Construction
ManagementCornell Certificate Program

Successful construction projects begin with effective planning, clear stakeholder responsibilities, and informed decisions about scope, cost, schedule, and quality. In this course, Professor Paul Carr will guide you through the foundations of managing capital construction projects, from initial concept through project closeout.

You will examine the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, compare project delivery methods, and explore how procurement, bidding procedures, and contracts influence project outcomes. You'll also learn to use industry cost data and indices to evaluate construction costs and develop feasibility-level budgets, from industry resources such as the Engineering News-Record (ENR.com).

Through a three-part course project, you will update a historical construction budget to reflect current market conditions, compare estimated costs with actual contractor data, and prepare a feasibility-level estimate for a new project. You'll then present your findings and recommendations from the perspective of a project team advising the owner. By the end of the course, you'll be better prepared to coordinate stakeholders, evaluate project feasibility, and make informed decisions during the early stages of construction planning.

Selecting the right construction materials and establishing effective quality control practices are essential to ensuring that building projects meet structural, safety, and performance requirements. In this course, Professor Matthew Reiter will guide you through the properties of common structural materials, the relationships between building systems, and the quality control considerations that influence construction decisions.

You will compare the properties, limitations, and code requirements of steel, timber, concrete, and masonry while examining how material selection affects structural design and construction methods. You'll also explore foundations, gravity and lateral systems, and construction sequencing, using drawings and plans to evaluate structural components and their construction implications.

Through practical exercises and applied project work, you will develop a baseline structural quality control plan that incorporates material-specific inspection requirements and structural review criteria. You'll then adapt your plan to address project-specific risks, site hazards, and emerging construction materials and methods. By the end of the course, you'll be better prepared to evaluate material choices, assess constructability, and establish quality control practices for construction projects.

You are required to have completed the following course or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Foundations of Construction Project Management

Accurate cost estimating is essential to evaluating construction opportunities, managing financial risk, and developing competitive bids. In this course, Professor Paul Carr will guide you through the process of preparing comprehensive construction cost estimates that account for project requirements, market conditions, and contractor financial objectives.

You will learn to calculate direct costs for labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, and self-performed work using construction drawings, specifications, quantity takeoffs, labor productivity rates, and supplier and subcontractor proposals. You'll then evaluate indirect costs, including field and home office overhead, insurance, bonds, and schedule-related expenses, to develop a more complete picture of project costs.

Through applied estimating exercises, you will incorporate risk, contingency, overhead, and profit considerations to prepare a detailed construction bid. By the end of the course, you'll be better prepared to develop and defend cost estimates that reflect both the unique requirements of a construction project and the financial objectives of the contractor.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Foundations of Construction Project Management
• Construction Materials and Quality Control

Effective scheduling is critical to keeping construction projects on track while managing costs, resources, and uncertainty. In this course, Professor Linda Nozick will provide a rigorous introduction to construction project planning and scheduling, using industry-standard methods to build, analyze, and adapt schedules under real-world constraints.

You will explore both fixed-timeline scheduling approaches and methods that account for uncertainty and risk. You'll learn to build project schedules using the critical path method (CPM), which identifies the sequence of dependent tasks that determines the project's completion date. You'll also apply the program evaluation and review technique (PERT) to account for uncertainty in task durations using best-case, most likely, and worst-case estimates.

Through applied scheduling exercises, you will discover how to manage limited personnel and equipment by using resource leveling, smoothing workloads, and adjusting task schedules when possible. You'll also evaluate time-cost trade-offs, bonus and penalty scenarios, and resource feasibility to make informed scheduling decisions. By the end of the course, you'll have developed, analyzed, and defended a complete construction schedule that accounts for real-world project constraints.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Foundations of Construction Project Management
• Construction Materials and Quality Control
• Estimating Construction Costs

Managing construction contracts and monitoring project performance are essential to controlling costs, maintaining schedules, and addressing issues before they escalate. In this course, Professor Paul Carr will guide you through the principles of contract administration and project controls, helping you understand how to manage change, evaluate performance, and resolve disputes throughout the construction process.

You will learn to develop project control programs that integrate cost estimates and schedules to monitor performance against project objectives. You'll also examine how contract documents, obligations, and responsibilities influence decisions when problems arise, and you'll discover how to evaluate scope and schedule changes that may affect project costs or contractual requirements.

Through applied project work, you will assess cost and schedule variances, determine appropriate responses to project changes, and explore options for escalating and resolving disputes. By the end of the course, you will be better prepared to use contract requirements and project controls together to manage construction challenges and support successful project outcomes.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Foundations of Construction Project Management
• Construction Materials and Quality Control
• Estimating Construction Costs
• Construction Project Scheduling

Symposium sessions feature two days of live, highly interactive virtual Zoom sessions that will explore today's most pressing topics. The Project Management Symposium offers you a unique opportunity to engage in real-time conversations with peers and experts from the Cornell community and beyond. Using the context of your own experiences, you will take part in reflections and small-group discussions to build on the skills and knowledge you have gained from your courses.

Join us for the next Symposium, in which we'll share experiences from across industries, inspiring dialogue around best practices, innovation, and the future of project management. You will support your coursework through discussion and application of your knowledge, exploring pressing challenges and trends. By participating in relevant and engaging conversations with eCornell classmates, you will discover a variety of perspectives and build connections.

All sessions are held on Zoom.

Future dates are subject to change. You may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending Symposium sessions is not required to successfully complete any certificate program. Once enrolled in your courses, you will receive information about upcoming events. Accessibility accommodations will be available upon request.

eCornell online Workshops are live, interactive learning experiences lasting 1 to 4 hours and led by Cornell faculty experts. These premium, short-format sessions focus on AI topics and are designed for busy professionals who want to gain immediately applicable skills and strategic perspectives. Workshops may include faculty presentations, breakout discussions, and guided hands-on practice.

The AI Workshops All-Access Pass provides you with unlimited participation for 6 months from your date of purchase. Whether you choose to attend one Workshop per month or several per week, the All-Access Pass allows you to customize your AI journey and stay on top of the latest AI trends.

Hosted by Cornell faculty at the forefront of their fields, Workshops cover a range of cutting-edge AI topics applicable across industries. Workshops are offered at three levels to allow you to choose topics that match your experience.

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