Cal State Northridge Offers New Academic Program

Cal State Northridge will launch a new degree program in the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences.

The new program, Construction Management Technology (CMT), offered by the Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, will bridge the art of engineering and the practice of construction.

The two-year program, available to students who have accumulated 60 transferable units from an accredited college, will be taught by licensed engineers with experience in construction.

Students enrolled in this program will develop construction and engineering expertise to interact with architects, engineers and contractors. They also will develop communications skills to tackle construction issues and prevent project crises, and management skills to monitor and control the performance of projects for efficient and timely completion.

"The opportunities are limitless," said Stephen Gadomski, chair of the new program. "There are so many opportunities for someone with this type of training. The sky is the limit."

CMT graduates will have opportunities to manage multi-trade construction programs with large companies, or they can apply their extensive construction and management knowledge to develop small construction firms.

"There is a big need for construction managers in the industry," Gadomski said.

Companies within and surrounding Los Angeles and Ventura Counties will have a need for about 500 construction managers within the next five years, he said. However, universities are producing only about 70 construction managers every year.

The program was officially approved by the California State University system in May.

The program initially will be launched through CSUN's Roland Tseng College of Extended Learning at the Port Hueneme naval base during spring 2005. The program will move to the CSUN campus in fall 2005.

Contacts: Marc Tolentino or Carmen Ramos Chandler (818) 677-2130, marc.n.tolentino@csun.edu