The University of Michigan, a top ranked public research institution, is offering its Construction Engineering and Management master’s degree online to ensure that institutional expertise in construction management is passed along to the next generation. The decision will support an industry that continues to face a persistent shortage of qualified construction engineers and project managers by making the education more accessible.
“The construction industry must immediately address three critical challenges, with the first being the urgent shortage of skilled labor across nearly every trade,” said Joseph Vig, CEO of JS Vig Construction Company in Metro Detroit. “Second is the need to integrate AI into a seamless, collaborative process of design-permitting-construction. And the third is the demand for smart building systems and technicians who can improve the performance, data intelligence and adaptability of the built environment.”
The program, which is offered by the Tishman Construction Management Program (TCMP) through the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, will support students who have completed their undergraduate studies as well as seasoned industry professionals who have an interest in architecture, engineering, and construction.
The online program will complement the existing residential Master of Science and Engineering degree in construction and engineering management, which was been offered since 1954, notably the first of its kind in the United States.
Students on a full-time schedule can complete the degree in eight months, whereas it will take part-time students up to five years to complete the 26-credit online program. They also have the option of starting with the program’s stackable online Construction Engineering & Management certificate, which allows them to complete up to six credits before formally applying to the master’s program. Once completed, those credits can count toward the degree, saving student both time and money.
Applications for the Fall 2026 term close on June 15.
