Construction Engineering

Bachelor’s Degree

Build Your Future Today

The Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering program at Colorado School of Mines expands students’ knowledge to prepare graduates for design, oversight, management, inspection, and planning career roles in support of the construction sector. Based on a rigorous foundation in basic sciences, math, engineering sciences, design principles, and civil engineering topics, students will learn the fundamental and practical skills. With this foundation, we empower our students to apply engineering skills, sustainable practices, and management principles into the built environment.

Upon graduation, students will be prepared to translate design concepts into the built environment in a wide variety of sectors, from infrastructure to commercial and residential construction to fill a myriad of job opportunities available. The undergraduate construction engineering curriculum includes a variety of essential topics and skills that are vital for the booming construction industry, including:

  • Scheduling
  • Estimating
  • Project economics
  • Cost control
  • Communication
  • Project administration
Construction Engineering students talking with each other in a build, classroom field setting
Blue Reuleaux representing Mines

Experiential major menus

Uniquely tailored to your undergraduate major of choice, these menus offer a wide array of extra-curricular activities that complement and enrich the traditional classroom experience.

Explore the extra-curricular activities that complement your degree.

Construction Engineering at a glance

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Opened enrollment in Fall 2023

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Three new classes Spring 2024

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Welcoming two new professors, Dr. Yangming Shi and Dr. Yunyang Ye.

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Opportunity to work with industry professionals

Desired Student Outcomes

  • An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
  • An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
  • An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
  • An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams; (e) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
  • An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
  • An ability to communicate effectively; (h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental and societal context
  • A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
  • A knowledge of contemporary issues
  • An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice
  • Relevant tools in construction practice to plan, design, monitor, inspect and manage construction operations

Take a look at our NEW CORE- ConE Flowchart 2023-2024 to see the path toward completing your construction engineering degree.

Additionally, please visit our curriculum overview to learn more about the four-year overview for this degree.

 

Possible Career Areas

  • Construction inspection / oversight
  • Construction operations design
  • Construction planning
  • Construction management

Typical work for construction engineers

  • upfront planning to ensure the proper budget, schedules, materials, labor resources, and contracts will be in place at the right time
  • design of temporary structures that can support construction operations required in elevated or multistory construction or in deep excavations
  • construction project management to manage budgets, site operations, and trade or project schedules
  • identification of field conditions, adjustments to the project schedule, project oversight, safety, cost control, phasing operation execution, and communication with clients and subcontractors
  • oversight of construction activities for worker safety, code compliance, contract adherence, and material controls
Shi Yangming headshot

Faculty Spotlight

Yangming Shi

Dr. Yangming Shi is an Assistant Professor in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. His research focuses on developing data-driven solutions to improve human performance and augment human capabilities for future design, construction, and engineering processes.

Dr. Shi’s research interests lie in Virtual Reality (VR)/Augmented Reality (AR), Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (AI), construction automation, construction informatics, disaster visualization, and Human Factors Engineering.

Making Mines more affordable

Mines’ financial assistance program awards more than $60 million per year, and over 82 percent of the student body receives some form of financial aid.

Aerial View of Mines Campus
Green Reuleaux representing Mines

Why study construction engineering at Mines?

If you’re looking for a program that combines both industry expertise and a theoretical underpinning to construction engineering, then you’ve come to the right place. In the construction engineering program at Mines, we’re not just builders. We’re solvers, rescuers, evaluators of constructability and designers.

Why do so many students choose Mines?

  • Courses designed by industry professionals who understand industry needs
  • Hands-on learning experiences and research
  • Sustainable approach to construction design and engineering
  • Pairing industry needs with technological expertise
  • Join a unique and valued student body
Two Mines Engineering students conversing in a build site

Career Outcomes

Our curriculum prepares students to translate infrastructure and building designs into practice by engaging in coordination of project design, systems design, design of temporary structures, planning, logistics, scheduling, project management, and more. These vital topics are applicable to all construction projects in transportation infrastructure, buildings, water, power and energy sectors. 

With a construction engineering degree, you’ll have the experience and knowledge to pursue a variety of career fields, including: 

  • Construction engineer
  • Project engineer
  • Site engineer
  • Estimator
  • Project manager
  • Project superintendent 

A student experience like no other