Learn to combine technical knowledge and management skills within large construction projects.
In essence, the Master’s in Construction Management & Engineering deals with the management of large projects within the construction industry, and in this, thorough knowledge of both the engineering and organisational aspects of construction processes is vital. This Master’s teaches you to visualise, simulate, and enhance construction processes, using state-of-the-art models and technologies.
The scope of this Master’s is very wide, encompassing the breadth of the field of construction management and engineering. From decision-making and financial management to procurement strategies and tendering and from circularity in the building industry to maintenance planning, you will gain all insights you need to be able to manage large construction projects.
Co-decide the content of your Master’s
As a student, you have a great deal of freedom in tailoring your Master’s to your own interests and ambitions. There is plenty of elective space, and you can choose your direction within two focus areas:
The future of construction is digital. New technologies and innovations are being developed at a rapid pace, causing an imminent and wide-scale digital transformation of the construction industry. Think, for example, of the use of sensor technologies for monitoring the maintenance of roads or bridges, or 3D printing construction components, or even entire buildings. And what about the use of big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and Building Information Modelling (BIM)?
How can you respond effectively to innovations within the construction industry, or even better: be at the forefront of implementing them? The focus area Digital Technologies in Construction will help you to become an expert in managing and enhancing large construction projects using the latest technologies, thereby preparing you for the digital future of the construction industry.
The construction industry currently finds itself in a transition. Think of the need for sustainable building, pollution reduction, the adaptation of new technologies, and increasing social responsibility, to name just some important topics. But how do you respond adequately to these and other developments and requirements within the field, especially with the often overwhelming amount of parties being involved in one project?
To be able to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the United Nations, by 2030/2050, there’s a great need for a long-term vision. In that sense, the real challenge is to reach an integrated approach, in which the focus lies on cooperation instead of competition. The focus area Markets & Organisation of Construction familiarises you with the complexity of the market dynamics within the construction industry. It focuses on the analysis, management and organisation of the design, construction, and maintenance processes, as well as the coordination of the activities and roles of the parties involved.
Whether you want to focus more on the technological or organisational aspects within construction management and engineering, you get to build your personalised curriculum with an exceptionally wide range of elective courses, which you can follow at either the University of Twente, Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven University of Technology.
Examples of courses you (might) follow within this Master’s:
The course Construction Project and Programme Management will give you a comprehensive understanding of managing complex construction projects like bridges, highways, sea locks, large utility buildings, stations, railway tunnels and dikes. The course explores the intricacies of initiating, designing, and executing construction projects from an integrative perspective.
How can you incorporate sustainability in the entire lifecycle of civil engineering infrastructures, from planning, construction, maintenance, removal, to renewal? The course Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure will teach you how.
If you are interested in smart infrastructure, data-driven asset management, and digital engineering practices, you could take the Digital Twinning course. You will explore what digital twins are, their relationship to existing technologies, and their applications throughout the lifecycle of infrastructure assets. You will also sketch your own digital twin concept and experiment with a pre-developed digital twin prototype.
What will you learn?
As a graduate of this Master’s, you have acquired specific, scientific knowledge and skills.
After completing this Master’s, you:
have a strong combination of both management and technical knowledge, and you can apply this knowledge in technical process management and innovations regarding construction and engineering processes;
have solid knowledge in core areas within the field of construction management and engineering, including project and process management, technology aspects, markets and organisations, innovations and integrated design;
understand civil engineering processes and objects by developing (digital) models to qualitatively describe/schematise them and to quantify this description in terms of mathematical relationships.
After completing this Master’s, you:
can contribute to the functional design of complex constructions and/or design management processes in the field of construction engineering;
can manage complex assignments effectively in the context of a multidisciplinary environment, and can act in different roles and take up responsibility as a member and/or project leader;
are able to invent your own tools, theories and techniques for construction management and engineering if these are not readily available.
After completing this Master’s, you:
are able to form an opinion or judgement on, and contribute to, discussions about complex matters related to construction management and engineering;
know that compromises are unavoidable, and you are able to effectively deal with these;
are aware that certain decisions can have disadvantages for society, and you can communicate these to the relevant stakeholders.
