Construction Management (Ph.D.)

Program Pending Approval

This program is pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Ph.D. Construction Management

Students will learn how to apply construction management, leadership, and entrepreneurial principles to take on many challenges in various career environments.
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Program Overview

The core curriculum of the new doctoral program in construction management focuses on equipping graduates with vast technical knowledge in complementary areas of applied construction management. Graduates will gain skills for conducting cutting-edge research that advances the state-of-the art in construction and construction management. Graduates will also be equipped with leadership, innovation, communication, and entrepreneurial skills that prepare them to take on challenges in multiple career environments, including their own startup companies. 

Course Work

Construction management doctoral students will complete seven required core courses in applied construction management for the 21st century such as research methods, leadership in construction, decision-making and risk management, emerging construction technology, sustainability, commercialization and entrepreneurship. To round out the core courses, students are required to take three elective courses in construction management or related disciplines offered at Texas State University such as constructability analysis, advanced infrastructure materials, collaborative research experience, advanced geotechnical materials, and more. 

In addition to traditional coursework, students will be required to complete 24 hours of dissertation credit hours, during which a student will work with a program professor to complete a research dissertation focusing on specific aspects of construction management. Students will be paired with a program professor to establish their research project and outline how it will be completed. A rich research environment supports each doctoral student's research interests with a variety of support, including assistance from national leaders in construction. If students are entering the program with a bachelor’s degree, eight additional required core courses are required.

DegreeCourse WorkDissertationTotal HoursLocation
Degree
Ph.D. (Entering with a master's)
Course Work
30 hours
Dissertation
24 hours
Total Hours
54 hours
Location
Online
Degree
Ph.D. (Entering with a bachelor's)
Course Work
54 hours
Dissertation
24 hours
Total Hours
78 hours
Location
Online

What Experts Say

”Our industry needs fresh and continuing education to advance the growth and progression of the construction space. Limited labor resources will continue to be a problem, and get worse with time, which creates a need for advancement of knowledge at a leadership level in the construction industry.”
— Chris Schwarz, Vice-President and General Manager, Way Mechanical

Program Details

The program prepares students for multiple career paths in the construction industry or in academia.

Program Mission

The educational objectives of this program include:

  • applying technical knowledge to complementary areas in applied construction management to solve construction management problems
  • drafting research documents for conducting cutting-edge research that advances the state-of-the-art in applied construction management
  • developing a sound business plan and leadership skills

Career Options

This program allows students to develop advanced training and knowledge in areas including leadership, decision-making, commercialization and entrepreneurship, sustainability, literature review, grant writing, and quantitative/qualitative research analysis.

Program Faculty

The construction management faculty research areas include:

  • project management
  • safety and risk analysis
  • lean construction and sustainability
  • artificial intelligence
  • virtual reality 
  • augmented reality
  • advanced planning and design
  • smart infrastructure technology 
  • next generation materials

Contact us for general questions about your application, funding opportunities, and more. If you have specific questions after reviewing the program details, contact the program's graduate advisor.

Doctoral Program Director
Dr. Anthony Torres
512.245.2137
anthony.torres@txstate.edu

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Application Process

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Application Deadlines

DEADLINES*U.S. CITIZENINTERNATIONAL
DEADLINES*
Fall - Priority
U.S. CITIZEN
February 1
INTERNATIONAL
February 1

*This program’s deadline is flexible for those not requiring an F/J visa. A flexible deadline means applications received after the standard deadline may be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis with no guarantees for admission consideration. While this program has a flexible deadline for admission consideration, class availability may be limited the closer you apply to the deadline. For specific dates, read the Flexible Application Deadlines web page.

Admission Requirements

The items required for admission consideration are listed below. Additional information for applicants with international credentials can be found on our international webpages.

  •   Review important information about the online application.

    • $55 Nonrefundable application fee, OR
    • $90 Nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials

    Review important information about application fees.

    • baccalaureate degree in construction management or a closely related discipline, from a regionally accredited university (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our International FAQs for more information.) 
    • applicants should have completed a master’s degree in construction management or a closely related discipline, from an accredited college or university (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a U.S. Master’s degree. Master’s degrees following a three-year Bachelor’s degrees may not be equivalent; please contact Graduate Admissions if you are unsure.)
    • a copy of an official transcript from each institution where course credit was granted
    • competitive GPA in all completed graduate course work

    Review important information about transcripts. Official transcripts, sent directly from your institution, will be required if admission is granted.

  • GRE

    • an official GRE must be submitted
      • preferred score is 146 or higher for verbal and 160 or higher for quantitative 

    Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

    Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our exempt countries list.

    • official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall 
    • official PTE scores required with a 52 overall
    • official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and
      • minimum individual module scores of 6.0
    • official Duolingo scores required with a 110 overall
    • official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall

    This program does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.
    Review important information about official test scores.

    • statement of purpose outlining the applicant’s personal history and goals that are relevant to obtaining this doctoral degree, explaining why the applicant wants to pursue this degree at TXST
    • three letters of recommendation evaluating the applicant’s skill and potential in this degree program, preferably from academic sources
    • top-ranked applicants who meet the minimum preferred credentials will be interviewed by the Ph.D. program director and other committee members via online tools such as Zooms or Microsoft Teams

    Review important information about documents.