Construction education ranges from a little less than $7,000 to under $25,000 per academic school year. These leadership programs are affordable for most working professionals and students who receive tuition reimbursement through their employers or generous financial aid rewards through the academic institution.

Moreover, construction management education is available through online and traditional construction classes to meet the needs of prospective students. Consider the following information on the pricing and costs of construction education if you're looking for a program:

1. Look for construction education programs that cost less than $8,000 per academic school year if your financial resources are few.

2. Consider online construction management courses and programs for less than $20,000.

3. Choose a program out of the various degrees in construction management that costs less than $25,000.

4. Account for hidden costs of construction education during the planning stages.

Action Steps for Construction Education
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get affordable construction education and training for less than $8,000 per academic year

Construction management education that costs less than $8,000 annually puts your educational goals within reach if you have a small amount of financial resources to put toward your college education.

I recommend: The Department of Construction Management and Civil Engineering Technology at Georgia Southern University offers a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management through the Construction Management Program. Out-of-state tuition and fees for students at Georgia Southern University pay less than $7,000 annually. Earn a Masters of Science in Construction Management through the Manufacturing and Construction Management Department at the School of Engineering and Technology within Central Connecticut State University. Tuition and fees for in-state residents excluding sickness insurance costs less than $8,000 per academic school year.

Pay less than $20,000 annually for online building construction education

A single online construction management course can start as low as $780 for a 3 unit course. Distance learning programs costs as much as traditional programs with the added benefit of reaching the working professional who is unable return to campus to obtain an advanced degree.

I recommend: The M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction at the University of Florida offers distance education programs for professionals one of which includes the Master of International Construction Management (MICM). The total cost of this program is less than $20,000. Northern Arizona University offers online Masters degrees in Construction, Construction Management and Construction Engineering Management. The tuition rate for graduate students acquiring 16 units is $4,160.00.

Find construction industry training for less than $25,000 annually

Construction schools offer traditional and non-traditional programs to students and working professionals for less than $25,000 per academic school year.

I recommend: The Construction Management Department at John Brown University offers degrees in construction management that include a Bachelor of Science with a major in Construction Management and an Associate of Science with a major in Construction Management. It costs less than $25,000 a year to attend this institution and approximately 80% of students receive financial assistance. The Department of Building Construction Management (BCM) at Purdue University offers the working professional two paths to a Building Construction Management Master's Degree, one is through the traditional classroom setting and the other is through a distance learning program. The total cost of the program is $22,500 as both in-state and out-of-state residents pay $4,500 per semester and the program runs for five semesters.

Calculate hidden costs of construction education

Factor in room and board, books, supplies, health insurance, transportation and other living expenses as you calculate the costs of construction education programs.

I recommend: Review College Board's list of additional costs associated with attending college and obtaining a degree as well as tools to help you calculate those costs. FinAid offers a College Cost Projector and other tools to help you count the costs.

Tips & Tactics for Construction Training

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Seek construction education programs that offer a high percentage of incoming students financial assistance and inquire with your employer about tuition reimbursement programs to help offset costs.

Construction industry training runs the gamut from construction schools – including Internet-based training courses, though which a student can earn an online construction management degree — to ongoing educational opportunities, like on-the-job construction training, continuing education, and construction seminars. Trusted contractors must know their business – inside and out – and there are many ways to achieve this goal.

The top four things to know about construction industry training:

1) Online construction courses offer the flexibility of working at your home PC on your own time.
2) Construction training includes a great deal of safety training – and in the long run, decreases the incidence of accidents on a job.
3) Choose your construction industry training institution by your state, degree, specialty, or other options.
4) Construction training creates a culture that promotes the highest ethical standards and compliance within the industry.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Construction training

Receiving a thorough construction education is vital to the safety of the worker and the consumer – and the ongoing ability of the construction worker to earn better and more lucrative jobs.

I recommend: Business.com provides a goldmine of construction classes and construction courses. Another great portal is the Vocational Schools Guide, though which you can search by state, degree, name, ZIP code, and more. Lorman Education Services offers a variety of construction seminars to help you meet your training needs, including their popular seminars, Mold Problems, Construction Claims, Managing Construction Projects, Analyzing Project Damages, Construction Contract Fundamentals, and Construction Lien Laws. Ready to start earning your Construction Compliance Certification? Then let Lorman help you.

Continuing education construction industry training

To satisfy a contractor’s professional training requirements, he/she must take construction courses to keep updated with current law changes, other legal issues, contract clauses, and more.

I recommend: Check out Business.com’s Construction Continuing Education category for a variety of construction education choices. The National Business Institute (NBI) offers continuing education construction seminars – simply search by state for upcoming seminars near you. Not sure if continuing education construction training is required by law in your state? Check this map to find out.

Check out the top construction schools

If you’re looking for the best construction industry training, then why not consider the top construction schools – ITT Technical Institute, or the New England Institute of Technology – to earn your online construction management degree?

I recommend: Visit ITT Tech, which has more than 85 locations in over 30 states, and find out how you can earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management. Go to the New England Institute of Technology’s Web site to learn about this well-regarding Rhode Island School.

Construction industry training

Find a school near you that offers the degree you’re looking for – whether that is an advanced degree in construction management, or a specialized degree within a specialized sector.

I recommend: At DegreeFinder.com, there are 10 construction schools throughout the U.S., including the National Institute of Technology, in Long Beach, California, the TESST College of Technology, with two locations in Maryland, the Thompson Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and more.

Embrace flexibility through construction seminars or online construction courses

Construction seminars are a great, low-commitment way to continue learning without having to take time off work. Many are offered on the weekends or at varied times to accommodate the students. Distance learning is also a flexible way to earn your online construction management degree.

I recommend: Business.com’s Construction Seminars page provides all the resources you need to find construction seminars near you. Visit elearners.com for nearly 150 online carpentry and construction courses. To get an online construction management degree, building construction degree, or carpentry training, check out the eight programs offered in this area. Check out the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Home Builders Institute for their construction education and training options.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Many construction schools offer students the opportunity to find an apprentice with whom to work.
• •  Financial aid is available through many construction schools.
• •  Construction industry training includes specialized training for electricians, plumbers, architecture, engineering, and other trades.
• •  Construction education is mandated by state laws, so it’s necessary to check your state regulations before assuming you know the most up-to-date requirements.
• •  Construction seminars provide an intense amount of learning in a small time frame, and are usually accepted for continuing education credit.

Construction education provides students with a number of career options in the field of construction. A graduate can easily pursue a position as an estimator, project engineer, superintendent or project manager as well as a researcher or educator at an academic institution.

Construction education and training courses are so rich in business management training, that students are able to enter various levels of management within a firm including the role of owner and operator. If you're considering a career in construction, try making the most of construction education programs with the following steps in mind:

1. Utilize construction education to enter a level of management within the industry including the international construction market.

2. Seek construction management education that includes technical, design and engineering courses.

3. Look into non-traditional construction industry training as a means of obtaining career goals.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Prepare for management positions through construction education and training

Construction classes prepare students to become leaders in the construction industry through scheduling, structures, cost estimating, law, building systems and similar types of business courses that are geared toward construction industry training.

I recommend: The M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction at the University of Florida offers various degrees in construction management that include a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy as well as online construction management courses that lead to a Master of International Construction Management (MICM). Prepare for lower, middle and upper management levels in the construction industry through the programs offered by Department of Construction Science at the College of Architecture, Texas A&M University. The school grants a Bachelor of Science in Construction Science and a Master of Science in Construction Management.

Develop technical and engineering skills in conjuction with construction courses

Construction training courses with an emphasis in engineering and research, help students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become residential developers, project engineers and contractors. Advanced degrees in Construction Management are also useful for pursuing a career as an educator and researcher in the field.

I recommend: Along with undergraduate and graduate programs for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Construction or a Master of Science in Construction, the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University (ASU) has two centers of construction research that include the Construction Research Education Advance Technology Environments (CREATE), Housing Research Institute (HRI) and Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG). The School of Planning, Design and Construction at Michigan State University (MSU) offers students the opportunity to earn a Master of Science as well as a Doctor of Philosophy in Construction Management.

Consider non-traditional construction education and training programs

Online building construction education, construction seminars and other types of non-traditional training are designed to help working professionals maintain a busy a lifestyle and still find time to learn.

I recommend: Drexel University's Construction Management certificate programs include Construction Management, Advanced Construction Management and Construction Executive. These programs make it possible for people who already have an undergraduate degree in another field and work in the construction industry or are seeking employment in the field, to acquire a certificate after the completion of six or more courses. Clemson University enables students to earn a Master of Science in Construction Science and Management (CSM) through a distance learning program. Utilize the degree as a stepping stone to teaching or to help you advance professionally.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) strives to maintain the quality of construction education. Check with the organization to find accredited construction schools and programs.

While some individuals have general knowledge of the construction process from start to finish, several choose to specialize on a particular trade of the construction process, such as masonry, electrical wiring or plumbing. Construction supervisors have training in construction estimating and project management to ensure projects have adequate labor, materials arrive as needed and necessary inspections are scheduled.

Action Steps
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Masonry

Masonry involves the utilization of materials such as brick, stone, concrete, glass and mortar to build structures such as buildings and monuments. You can learn masonry skills through an apprenticeship program in which you work alongside a professional mason and

I recommend: For more information on a masonry apprenticeship, contact the Florida Masonry Apprentice and Educational Foundation.

Electrical wiring

Electrical wiring is an important skill for residential and commercial construction alike for it is important for the overall functioning of the structure. Proper electrical work helps prevent inconveniences such as blown fuses and more importantly fires due to faulty wiring.

I recommend: Refer to the Howard G. Sackett Technical Center webpage for more information on training for electrical wiring.

Plumbing

Plumbing also offers apprenticeship programs that enable individuals to work with professionals in the field to learn and develop necessary skills. Individuals interested in a career in plumbing must have knowledge of mathematical concepts and applications, blueprint reading, the various kinds of pipe joints, piping systems, pipe welding, tank and pump maintenance, refrigeration tools and materials and heating and air conditioning systems.

I recommend: Refer to the Penn Foster Workforce Development website for more information on training to be a plumber.

Construction estimating

Estimators, project managers, supervisors and other construction related occupations utilize cost estimating as part of their construction process. Courses in construction estimating instruct individuals on types of estimates, pricing techniques and estimating equipment, labor and material costs.

I recommend: The Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International offers an online course in construction estimating.

Construction project management

Effective construction project management skills enable supervisors and individuals in managerial positions to oversee the operations of a construction project and ensure its completion in a timely manner. Construction project management education involves knowledge of bonds, contracts, scope of work and change orders, permits, cost estimating, budgeting and supervising individuals.

I recommend: Westwood College's website provides information on the necessary skills for successful construction project management, as well as a form to request information regarding the courses they offer.

Construction safety

Construction safety is one issue that everyone working in the construction industry should be aware of and actively practice. This is not only for their personal safety, but also for the safety of others. Construction safety involves knowledge of matters such as First Aid and CPR, electrical safety, fall protection, hazards of power lines and proper operation of equipment.

I recommend: For more information on construction safety training, visit the CBC.gov website.