Competitions

What are CM Competitions?

The Construction Management program offers students the opportunity to compete in competitions with other universities that offer Construction Management (CM) degrees. The CM competitions are an culminating experience that brings together the all the courses that students have taken and applies them to a real-world project. The competitions are also a great means for students to network with industry professionals to aid in their search for summer work experience as well as full-time employment.

The competitions vary, but generally a team of students are assigned a specific role in the competition and together the team solves a real-life construction problem. A faculty member sponsors the team and other resources are available to assist the team members in preparation for the competition.

The available competitions have varying venues and dates. For more information click on the competition category links.

How do I compete?

Preparation

All of the Construction Management competitions require a significant time commitment. Students wanting to compete should plan their schedule accordingly in order to balance the time spent in preparation for the competition. The actual competition is usually held during school days. Student competitors should notify each of their instructors and inform them of the future absences and strive to turn in homework early.

Construction Management competitions are designed to help students learn how to work in groups. Collaboration and negotiation skills are necessary for each competition. Since a majority of competing consists of pre-competition preparation, students are expected to build one another's skills and to work to create a cohesive team.

Many of the Construction Management classes contribute to the potential competitor's skill set. Students desiring to compete should strive to take many of the CM classes before competing in order to help them have an adequate knowledge base (See below for a list of skills used during a Construction Management competition). Not all skills are necessary for a person to compete. Often, a student will pick their area of interest and carry that role on the team.

Apply

Students desiring to compete must apply to a team at the end of Winter semester. However, occasionally there are open positions after the team rosters are announced. Please contact Clifton Farnsworth for current roster openings.

Who can participate?

All students are eligible to compete. Teams often consist of sophomore to senior students.

SKILLS COMMONLY USED DURING A COMPETITION

Cost Estimating
Scheduling
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Technical Writing
Oral Presentation preparation and delivery
Architectural Drafting and Design
Safety Planning & Site Preparation