The Introduction to Construction Management Specialist Certificate is a fully online program offered through LSU Online & Continuing Education that allows students to gain essential skills and knowledge needed to enter the construction industry.
This program is offered through the Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management at Louisiana State University. Upon completion of the MicroCred®, students are awarded a digital badge they can share on professional platforms and showcase their competencies. They can continue their learning by pursuing additional microcredentials that stack upon each other or transfer the credit earned toward a more advanced LSU Online certificate or degree.
The Construction Management (CM) department has a close relationship with their Construction Industry Advisory Council comprising of industry leaders, LSU CM alumni, and organizations who work in and support the construction industry. The Council reviews curricula and offers insights into the needs of different areas of the industry (e.g., residential vs. commercial) and the skills that are needed.
Through those discussions and in collaboration with LSU Online & Continuing Education (LSU OCE), it was determined that an entry-level introductory program offering was needed. This program was meant to give foundational knowledge to beginners in the field and allow interested students to explore the field before making a firm commitment to a full degree.
The first step in creating the Introduction to Construction Management Specialist Certificate was to evaluate the curriculum and determine which foundational courses provided the specific foundational knowledge and skills identified by the faculty, advisory council, and LSU OCE.
During the evaluation of the curriculum, subsequent “bundles” of courses were created so that a student can continue to expand their knowledge and skills through credit-bearing courses and earn MicroCred certificates along the way. A few of these programs stack upon one another – offering students an easy and affordable way to level up! For example, by taking one additional course after the Introduction to Construction Management Specialist Certificate, students can earn a second credential. Alternatively, they can apply their credits and stack them into either the Undergraduate Certificate in Construction Management or the Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.
The second step was to determine the delivery of these courses. The program targets learners who may not desire a full degree from the start. To remove application or admissions barriers, it was decided that the courses would be offered through LSU’s Online Distance Learning (ODL) unit, which allows anyone to register for credit-bearing courses. Upon completion of a course or certificate, students receive an LSU transcript that they can take to their home institution or apply toward an LSU degree.
One of the unique features of the Introduction to Construction Management Specialist Certificate is that although students do not go through an application or admissions process, they learn side-by-side with those in the BS Construction Management. The Academic Technology team at LSU OCE was able to merge these populations on the backend into the same course within the learning management system (LMS). Both populations benefit from the experiences and knowledge of the other.
The biggest lesson learned is that support and buy-in from leadership are essential. Without the support of the different stakeholders and the willingness of the Construction Management department to try something new, this initiative would not have been successful. With the success of this program – and the subsequent stackable options available to students – more LSU Online programs are investigating ways to deliver their content and expertise to a wider audience by evaluating their curriculum and “chunking” it into more digestible formats.
3 courses from our Construction Management program:
