Construction Management Minor
Planning to major in business, civil engineering, or technology? Adding a construction management minor is a smart move. You'll gain in-demand skills and hands-on experience in project planning, cost estimation, and team coordination, which will help your resume stand out in competitive industries.
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Program Overview
Taught from a Christian perspective by experienced and committed faculty, Dordt’s construction management minor offers students the opportunity to think critically and creatively about large-scale projects. You’ll also gain effective leadership skills that will translate to just about any career. The program also gives students multiple opportunities to practice what they’re learning, including an internship.
What You'll Learn
Dordt’s construction management minor equips you to manage projects efficiently from start to finish, combining practical skills with Christian principles. How do you plan a budget for a large-scale project? What ethical challenges arise when assessing safety and quality? How can you create a culture of teamwork and accountability that drives project success? By exploring topics like these, you’ll be ready to tackle and lead projects with confidence and integrity.
What You Can Do With A Construction Management Minor
A construction management minor can prepare you to find success and live out God’s purpose for your life.
Project Manager
A project manager is responsible for planning, organizing, and overseeing projects to ensure they are completed on time, within budget, and meet defined goals.
Site Supervisor
A site supervisor oversees daily operations on a job site, ensuring work is completed safely, efficiently, and according to project plans and regulations.
Construction Estimator
A construction estimator analyzes project plans and specifications to determine the cost, materials, and labor required, providing accurate cost estimates for construction projects.
Career Preparation
Dordt University's 2024 Career Outcome Rate was 99.3%! “The entire campus is engaged in the work of discipleship,” said Amy Westra, Director of Career Development. “Providing a Christian education focused on Christ-centered renewal is owned by all faculty and staff.”

To earn a construction management minor, students will need to complete a series of construction management, and engineering technology courses.
- Principles of Construction Management: An introductory survey course in construction management that begins by building a Christian perspective on the task and calling of a construction manager or construction engineer. The course introduces methods of construction project planning, scheduling, delivery, quality, and control. It also introduces construction contract types, construction cost estimating and accounting, along with an overview of construction method, practice, and safety.
- Construction Materials and Methods: A comprehensive study of the properties, sources, processing, methods, sequences, and equipment used in residential and commercial construction projects. Planning and managing of the construction process, including an introduction to structural and finish systems that make up building structures, are investigated. Appropriate application and responsible use of materials for design and functional intent is investigated. The environmental impact of construction is discussed.
- Construction Safety and Quality: A study of safety and quality control as it relates to construction management. An emphasis on the legal and financial impacts of safety and quality management is included, as well as a discussion of the ethical and regulatory issues involved. Causes and effects of safety and quality deficiencies in construction and the related methods to minimize these deficiencies.
- Project Management: This course is an introduction to the field of project management. The primary objective is to acquaint students with a broad basic overview of project management and the role of a project manager throughout the five primary processes of managing projects. The course will also cover common agile methodologies and principles because of how they relate to project management. The agile project management process encourages frequent inspection and adaptation, teamwork, accountability, self-organization, best practices that allows for rapid delivery and high quality, and a business approach that aligns development with customer needs and company goals. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
- Construction Estimating: An introduction to construction estimating and bid preparation with an emphasis on quantity takeoff. Includes a detailed study and application of pricing, subcontract evaluation, and bidding techniques using blueprints and specifications. Project types studied include residential, light commercial, and commercial building projects.
- Soil Mechanics and Foundation Design: A study of the engineering principles relating to soil properties and foundation design. The material properties of soil including structure, index properties, permeability, compressibility, and consolidation will be explored. Methods of soil testing, identification, and remediation will be covered. Principles of settlement and stresses in soils will be considered. Slope stability, retaining walls, and bearing capacity of shallow foundations will be introduced. The soils lab will provide hands-on opportunities to determine water content, perform sieve analyses, and test liquid, plastic, and shrinkage limits. Soil classification, compaction, compression, and consolidation testing will be explored.
- Risk Management for Construction: A study of the systematic process used to minimize the degree of uncertainty and control risks in construction projects. An emphasis on identifying, analyzing, assessing, mitigating, transferring, and monitoring risk is included, as well as processes to implement risk management strategies at all stages in a construction project.
Ready to take the next step?
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