BGSU construction management program expands regional impact by earning top industry accreditation

The construction management program at BGSU, a longtime producer of in-demand graduates, secures ACCE accreditation

As a consistent producer of skilled, in-demand graduates in the construction workforce, the Bowling Green State University construction management program expanded its position as a regional education leader by earning top industry accreditation.

Housed in the School of the Built Environment, the BGSU construction management program earned accreditation from the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE), a recognition of the program’s ability to meet workforce needs by educating students who are prepared to make lasting contributions within the construction industry.

Dr. Arsenio Rodrigues, professor and director of the School of the Built Environment, said the national accreditation further establishes BGSU as a place where students receive a top-caliber construction management education.

“Through ACCE accreditation, our graduates meet the highest standard of excellence for construction education and are in high demand by construction employers,” Rodrigues said. “Our graduates are work-ready and are well prepared with both the technical and interpersonal skills needed for success in the industry. Within this context, our ACCE-accredited construction management program is developing the future leaders of the construction industry.”

By design, construction management students at BGSU are given a comprehensive academic experience. Students take courses in state-of-the-art Kokosing Hall, where the curriculum helps them gain industry-ready skills like surveying, blueprint reading, structural analysis, computer applications, cost estimating, scheduling, and surveying.

Additionally, BGSU construction management students complete three co-op experiences with construction firms as part of the curriculum, giving them valuable industry experience that allows them to establish a network before they graduate.

A full 100% of recent construction management graduates report they're employed, in graduate school or starting a business within six months of graduation, and ACCE accreditation further enhances the value of a BGSU degree for students entering the workforce.

“Students graduating from ACCE accredited and certified programs are better prepared to enter the construction industry,” Rodrigues said. “In this manner, ACCE accreditation enables employers to identify quality employees, who by education, have the demonstrated ability to make lasting contributions to their organization and their profession.”

In the field, BGSU construction management graduates will find success in careers like project management, onsite management, estimating and pre-construction, safety and quality control.

Beyond developing an area of expertise as a student, BGSU students also graduate with a thorough understanding of the construction industry due the unique structure of the School of the Built Environment.

Rather than separating architecture and construction management, students from both degree programs are educated together – just as architects and construction managers work together in the field. BGSU is the only school in Ohio to operate under this framework.

“The School of the Built Environment has long held the belief that the designer and constructor should be educated together,” Rodrigues said. “The camaraderie and student community created within the class and studio settings – the culture created on a student-to-student, student-to-faculty, and faculty-to-faculty basis – sets the SBE apart from others in Ohio.

 “Students at all levels, graduate to freshmen, are continually engaged with each other thereby creating a very supportive learning environment.”

The Master of Architecture program secured initial accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board in 2019 and full accreditation in 2023.

Now that the construction management program also has secured its highest accreditation for the full six-year term, the program can continue building upon its existing strengths, including smaller class sizes, the synergy with a related degree program and a role filling a key workforce need for Ohio and the greater region.

“Our BGSU construction management program has always been committed to redefining student success and providing an educational experience that meets students where they are,” Rodrigues said. “Students in our program want more than a degree, and we believe it is our shared responsibility to ensure our students are successful and prepared for a productive career and life-long learning.”