Construction Engineering Technology

Career potential

The construction engineering technology program will help you to develop the technical knowledge, management skills and business understanding necessary to be successful in today's construction industry. The knowledge, skills and abilities gained in this program will enable you to work in a variety of construction and construction-related professions. These professions include estimator, scheduler, contractor, project engineer, field supervisor, project supervisor, project superintendent or project manager.

To advance in the field of construction engineering technology, you may need to earn a master's degree. UNT offers an engineering systems master's degree with a concentration in construction management. To teach construction engineering technology at a university, you may need to earn a doctoral degree.

UNT's Career Center can help you prepare to pursue your career. The center has information about jobs and employers, and the staff can help you with resume and letter writing, job search strategies, and interview preparation.

Majoring in construction engineering technology

The construction engineering technology degree program builds on a strong foundation of mathematics, physics, and computer and engineering sciences, with an excellent blend of theory and professional practice in the construction industry. The curriculum focuses on project management, construction methods and engineering design principles. You will learn about structural design, surveying, estimating, construction materials, computer applications, scheduling, accounting, safety, project management, and contract and business law. The program is enhanced by a joint teaching effort with other engineering technology programs and the College of Business.

This program provides the industry with knowledge about the development and applications of new technologies pertaining to the construction industry. An advanced light gauge steel testing laboratory is part of its partnership with NUCONSTEEL™.

The department plans for the construction engineering technology program to seek accreditation from ABET Inc. and American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) by 2010. Faculty members have degrees in aerospace, civil, engineering and construction management and several years of industry experience.

Getting hands-on experience

The construction engineering technology program receives more than $250,000 per year in project grants and contracts. Current faculty research interests include cold-formed steel construction, structural engineering, critical path method (CPM) scheduling, momentum scheduling, profit analysis and project controls. For a senior project, you may work in one of these areas with a faculty member or for an industrial sponsor.

Preparing for UNT

If you are a high school student, you should prepare for college by becoming computer proficient and taking:

• English … 4 years
• Math … 4 years
• Social science — economics, geography, government, history … 4 years
• Science … 3 years
• Foreign language … 3 years
• Fine arts … 1 year

You will need to take courses in most of these subjects under the university core curriculum required of all undergraduates, in addition to your major courses. Talk with your high school counselor about preparing for college, including the entrance exams (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT) that you should take during your junior year. While in high school, we suggest taking Algebra I and II, plane geometry, and trigonometry for your math requirements and chemistry and physics to fulfill your science requirements.

As a benefit for transfer students, UNT participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This system makes it easier to transfer credits for general academic courses from one Texas institution to another.

If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult the UNT Transfer Guide, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic advisor/ counselor to discuss your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Charting your path with academic advising

Faculty members in the engineering technology department will provide you with career advice and will help you each semester to select courses necessary to earn your degree. Faculty members also determine which transfer courses may be applied to engineering technology. The department office is at UNT's Discovery Park, Room F115.

Curious about courses and other features of this major?
See the current catalog.