Design and Construction Project Management, MSc

Design and construction project management master's programme at Chalmers

The Design and construction project management master's programme aims at preparing technically qualified engineer students to the integrated management of the construction processes. It gives the students an advanced understanding of construction management by providing necessary tools, methods and theories relevant for the discipline and the practitioners as well as their application across the various phases of a project. The programme is designed to cover the entire construction process, such as early stages, design, construction production and facilities management. It presents an understanding of the sector complexity and the diversity of participating actors and stakeholders as well as their role in the process within the unique project-based environment of the industry.

The master's programme is intended to bridge between different worldviews, to exercise the ability to perceive and understand diverse perspectives and to support a reciprocal, mutual, understanding between actors in the construction sector such as user, client, architect, engineer, consultant, planner, or economist.

To work as a manager in the built environment sector means having knowledge of construction-specific elements like technical, environmental, legal, and contractual demands. You as a student will also be trained in skills involving knowledge on project management, financial accounting, research methods, Building Information Modeling (BIM), logistics, productivity, and, real estate and facility management. The strong collaborative characteristics of the construction industry, where projects are carried out in temporary and interdisciplinary environment also implies training and knowledge related to organizational culture, leadership, communication, teamwork, and decision making.   As a complement to your engineering degree, this programme offers a possibility to learn the competencies needed to perform on a high professional level in the construction and built environment sector. The programme is open to both engineers and architects, however, please observe that the Master's degree delivered is in engineering. Educational methods The programme prepares students for a long-lasting professional career by providing a broad repertoire of problem-solving methods and by integrating theory and practice to understand and manage the complexity in the actualization of a construction project.

Building on the complementarity of different disciplines, Design and Construction Project Management master's programme aims at providing you as future practitioners with a combination of prescriptive and analytical tools to face these challenges. The prescriptive tools aim at planning, organizing, managing and controlling the construction processes as well as addressing the individual, social and organizational aspects of the sector; the analytical tools, methods and theories, enable the future practitioners to develop a holistic view, be more reflexive about the context they evolve in and accordingly make informed decisions.

The programme offers a mixture of conventional lectures and seminars, supported by online resources and a variety of external sources of information. It benefits from the use of case studies, real-life projects and collaboration with industry. Student presentations and group work are important parts. To stimulate an efficient exchange of experiences and knowledge, a main pedagogical idea is to enhance your co-operative and communicative.

Topics covered

The subjects of construction management, and communication, are fundamental areas in the Design and construction project management master’s programme. The courses included in the programme plan handle topics such as real estate finance, leadership and service management.