Chair to draft a tentative completion schedule that accommodates all track requirements.

M.S. Students in the Industry Track do not complete an independent research requirement and therefore do not need to complete a pre-defense and final defense of their research. The exit requirement for students in this track consists of a final oral examination in the student’s last semester by members of the Industry Track Advisory Committee.

• It is the student’s responsibility to register for the final examination for the scheduled ITAC meeting time and location by submitting a Request to Admit Candidate to Final Exam through the Electronic Signature System.
• Students must submit an unofficial transcript and Activity and Accomplishments Report for ITAC review no later than two weeks prior to the end-of-semester meeting to obtain a meeting time with the committee.
• The student’s Advisory Committee must approve the exam before it is officially scheduled.

The ITAC will administer a final oral exit examination to assess the student’s readiness to graduate, and the members of the student’s individual committee will register their votes to determine whether or not the student has passed the final examination. Three outcomes are possible with the oral examination for Industry Track students, as follows:

1. Pass - the student has satisfied all degree requirements and adequately demonstrated his or her learning via the oral examination. No additional actions are necessary.
2. Conditional Pass - the student is deemed capable of satisfying degree requirements, but additional work is needed to meet those requirements. The committee will specify conditions that must be met by the student to complete degree requirements along with a timeline for completion. Typically these requirements can be met by the student with short term action that does not delay graduation.
3. Fail - the student does not meet minimum requirements to complete the degree, and significant additional work must be done to meet requirements. This finding will delay graduation for the student and is likely to require one or more additional semesters of work. Students will work with the committee to develop a remediation plan and will retake the examination during the following semester’s meeting of the ITAC.

Students will be provided with written feedback from the ITAC following the final examination, and will be responsible to take any recommended or required actions to address committee concerns.

All Research Track students must prepare and defend a written document (report or thesis) describing their research study and its outcomes before their advisory committee. In most cases, students will undergo a closed pre-defense presentation with members of their committee, followed by a revision period during which they will address any concerns raised by their committee about the scope or quality of their work.

• Students should plan to provide their committees with a complete draft of their written work no later than two weeks prior to the scheduled pre-defense to allow time for review.
• Following the pre-defense, the committee will make recommendations regarding how much time should be allowed before scheduling the final defense.
• The final defense occurs no sooner than two weeks following the pre-defense and only when all committee members agree that the student is ready to proceed.

In the Department of Building Construction, the final defense of the student’s research serves as the final examination required by the Graduate School for graduation. Both Thesis and Project & Report students must complete the steps listed below. Project & Report students should choose the “non-Thesis” option when requesting the final examination.

• Any final defense/exam presentation must be advertised and open to the public.
• Any final defense/exam must be formally scheduled with the Graduate School by submitting a Request to Admit Candidate to Final Exam using the online VT Graduate School Approval System at least two weeks in advance of the planned defense date.
• Scheduling the exam requires approval by all members of the student’s committee, who may require submission of a revised document plus review time prior to approving the exam. Students should consult with their committee members and agree on a timeline for the final defense before scheduling the final exam with the Graduate School.

After the final defense has been scheduled with the Graduate School, students should reserve a room and prepare a brief announcement of the defense including date, time, location, title, name, and a short abstract. The announcement should be submitted via email to the Graduate Coordiantor for distribution to the faculty and graduate listservs in the department.