Construction

Department of Civil Engineering and Construction

Construction Program

The baccalaureate program in construction is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education and is a charter member of the Associated Schools of Construction.

FACULTY Professors Elhouar, Khodair, Lee, Maillacheruvu, Schattler (chair); Associate Professors Hossain, Spelman; Assistant Professors Ashraf, Ghannad, Soltani, Terreno; Associate Professor in Residence Willis; Assistant Professors in Residence George, Li; Emeritus Professors Adrian, Al-Khafaji, Rebholz.

The Department of Civil Engineering and Construction offers undergraduate programs in both civil engineering (BSCE) and construction (BSC), a Construction minor, and accelerated 4+1 programs leading to a Master of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE/MSCE and BSC/MSCE).

Mission and Objectives

Produce graduates who possess a keen awareness of the national and global dimensions of the construction industry, leadership skills required to serve our society, and the technical knowledge to pursue multiple career paths including advanced degrees. To achieve our mission, the Construction program will strive to achieve the following objectives:

1. Leadership in Construction. Graduates understand the need for teamwork, communication, skills, integrity, good citizenship, and service. They have the needed knowledge to become leaders in the construction industry.
2. Professional Achievement. Graduates have the needed understanding of ethical responsibilities, certification, the necessity for continuing education, and contemporary issues required for placement and career advancement.
3. Globalization. Offer programs to ensure that graduates have the needed awareness of global construction issues and cultures to help them thrive in an emerging world market.
4. Industry Partnerships. Partner with the construction profession to offer an innovative program that promotes cultural diversity and responds to the needs of the profession and society in the areas of sustainability, infrastructure, and emerging technology.

The Department

Facilities. The curriculum is supported by 11 cutting-edge laboratory and computer facilities equipped with modern hardware and software. Laboratories include fluid mechanics/hydraulics, environmental, concrete, asphalt pavement, construction, structural, geotechnical, two design projects, transportation, and the college machine shop. In addition, the college has three computer classrooms with a wide range of up-to-date software available through the university Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) platform.

Scholarships. Currently nearly 30 annual and endowed scholarships are available to students through the department. The total endowed scholarship from industry of about 2 million is dedicated specifically to CEC students. This reflects the faith and trust that industry has in the quality of our programs.

Placement. For the past 20 years, job placement for construction graduates has been 100% in most years. Starting salaries for CEC graduates are very competitive nationwide. Employers recognize that our students have the knowledge, experience, and intellectual curiosity to succeed in their profession. High placement and scholarship opportunities for our students are a direct benefit from the strong partnerships that CEC has developed with our professional partners in industry, government, and academe.

Leadership. A focus of the department is the development of leadership skills in our students. Students are encouraged to participate in student professional organizations and academic honorary organizations by being officers or committee chairs. Leadership skills are also developed through service and outreach programs that teach our students the value of giving back to the community. Our students have been involved in many different community outreach activities through their involvement in building school playground projects, Illinois River Sweep, Habitat for Humanity, and others. The CEC department offers scholarships for leadership to applicants whose academic and leadership skills meet or exceed the requirements: (http://www.bradley.edu/admissions/freshman/cost/sources/cecles/index.dot).

Faculty Qualifications. CEC faculty have received numerous awards for teaching excellence and scholarship, as well as for their professional contributions. They have conducted research for national, state, and local sponsors, benefitting society and our students.

Graduation. To graduate, students must meet all university and college graduation requirements. Additionally, Construction students must achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0 in college of engineering courses. Every academic year, Construction students are required to attend a number of seminars and other events that promote leadership and service.

Internationalization. The CEC department believes that exposure to different world cultures can expand the professional capabilities, stimulate intellectual growth, and broaden the personal perspective of all participants. The CEC department and the university are committed to giving all of our students the opportunity to study overseas. Arrangements have been made with universities around the world to send our students overseas to take courses either during an interim semester, or the Fall/Spring semesters. Students with financial need have received financial support that enables them to study abroad for equal to or less than what it would cost to study on campus. As a part of the Study Abroad program, hundreds of CEC students have studied overseas in various countries including England, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Egypt, Jordan, and Malta.

Graduate Program. In addition to the undergraduate program described above, the Department offers a graduate program leading to the Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE) degree. Our undergraduate students have the opportunity to pursue an accelerated 4+1 program leading to a Master of Science in Civil Engineering.  The MSCE degree also provides students the ability to emphasize in Construction Management. Details of this program can be found in the Graduate Catalog and below for the 4+1 (BSCE/MSCE) program.  The graduate program allows talented undergraduate students to engage in scholarly research activities and to enroll in advanced courses to meet their special interests and needs.

Construction Major

The construction industry is large, varied, and complex. It is intimately interwoven with, and exerts significant influence on, the overall economy of our nation. Constructors—the modern construction professionals—are educated in engineering and architectural principles in the building process, allowing effective communication with the many persons with whom contact is necessary: the design professionals (engineers and architects), specialty subcontractors, manufacturers and distributors of construction materials and products, financiers and others. Additionally, and most importantly, the constructor is a manager. The constructor’s education must include the essentials of contemporary management philosophy, sound business and construction practice, emerging trends in sustainable development, and enlightened human relations. This multidisciplinary curriculum has been developed from these aims which are in
consonance with the goals of the Associated Schools of Construction and the philosophy of the American Institute of Constructors.

The program described below was developed for the typical student interested in general preparation for a construction career. A minor in Business Administration is achievable without additional hours by careful selection of electives. Other minors in business related fields are also possible by careful selection of electives and taking additional required courses.

The listed courses, an expected  total of 126 hours, must be completed to meet degree requirements and to earn a Bachelor of Science in Construction (BSC). The Construction curriculum consists of (1) Bradley Core Curriculum, (2)  Mathematics and Basic Science courses, (3) Business Management courses, and (4) Construction courses.

Bradley Core Curriculum (BCC) 21 hours

• BCC Communications (BCC – CM) COM 103 Oral Communications Process - 3 hrs.
• BCC Communications (BCC – W1) ENG 101 English Composition - 3 hrs.
• BCC Communications (BCC – W2) ENG 300, 301, 305, or 306 Advanced Writing - 3 hrs.
• BCC Fine Arts (BCC – FA) - 3 hrs.
• BCC Global Perspectives (BCC – GP) - 3 hrs.
• BCC Humanities (BCC – HU) - 3 hrs
• BCC Multidisciplinary Integration (BCC – MI) - 3 hrs.

Mathematics and Basic Sciences 15 hours:

• Calculus: MTH 115 or MTH 121 — 4 hrs. (BCC – QR1)
• Quantitative Analysis: QM 262 I — 3 hrs. (BCC – QR2)
• Physics: PHY 107 or PHY 110 - 4 hrs. (BCC – NS1)

• Science Elective - 4 hrs.
  • GES 101: Principles of Earth Science - 3 hrs. and GES 102: Principles of Earth Science Laboratory - 1 hr.
  • CHM 110: General Chemistry I - 3 hrs. and CHM 111: General Chemistry I Lab - 1 hr.
  • PHY 108: General Physics II - 4 hrs.

Business Management 27 hours

• ECO 221 Microeconomics - 3 hrs. (Bradley Core – SB1)
• ECO 222 Macroeconomics - 3 hrs. (Bradley Core – SB2)
• ATG 157 Accounting-Financial - 3 hrs.
• ATG 158 Accounting-Managerial - 3 hrs.
• BLW 342 The Legal Environment of Business - 3 hrs.
• MIS 173: Information Systems and Business Applications - 3 hrs
• M L 350 Managing for Results in Organizations - 3 hrs.
• Business Management Electives, see below - 6 hrs.

Construction 63 hours

• CON 100 Introduction to Construction - 1 hr.
• CON 114 Ethics in Construction - 1 hr.
• CON 132 Construction Graphics - 2 hrs.
• CON 206 Surveying - 3 hrs
• CON 224 CADD in Construction - 3 hrs.
• CON 262 Mechanical and Electrical Systems I - 3 hrs.
• CON 270 Construction Materials and Methods I - 3 hrs.
• CON 320 Soil Mechanics - 3 hrs.
• CON 326 Construction Estimating - 3 hrs.
• CON 342 Construction Equipment - 3 hrs.
• CON 356 Construction Safety - 3 hrs.
• CON 372 Construction Methods Improvements - 3 hrs.
• CON 388 Contract Administration - 3 hrs
• CON 392 Construction Scheduling - 3 hrs.
• CON 470 Design of Steel and Wood Structures - 3 hrs.
• CON 471 Concrete and Masonry Construction - 3 hrs.
• CON 492 Construction Project Controls - 3 hrs.
• CON 493 Senior Project Planning - 2 hrs.
• CON 498 Senior Project - 3 hrs.
• CE 150 or IMT 222 Statics - 3 hrs.
• CE 270 or IMT 324 Strength of Materials 3 to 4 hrs.
• Construction electives, see below – 6 hrs.

Elective Courses

I. Construction Electives

Students must take 6 semester hours from the courses listed below.  Students wishing to enroll in a 500-level graduate course must have a minimum 2.75 overall GPA.

• CON 272: Construction Materials and Methods II - 3 hrs.
• CON 330: Housing - 3 hrs.
• CON 352: Sustainable Urban Environment - 3 hrs.
• CON 368: Mechanical and Electrical Systems II - 3 hrs.
• CON 394: Construction Labor and Unions - 3 hrs.
• CON 430: Commercial Construction - 3 hrs.
• CON 435: Heavy and Highway Construction - 3 hrs.
• CON 452: Green Construction and LEED - 3 hrs.
• CON 490: Special Topics I (approved topic only) - 1-3 hrs.
• CON 491: Special Topics II (approved topic only) - 1-3 hrs.
• CON 494: Construction Practice - 3 hrs.
• CON 520: Advanced Construction Practice - 3 hrs.
• CON 522: Advanced CADD - 3 hrs.
• CON 524: Building Information Modeling - 3 hrs.
• CON 526: Advanced Cost Estimating - 3 hrs.
• CON 528: Advanced Construction Scheduling - 3 hrs.
• CON 529: Advanced Construction Contracts - 3 hrs.
• CON 536: TQM Principles - 3 hrs.
• CON 537: Construction Simulation - 3 hrs.
• CON 540: Project and Company Management - 3 hrs.
• CON 591 Advanced Topics I (approved topic only) - 1 to 3 hrs.
• CON 592 Advanced Topics II (approved topic only) - 1 to 3 hrs.
• CON 593 Advanced Project I (approved topic only) - 1 to 3 hrs.
• CON 594 Advanced Project II (approved topic only) - 1 to 3 hrs.
• CE 250: Dynamics - 3 hrs
• CE 356: Pavement Design - 4 hrs.

II. Business Management Electives

Students must take 6 semester hours from the following courses:

• ASB 315: Risk and Insurance - 3 hrs.
• BLW 345: Law of Business - 3 hrs.
• BLW 355: Labor-Management Relations - 3 hrs.
• BLW 395: Real Estate Law - 3 hrs.
• BLW 446: Employment Law - 3 hrs.
• ENT 280: Entrepreneurial Creativity - 3 hrs.
• ENT 381: Entrepreneurship for Non-Business Students - 3 hrs. or ENT 382: Entrepreneurship - 3 hrs.
• ENT 383: Managing Entrepreneurial Growth - 3 hrs.
• ENT 385: Technology Entrepreneurship - 3 hrs.
• ENT 386: Social Entrepreneurship - 3 hrs.
• ENT 389: Topics in Entrepreneurship - 3 hrs.
• FIN 322: Business Finance - 3 hrs.
• MIS 272: Business Analytics Tools and Techniques - 3 hrs.
• MIS 276: Developing Information Systems for E-Commerce - 3 hrs.
• MIS 378: Human/Computer Interaction and Usability Testing - 3 hrs.
• MIS 379: Information Systems Security - 3 hrs.
• ML 353: Operations Management in Organizations - 3 hrs.
• ML 356: Human Capital in Organizations - 3 hrs.
• ML 357: Leading Organizations - 3 hrs.
• ML 358: Managerial Decision Making - 3 hrs.
• ML 456: Compensation Management - 3 hrs.
• ML 457: Advanced Human Capital Management - 3 hrs.
• ML 459: Topics in Management - 3 hrs.
• MTG 315: Principles of Marketing - 3 hrs. 

Internship Options

With support from the Bradley University Smith Career Center, students are strongly encouraged to engage in at least one internship by the time they are ready to graduate. Internships are managed by the Smith Career Center through one of the following courses, which can be taken during the summer session right before the associated class year:

• EGT 210 - Sophomore Engineering Internship (Bradley Core: EL), 0 hours
• EGT 310 - Junior Engineering Internship (Bradley Core: EL), 0 hours
• EGT 410 - Senior Engineering Internship (Bradley Core: EL), 0 hours

4 + 1 BSC/MSCE Program

Bachelor of Science in Construction/Master of Science in Civil Engineering 

Admission

Bradley University Construction undergraduates may enroll in the 4 + 1 BSC/MSCE program while completing their bachelor’s degree and meet the following requirements:

Students will be considered for the BSC/MSCE program during the spring of the student’s junior year (preferred date: April 1) or in fall of the student’s senior year, at the latest. Students will not be admitted to the program after the first day of spring semester of their senior year. The student must follow the application procedures consistent with application to Graduate Education and the Civil Engineering Graduate Program with the following exceptions. The student:

• does not need to have completed the bachelor's degree to be admitted to the program,
• has a 3.0 overall GPA or greater,
• has a minimum of 79 hours completed at the time of admission to the program if admitted before completion of junior year, or 94 hours if admitted at the beginning of the senior year,
• does not need to submit letters of recommendation, essays, transcripts, or GRE scores

Graduation Requirements 

Students admitted to the graduate program pursuing an MSCE degree as an undergraduate as stipulated above will need to complete 30 semester hours of graduate course work with 9 hours dual counted in the BSC program. A minimum of 18 hours will be in CON designated courses; the remaining hours may include courses from other related departments, per the approved Elective Courses list.  Students are required to pass a comprehensive examination during the last semester of their graduate program.

Undergraduates will apply for graduation for their bachelor's degree in the semester that they will achieve a minimum of 126 approved semester hours and complete all undergraduate degree requirements. Following graduation with the BSC degree, students are considered graduate students. Students who are admitted to the BSC/MSCE program will have up to 9 graduate hours taken during the final year of the bachelor's degree dual counted for the BSC and MSCE Degrees. In the student’s senior year of their undergraduate program, they will take:

• 2 graduate courses, 6 hours of 500-level Construction courses, and
• 1 graduate course, 3 hours of 500-level courses in Business Management.

In the remaining two semesters in the MSCE program, the graduate student will take:

• 12 hours of graduate courses in the first semester of Year 5
• 9 hours of graduate courses in the second semester of Year 5, plus the comprehensive exam

Construction Minor

A Minor in Construction from the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction creates tremendous opportunities for students majoring in business or engineering to join the booming construction industry. Business and engineering students with a construction minor will have an adequate understanding of the principles of construction management, including an understanding of the construction project life cycle, project acquisition processes, estimating, scheduling, and construction risk management, among other concepts. The minor was designed to allow students from the various majors to complete it while completing the requirements of their major with the least number of additional courses compared to minors being offered by other institutions.

Entry Requirements:

Minor is open to students from the Foster College of Business and the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology with a minimum GPA of 2.25.

Required Courses

For Civil Engineering Majors:

• CON132 Construction Graphics (2 CH)                                     Required for the CE Major 
• CON262 Mechanical and Electrical Systems (3 CH)
• CON270 Construction Materials and Methods (3 CH)
• CON 326 Construction Estimating (3 CH)                                 Required for the CE Major                    
• CON380 Construction Contracts (2 CH)                                   CE Major Elective
• CON392 Construction Scheduling (3 CH)                                 CE Major Elective

Total: 16 CH

For Other Majors:

• CON100 Introduction to Construction (1 CH)
• CON132 Construction Graphics (2 CH)
• CON262 Mechanical and Electrical Systems (3 CH)
• CON270 Construction Materials and Methods (3 CH)
• CON314 Principles of Construction Project Management (3 CH)
• CON388 Contract Administration (3 CH)

Total: 15 CH

Completion Requirements:

Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 2.00 in all CON courses.

This is the official catalog for the 2023-2024 academic year. This catalog serves as a contract between a student and Bradley University. Should changes in a program of study become necessary prior to the next academic year every effort will be made to keep students advised of any such changes via the Dean of the College or Chair of the Department concerned, the Registrar's Office, u.Achieve degree audit system, and the Schedule of Classes. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the current program and graduation requirements for particular degree programs.