The graduate degree programs in Del E.

Webb School of Construction

(DEWSC) offer opportunities for study beyond the bachelors degree while
focusing on one of two areas: construction management or facility
management. Studies may lead to the degrees of Master of Science (MS) and
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
Graduate study, particularly that leading to the PhD, has as a goal of ensuring
independent scholarship, originality, and competence in research. Research
opportunities are available in a broad spectrum of subjects encompassing
traditional as well as new specialties. The DEWSC faculty is engaged in
significant research in the following areas:
Alternative project delivery methods
Front end planning
Asset management
Cleanroom construction
Computer applications in construction
Concrete construction
Leadership and management
Trenchless construction methods
Performance information procurement systems
Productivity
Residential construction
Safety and risk
Sustainable development

Construction Management Faculty
Samuel Ariaratnam, Professor
William Badger, Professor
Howard Bashford, Associate Professor
Allan Chasey, Associate Professor
Mounir El Asmar, Assistant Professor
James Ernzen, Associate Professor
G. Edward Gibson, Professor and Program Chairman
Dean Kashiwagi, Professor
Kristen Parrish, Assistant Professor
Pingbo Tang, Assistant Professor
Kenneth Sullivan, Assistant Professor (Faculty Graduate
Coordinator)
Avi Wiezel, Associate Professor
construction
management
Currently, students can choose a concentration in
one of two areas: Construction Management and
Facility Management. The Construction
Management concentration allows students
seeking upper level management positions in
various sectors of the construction industry to
improve their competency in project, program,
and company management. The Facility
Management concentration supports the needs of
the student desiring a career in the maintenance,
operation, renovation, or decommissioning of
existing facilities.
It is the responsibility of each student to
understand and observe all procedures and
requirements specified by the Graduate College
and the faculty in DEWSC. The faculty and
graduate advisor provide academic advice and
assistance; however, the ultimate responsibility for
meeting degree requirements remains with the
student.
school of sustainable
engineering and the built
environment
M.S. PROGRAM (non-thesis option)
The Graduate Supervisory Committee (GSC) shall consist of three DEWSC
tenure-track faculty. The advisor shall serve as the chair of the GSC.
The Plan of Study (POS) must be in accordance with Graduate College and
DEWSC requirements. The candidate must complete at least 30 semester
hours of approved course work distributed as follows:
1) twelve (12) hours of graduate core courses
2) eighteen (18) hours of graduate electives
(a) a maximum of six (6) hours of 400-level courses can be included on a
POS with approval from the students faculty advisor (Construction
deficiency courses CON 495 and CON 496 cannot be used on a students
POS)
(b) MS students cannot receive internship credit as part of their POS
The written comprehensive exam, normally about three hours long, will be
given about two weeks before Reading Day in the semester in which a
student completes his/her coursework. The written examination covers the
core courses and all other courses in the student's approved Plan of Study
(POS). Deficiency courses identified at the time of the students admission to
the MS program are not part of the comprehensive examination.
The exam will have two parts: the first part 50 minutes is closed book.
Students will be given a 10 minute break and will then complete a two hour
section consisting of open material (books, notes, and computer). No
collaboration is allowed during any part of the exam. The first part (50
minutes closed book) will test the understanding of advanced construction
terms. Students will be asked to provide their own definitions for various
significant terms they have encountered in the POS. The second part will
consist of two out of four broader topics randomly chosen from the courses
in the students POS. In other words, students will be presented with four
broad topics from their POS, each taking about 40 minutes to answer. The
students will have to choose only two of the four topics. Thus, each student
will have a different comprehensive exam, based on his or her individual
POS. Pass/Fail grades will be e-mailed to all students who took the exam
within one week from the completion of the exam. Students must sign up for
the exam by the Graduation Filing Deadline by sending an email to the
graduate advisor.
LIST OF COURSES
The graduate core courses (taught in CON, with the
exception of a few, approved out-of-department
research methods courses), as well as some of the
elective courses in Construction Management, are
listed below.
M.S. Core Courses
CON 501 (Research Methods)
Students can also take COE 502, PAF 501,
PUP 524, or STP 535

CON 540 Construction Productivity
CON 545 Construction Project Management
CON 589 Construction Company Financial
Control
Ph.D. Core Courses
All students must successfully complete 13 credit
hours of DEWSC PhD core courses:
CON 680 Teaching Practicum (1 credit)
CON 700 Transdisciplinary Research
Methods
Three of the following four courses:
CON 730 Construction Informatics
CON 740 Sustainable Infrastructure
CON 750 Facility Delivery in the Global
Environment
CON 760 Quantitative Analysis for Project
Delivery
Graduate Elective Courses
CON 551 Alternative Project Delivery
Methods
CON 554 Trenchless Construction Methods
CON 563 Facility Management Fundamentals
CON 565 Information Measurement Theory I
CON 567 Advanced Procurement Systems
CON 570 Introduction to Advanced
Technology Facilities
CON 571 Construction of Advanced
Technology Facilities
CON 575 Information Technology in
Construction
CON 598 Construction Marketing
CON 598 Development Feasibility Reports
CON 598 Information Measurement Theory
II
CON 598 Operations and Maintenance
CON 598 Project Management
Methodologies
CON 598 Principles of Leadership and
Management
CON 598 Residential Construction Business
Practices
CON 598 Sustainability in Construction

Students may take relevant courses in other
departments with the approval of their faculty
chair. PhD students must take at least two elective
courses (500-level and above) outside of DEWSC.
Ph.D. PROGRAM
The PhD degree program in Construction Management is designed to capitalize
on our current leadership in U.S. construction education programs and the current needs in the industry and in education. The
program will prepare research scholars, new faculty, and professionals for positions in industry, universities, and government, as
well as facilitate a higher level of investigation and knowledge creation through the professor-PhD student dynamic. The
Construction Management program is distinctively positioned to provide students with an interdisciplinary educational and research
experience at the PhD level, which will provide value in construction education, research, and industry programs, private
construction research facilities, and in high level management positions in the construction industry.
The Plan of Study (POS) must be in accordance with Graduate College and DEWSC requirements. The candidate must complete
at least 54 credit hours post-masters degree:
1) 13 credit hours of core courses.
2) 17 credit hours of elective courses.
(a) A minimum of six credits of elective coursework must be taken outside of DEWSC (500-level and above).
(b) 400-level courses cannot be used on a PhD POS.
3) 12 research hours (CON 792).
4) 12 dissertation hours (CON 799).

Qualifying Examination
The purposes of the qualifying examination are to assess if the student is qualified to continue in a Construction Management
doctoral program and to detect deficiencies in the student's background that can be corrected by appropriate coursework and/or
individual study. With this understanding, the qualifying examination is to be taken by the student early in his or her residence, but
no later than the second semester of residence. Students with an M.S. degree from ASU may be exempted from taking this exam at
the discretion of the DEWSC faculty. Examination content will include relevant topics from first year graduate course work,
designated by the DEWSC faculty, who shall participate in formulating, grading, and reviewing the exam. The exam will normally
be administered once per year.

Dissertation and Program Committee
The Graduate Supervisory Committee (GSC) shall consist of at least three tenure track ASU faculty as follows:
1) Advisor (GSC Chair).
2) At least one additional member from the DEWSC faculty.
3) Additional members may be chosen from approved DEWSC graduate faculty.
Additional, suitably qualified, members from outside of ASU may be included in the committee at the discretion of the GSC and the
Graduate Program Chair. Additional paperwork must be processed with the Graduate College to add a committee member from
outside of ASU.

Comprehensive Exam (including Prospectus Defense)
The comprehensive exam shall consist of two parts:
1) An examination of the student's competency in his/her major areas of study.
2) A written and oral report on the student's proposed research.
The format of the exam is established by the GSC and includes both written and oral components. The student will be required to
present to the GSC a brief written description of the proposed research, anticipated approaches, expected results, and projected
research contributions.
The candidate will also be required to give an oral presentation of the proposed research and to defend the research topic to the
GSC. If the student fails the exam, he/she may petition to retake the exam one more time no earlier than 4 months following the
exam.

Final Oral Exam (Dissertation Defense)
If the student fails the dissertation defense, he/she may petition to defend one more time no earlier than 4 months following the
exam.