Master of Construction Management

The Master of Construction Management is a professional program for graduates wanting to gain employment in the construction industry.

The Master of Construction Management focuses on real-world projects which range across the full construction management cycle, preparing students for the realities of professional life.

It allows students to develop and build on expertise in a range of professional roles including quantity surveyor, project estimator, contract administrator, site manager, construction planner, site superintendent, construction foreman, project manager and facility manager.

The Construction Management program is designed to build on the Bachelor of Environments in a two-year program or, for those coming from other fields, as a three-year stream (from 2010). Extremely valuable professional experience can be integrated as part of the program providing a unique practical experience enriching the connection to the related fields of work that also contribute to professional accreditation requirements.

• Engage with specialist topics associated with the construction industry across multiple disciplines;
• Extend the knowledge gained in prior learning and experience into a deeper understanding of the professions in construction;
• Obtain cutting-edge technical and managerial expertise;
• Inform current development in research and industry practice;
• Provide an advanced program to enable study in a research higher degree.

All students must complete:

100 points core subjects

75 points construction management electives

25 points multidisciplinary electives

Core Subjects (100 points)

Construction management electives (75 points)

Note: Students intending to seek accreditation in the field of quantity surveying must successfully complete ABPL90129 Advanced Cost Management.

Multidisciplinary electives (25 points)

To view a sample course plan go to:

1. The Selection Committee will evaluate the applicant’s ability to pursue the course successfully using the following criteria –

• completion of the Bachelor of Planning and Design (Property and Construction) at the University of Melbourne between 2005 and 2010; and
• completion of at least 16 weeks of documented relevant full-time professional work experience;
  or
• a three-year undergraduate degree in a cognate area with a weighted average of at least 65% in the final two years, or equivalent, together with a personal statement of up to 1000 words outlining relevant prior study and work experience, and motivation to undertake the course.

2. The Selection Committee may conduct interviews or tests and may call for referee reports and employer references to elucidate any of the matters referred to above.

Note: Students who have completed relevant prior study and/or at least one year of documented relevant full-time professional work experience, or equivalent, may be eligible for advanced standing.

Students who have completed at least twelve months documented relevant work experience may be eligible to receive 50 points of credit for completion of a reflective journal, including a critical review of an industry project (not more than 5,000 words), during their professional experience.

Guaranteed Pathway into Master of Construction Management for BEnv Graduates (available for masters entry from 2011 to 2014)

1. BEnv graduates with a major in Construction and a weighted average of at least 65% in their final two years will be guaranteed a fee place in the 200-point Master of Construction Management.
2. BEnv graduates with a major in Construction and a weighted average of at least 65% in their final two years, and who are eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place, will be guaranteed a Commonwealth Supported Place in the 200-point Master of Construction Management.

For information about the three year Master of Construction Management, designed for students with an undergraduate degree in any discipline, click here.

For information about how to apply click here.

The Melbourne School of Design is the graduate school of the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. It offers professional entry programs in Architecture, Construction Management, Landscape Architecture, Property and Urban Planning. It offers specialist development programs in Property Valuation, Planning and Design and in Urban Design.

The Melbourne School of Design welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is the University and Faculty (Architecture, Building and Planning) policy to take reasonable steps to make reasonable adjustments so as to enable students’ participation in degrees offered by the Melbourne School of Design (MSD).

A candidate for degrees offered in the MSD must have abilities and skills which include the following: observation; communication; motor; conceptual, integrative, and quantitative; and
behavioural and social. Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability, however, particularly at Masters level, students need to be able to participate in programs in an independent manner and with regard to their safety and the safety of others.

(i) Observation: Candidates must be able to read text, diagrams, maps, drawings and numerical data. Candidates should be able to observe details at a number of scales and to record useful observations of environmental contexts.

(ii) Communication: Candidates should be able to communicate with fellow students, professional and academic staff, members of relevant professions and the public. Candidates
must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively. Communication includes not only speech but also reading and writing.

(iii) Motor: Candidates should have sufficient motor function to elicit information from environmental contexts. Off campus investigations may include visits to construction sites,
urban, rural and/or remote environments. Candidates should have sufficient motor ability to prepare documentation of analytic texts, drawings and models of findings and for the
preparation of proposals for environmental interventions via digital or other means. Candidates should have the ability to actively participate in appropriate site and/or design
studio-based activities.

(iv) Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, synthesis and, importantly, the ability to
interpret results of such work. Problem resolution, the critical skill demanded of graduates, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, given the disciplines pursued in the
MSD, candidates should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships in environmental structures of a wide range of scales –
from smaller than the individual through individual buildings and urban spaces to large geographic areas. Further, graduate study entails learning to master one’s own abilities and
skills and to deploy them strategically. This requires further developing skills in both reflective and reflexive thinking and being able to practice these skills.

(v) Behavioural and Social Attributes: A candidate must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are
required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating
interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

Students who feel a disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit.

Graduates in construction management typically work for construction companies both on and off construction sites. Their roles include planning and scheduling, project management, contract administration, or estimating and tendering. Graduates pursuing a career in construction economics work as construction cost consultants and quantity surveyors with financiers, property developers, and project managers.

The Master of Construction Management has been specifically designed around the University of Melbourne graduate attributes and the requirements of professional associations. The Master of Construction Management will incorporate research-led teaching, problem-based collaborative learning, professional engagement, and a diverse mature cohort. Graduates of Master of Construction Management will have high-level professional and intellectual capabilities enabling them to demonstrate leadership, a commitment to life-long learning, and professional integrity.