This content was published: July 30, 1999. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Be a Boss in the Construction Trade with New Degree at PCC
Photos and story by James Hill
Here is your chance to get off the frontlines of construction projects and become the person in charge.
A new PCC degree, Construction Management Technology, will arm construction trade professionals and those new to the field with the skills and knowledge to handle all the details to craft a successful construction project. The courses for the program begin fall term, which starts Monday, Sept. 20 at the Rock Creek Campus.
Lead instructor Joe Johnson said the idea for the degree came when he noticed that the closest full-fledged construction management program is available at Oregon State University in Corvallis. The Oregon Department of Education approved the curriculum for the degree in late May.
"We see most of these students being night-time students who want to add training or make a switch in their field to become a manager," said Johnson, adding that anyone interested in jumping into the construction management field is encouraged to sign up.
According to the course description, the core curriculum of this degree includes construction materials and methods, cost estimating, scheduling, project management, construction safety, structural engineering concepts, construction law and related computer applications. In addition to the course work, there is an element of cooperative education with the degree where students will work on a job site for course credit. Students will also "run" a project in a class assignment during the last stages of the program.
Students new to the industry, current construction professionals and others have the option of obtaining a one-year or two-year certificate, or a two-year associate’s degree in Construction Management Technology.
Johnson said those who helped shape the curriculum of the program looked at schools throughout the Northwest that offer similar programs to determine what disciplines a degree at PCC in construction project management would require.
"I wanted to make it as broad as possible," said Johnson, "so these students would have a good understanding of it all after coming out of school."
What Johnson believes students will like most about the this new addition is that a high-caliber construction management program is now available in a two-year college environment in the Portland metro area.
"I think the opportunities in this field are really good," he said. "And as far as the program it gives students the opportunity to take a bit of a short cut."
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »