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The Civil Engineering Department at the American University in Dubai (AUD) officially launched its Master of Science in Construction Management (M.S.C.M.) a new graduate program starting in Fall 2011. The university has been granted approval to offer the degree program from its local and US accreditors - the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) – and is currently receiving applications for the first batch of students.
Supported by the AUD School of Engineering world-class facilities and resources, the M.S.C.M. program fills in a regional gap in graduate-level construction management education and research. Dr. Edgar Small, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Academic Director of the new program, stressed on the uniqueness of AUD’s M.S.C.M. program, which he attributed to a “well-defined and comprehensive approach in addressing construction management issues, in contrast to a broader and more general coverage of project management or engineering systems management.”
The program consists of a set of core courses covering discipline-specific topics such as construction scheduling, estimating, equipment and methods, and addressing broader-context subjects including decision science, finance and accounting, and construction laws. A broad range of electives are offered in the areas of construction safety, computer modeling, sustainable engineering, and management of megaprojects among others.
“The new Master’s program will have two options - thesis and non-thesis - which allow a broad range of students with interests in research or practice to focus on the option that best suits their career goals,” commented Dr. Alaa Ashmawy, Dean of the School of Engineering. He also mentioned that a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, architecture, quantity surveying, or a related discipline is required for admission; however, holders of other undergraduate degrees with significant experience in construction may be admitted on a case-by-case basis, provided they take remedial courses as a condition for enrollment.
As with other AUD degree programs, student diversity is a key element of the M.S.C.M. program. Prospective students include UAE nationals and expatriates with engineers, architecture, quantity surveying, and construction backgrounds. Dr. Elias Saqan, Chair and Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, expects the program to “attract individuals who live permanently in the UAE, those who are here for an extended period, and those who come specifically to pursue graduate studies. The program targets professionals who wish to study on a part-time basis to enhance their portfolio, as well as full-time graduate students who wish to pursue doctoral studies later on.”
Saqan also explained that, in order to ensure alignment of the program with international standards, the curriculum has been benchmarked against top curricula in the US, Canada, and Europe, and is consistent with the construction management standards of practice and body of knowledge, per the recommendations of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), the American Council for Construction Education (ACEE), the Associated School of Construction (ASC), and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
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