Master of Science in Construction Management

Programme Objectives

The objectives of the programme can be summarized as follows:

• To enable graduate students undergo a programme of upgrading and updating their technical knowledge in a specialized field of Construction Management
• Introducing the graduate students to applied research relevant to the industrial needs on the construction industry.
• Produce graduates with qualification sufficient to meet the needs of staff development of local Universities and technical colleges.

Rationale/Justification

The lack of construction management professionals has been at the bottom of several unbecoming practices and occurrences in the construction industry such as: collapse of buildings, incomplete projects, cost escalations, poor construction process administration, lack of technical planning, poor construction controls, unethical procurement procedures, lack of proper supervision, poor production of work, lack of site progress reports, inadequate specifications, low quality work, and lack of technical information during the construction process. All these have had a devastating effect on the national economy and as well as the social fabric.  The content of this programme exposes professionals to the skills that will enable them to professionally address these problems that are rampant in the construction industry.

The College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, and Makerere University strategic visions, missions and plans emphasize the need for production of highly qualified human resources in existing, continuing and emerging areas in order to contribute to national development.  Having specialists in construction management is in conformity with the strategic direction of the University and the nation.

Target Group
The demand for Construction professionals is increasing in Uganda. Proper management of construction is required in all government departments, NGOs and the private sector. This programme targets people who need to do research at graduate level and those who wish to advance their knowledge in construction management. The list includes: graduate civil engineers, architects, construction managers, quantity surveyors, land economists and physical Planners, defence (Armed) Forces-Engineers Brigade, Police and so on. The target is to have 30 students for each intake of the Masters Programme.

Graduate Profile
A graduate with a Master of Science in Construction Management will be appropriately qualified to contract administration and project management of small and large scale construction projects.  The course also provides adequate knowledge for construction professionals in top positions of responsibility in engineering organisations and government institutions/departments that handle works of engineering nature.

Nature of Programme
The MSc. (CMG) programme will be run as a day/evening programme with privately sponsored students. The duration of the day/evening programme will be two years spanning through four semesters. The programme shall offer two options for students to select according to their preference. These choices are termed Plan A and Plan B in conformity with University regulations.

Plan A

Students under Plan A will be required to take two semesters of course work and two semesters of research leading to a dissertation in any area of Construction Management, such as project management, construction materials, construction costing, construction quality management, operations control, etc. To qualify for Plan A, a student will have developed an acceptable research proposal, by the second week of semester three. Students intending to later on undertake PhD studies or a career in research will be encouraged to go through this plan.

Plan B

Students under Plan B will be required to undertake three semesters of coursework and one semester of a project. The project may not necessarily be research-oriented but should be investigative and will hence involve data collection, data analysis and report writing. To qualify for Plan B a student shall have developed a project proposal, by the second week of the last semester (semester four). Students intending to later on undertake PhD studies or a career in research may be required to do some remedial courses as deemed appropriate.

Admission Requirements
To qualify for admission, a candidate must fulfill the general Makerere University entry requirements for masters degree, and in addition the candidate must be a holder of either:

1. A postgraduate diploma in Construction Project Management or a closely related field from a recognized University/Institution; OR
2. A bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university in the following disciplines Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Quantity Surveying, Land Economics, and Physical Planning. For other disciplines, the Graduate Studies and Research Committee will decide whether Construction Management forms an integral part so as to determine whether candidates from such disciplines qualify to be admitted to the MSc (CMG) Programme.

(a)    Applicants with first class degree in the above disciplines do not require any working experience.

(b)   Applicants with second class degree in the above disciplines are required to have at least two years of working experience in a relevant field.

(c)    Applicants with a third class degree in the above disciplines are required to have at least two years of working experience in a relevant field and also have proven academic growth, such as a Post Graduate Diploma in the above disciplines or evidence of presenting academic papers.

Upgrading Post Graduate Diploma to MSc (CMG )
When a student graduates with a Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Project Management (Lower Second Class, Upper Second Class or First Class), he/she can apply for the Master of Science in Construction Management to join second year . In such a scenario, the applicant is expected to either take on Plan A or Plan B. With Plan A, the applicant is expected to undertake research for one year which is equivalent to the second year (semesters III and IV) course load that is covered on the Master of Science in Construction Management. With Plan B, the student is expected to undertake the Semester III courses and a project in Semester IV as stipulated in the Masters of Science in Construction Management programme.

The upgrading of the Post Graduate Diploma to the MSc (CMG) described above must be supported by the relevant academic documents attained from the Post Graduate Diploma in Construction Management of Makerere University. This must be done for purposes of analyzing the relevant academic courses that must have been attempted as per the current curriculum. Any courses that were not attempted by the applicant as per the first and second semesters’ course load of the current curriculum must be undertaken.

Students with a class of diploma lower than the second class lower, will not be allowed to upgrade to MSc (CMG) by joining the second year, but can be allowed to undertake the two years of the programme.

Programme Duration
The minimum duration of the Master of Science in Construction Management shall be two (2) years while the maximum shall be four (4) academic years.

Tuition Fees
Tuition fees payable by the students will be based on whether a student is a Ugandan or a foreigner as determined by the University from time to time.  The tuition for fees for Ugandans will be UGX 3,787,500 while for others it will be UGX 8,250,000 (at an exchange rate of US$1=UGX2500) per academic year.

GENERAL PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

PLAN A

Table 3: Programme Courses/Courses

Semester I  ( 5 Courses)
Core Courses (Compulsory)
Semester I	LH	PH	CH	CU
CIV7101: Advanced Mathematics	45	0	45	3
EMT7101: Computer Applications in Engineering	45	30	45	3
CIV7102: Environmental Studies	45	0	45	3
CMG7100: Project Management and Control	45	0	45	3
CMG7101: Construction Economics	45	0	45	3
Total Credit Units				15
Semester II
Core Courses
UPD 7201: Research Methodology and Scientific Writing	30	30	45	3
CMG7200:Advanced Construction Technology	45	0	45	3
CMG7201: Contracts Law and Management	45	0	45	3
CMG7203: Construction Business Management	45	0	45	3
CMG7204: Site Management and Practice	45	30	45	3
Total Credit Units				15
Semester  III & IV (All Core)
CMG 8101:  Masters Research Seminar 1	15	30	45	2
CMG 8201:  Masters Research Seminar 2	15	60	45	2
CMG 8100: Masters Dissertation	30	180	120	10
Total Credit Units				14

PLAN B

 Table 4: Programme Courses/Courses

Semester I  ( 5 Courses)
Core Courses (Compulsory)
Semester I	LH	PH	CH	CU
CIV7101: Advanced Mathematics	45	0	45	3
EMT7101: Computer Applications in Engineering	45	30	45	3
CIV7102: Environmental Studies	45	0	45	3
CMG7100: Project Management and Control	45	0	45	3
CMG7101: Construction Economics	45	0	45	3
Total Credit Units				15
Semester II
Core Courses
UPD 7201: Research Methodology and Scientific Writing	30	30	45	3
CMG7200:Advanced Construction Technology	45	0	45	3
CMG7201: Contracts Law and Management	45	0	45	3
CMG7203: Construction Business Management	45	0	45	3
CMG7204: Site Management and Practice	45	30	45	3
Total Credit Units				15
Semester III – 4  Courses
Core Courses (4 Compulsory)
CMG8102: Systems Engineering	45	0	45	3
CMG8103: Strategic Management in Construction	45	0	45	3
CMG8104: Principles of Construction Design	45	30	45	3
CMG8105: Principles of Quantity Surveying	45	0	45	3
Elective (Students select ONLY 1 course)
CMG8106: Advanced Materials of Construction	45	0	45	3
CMG8107: Principles of Quantity Surveying	45	0	45	3
Total Credit Units				15
Semester IV – All Core
CMG8202: Masters Project Seminar	15	30	45	2
CMG8200: Masters Project	0	150	75	5
Total Credit Units				7

 

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