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Studies & Degrees in Building Construction

Building construction is the study of how buildings are planned, priced, built and handed over. It sits between architecture and civil engineering: the architect designs the building and the engineer calculates its structure, while the construction specialist organises the work on site, the materials, the budget, the schedule and the safety of the people who build it. Degree programmes go by several names, including building construction, construction management, construction science and building technology.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), bachelor's programmes in construction-related subjects often include courses in project control and management, design, construction methods and materials, and cost estimation.

Qualifications and levels

  • Vocational courses and apprenticeships. Trade skills such as carpentry, joinery, bricklaying and roofing are taught at colleges and through apprenticeships. Cornwall College in England, for example, lists a Bench Joinery Diploma at Level 2 and a Site Carpentry Apprenticeship at Levels 2 and 3.
  • Associate degrees. In the United States, community and technical colleges offer two-year associate degrees in construction or building technology. The BLS notes that an associate's degree combined with work experience may be typical for managers who supervise small projects. At Ferris State University, all students start in the Associate in Applied Science in Building Technology before they move on to the bachelor's programme.
  • Bachelor's degrees. The BLS states that construction managers typically need a bachelor's degree in construction, business, engineering or a related field. Examples are the B.S. in Construction Science and Management of the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Bachelor of Science in Construction Management of Ferris State University.
  • Master's degrees and doctorates. The School of Building Construction at Georgia Tech offers an M.S. in Building Construction and Facility Management and a Ph.D. in Building Construction. The M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management at the University of Florida offers a master's degree and a PhD concentration in construction management.

In the United States, the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) accredits construction education programmes offered by colleges and universities. Ferris State University states that its bachelor's degree holds ACCE accreditation.

Building construction in Spain

Spain has two routes. Vocational training (FP) has a professional family called Edificación y Obra Civil. According to TodoFP, the Ministry of Education's vocational training portal, it includes the intermediate qualification Técnico en Construcción and the higher qualifications Técnico Superior en Proyectos de Edificación and Técnico Superior en Organización y Control de Obras de Construcción. The higher course in Proyectos de Edificación lasts 2,000 hours, and graduates can continue with a specialisation course in BIM or with a university degree.

At university, the subject is taught as the bachelor's degree (grado) in Edificación, formerly called Arquitectura Técnica. Official bachelor's degrees in Spain have 240 ECTS credits and master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120. The Escuela Técnica Superior de Edificación of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, for example, teaches the grado en Edificación and a double degree in Edificación and Business Administration. These degrees are taught in Spanish.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 50 active schools for building construction. Twenty are in the United States, six in Spain and five in the United Kingdom; China and Chile have two each, and Italy, Germany, Malta, Indonesia, Nepal, Suriname and Algeria have one each.

The US list combines universities such as the University of Florida in Gainesville, the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Purdue University and Ferris State University in Big Rapids with community and technical colleges such as Lansing Community College, Broward College, Piedmont Technical College and Greenville Technical College. The University of Florida's programme began in 1935 under its Department of Architecture, and the university added a master's degree in 1948.

In the United Kingdom the list includes Cornwall College and Gloucestershire College. In Spain it includes the Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio and the Universidad Europea de Madrid, both private universities in the Madrid region. Elsewhere it includes the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar in Germany, the Politecnico di Milano in Italy, the Universidad de Santiago de Chile and the University of Malta.

Programmes are normally taught in the language of the country, because building rules, contracts and site work are local. The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, for example, lists its bachelor's and master's programme in construction, real estate and infrastructure management under a German title. Check the language of instruction, and whether the qualification is recognised where you plan to work, before applying.

Careers

Graduates work for building contractors, developers, engineering and architecture firms and public authorities. The BLS describes construction managers as the people who plan, coordinate, budget and supervise construction projects from start to finish.

The BLS projects employment of construction managers in the United States to grow 9 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 49,700 openings each year on average. In Spain, TodoFP lists jobs such as building draughtsperson, assistant to the head of a technical office and building energy efficiency technician for holders of the higher qualification in Proyectos de Edificación.

Frequently asked questions

Is building construction the same as civil engineering or architecture?

No. Architecture is about design and civil engineering about structures and infrastructure. Building construction concentrates on carrying out the project: methods, materials, cost, schedule and site management.

Do I need a degree to work in construction management?

According to the BLS, construction managers in the United States typically need a bachelor's degree. An associate's degree with work experience may be enough for managers of small projects.

How long does the Spanish higher vocational course in building projects last?

The Técnico Superior en Proyectos de Edificación lasts 2,000 hours, according to TodoFP. It gives access to university degrees.