CNS5940
Industry Practicum
Objective
To furnish Construction Administration graduate students an opportunity to put the skills and knowledge that they gained in the classroom to practice in the industry. Additionally, it furnishes an opportunity for international students to experience the US construction industry firsthand thereby enhancing the value of their education.
Format
CNS 5940 carries variable 1 to 3 hours of credit. It is contemplated that a student embarking on a full-time (40+ hours/week) practicum for 12 weeks (total of 480 hours) will enroll in 3 hours of credit. Those wishing to work part-time will register for 1 credit if they will complete a minimum of 160 total working hours during the semester and 2 credits if they will complete at least 320 working hours during a single semester. A student can enroll in CNS 5940 as many times as desired, but only 3 hours of CNS 5940 credit will be applied to their elective requirement for graduation. Additionally, prior to registering for CNS 5940, the student must satisfy the requirements for CNS 3113 Contract Administration, CNS 3513, Cost Estimating 1 and CNS 3813 Scheduling and have satisfactorily completed 6 hours of graduate level CNS coursework.
Procedures
The steps for qualifying to take CNS 5940 area as follows:
Complete prerequisite coursework.
Find an employer that is willing to participate in the course. (The CNS Division is not responsible for finding the student a job.)
Develop a practicum objective jointly with the prospective employer that meets both the needs of company and the requisite Construction Administration (CA) subject content required by the CNS Division.
Prepare a proposal detailing the objective to be achieved during the practicum in accordance with the proposal format shown in the next section.
Complete the practicum.
Submit the paper demonstrating how the objective was achieved.
Make the presentation as directed by the CNS Graduate Liaison in the semester immediately following the completion of the practicum.
Practicum Proposal
Even the most mundane job in the construction industry can provide valuable insights to the construction management process if approached with the objective of increasing one's knowledge in a specific area of construction practice. As a result, merely working for an employer somewhere in the construction industry will not fulfill the requirements for academic credit awarded under this course. The objective of the practicum is to develop an in-depth understanding of a specific area in the Architect/Engineer/Construction (A/E/C) industry through hands-on practical experience in real world. For example, getting a job working as a CADD draftsman doing red-lines for a construction contractor does not appear to expose the CA student to much in the way of construction management experience. However, if that same student approaches that particular task with the objective of learning the typical types of errors and changes that occur during the course of this particular project and can then articulate that knowledge at the end of the practicum in a manner that permits that knowledge to be disseminated to both the designer and the builder, then the time spent tediously completing red-line CADD drawings has generated a body of knowledge that will add value to the design and construction process and perhaps improve the quality of subsequent projects for the company that he or she worked for. Thus, it is absolutely essential that the CA student approach his or her practicum with a very clear objective. Additionally, it is equally essential that the employer understands that objective and be willing to configure the specific job in a manner that will achieve it. In the previous example, knowing the practicum objective of the CA student might lead the employer to arrange for that student to meet with the project's designer and the general superintendent on a regular basis to discuss the progress of the red-line drawings and the reasons that corrections and changes where needed to be implemented.
To accomplish task, the CA student must thoroughly research their upcoming practicum and clearly articulate the objective that is being set for the period of employment. This will be done by the submission of a Practicum Proposal to the CA practicum coordinator and the prospective employer. The format of the proposal is as follows:
Practicum Objective: Describe the salient objective of this practicum in concise measurable terms. The objective should have a finite beginning and a finite end and should be realistically achievable during the period of employment.
Background and Literature Review: Research this topic in the library and on the Internet. Write a two-page (12 point font, double-spaced) review of the current state-of-the-art in this area of construction. This background knowledge will prepare the CA student to be a keen and critical observer of the construction process making it easier for them to identify those situations where they need to acquire more information during their practicum to adequately describe their experiences in their practicum paper.
Background of the Company: Write a one or two paragraph description of the company for which the CA student will work.
Duty Description: Write a description of the duties to which the CA student will be assigned and why these duties put the student in a position to achieve the practicum objective.
Methodology: Describe in a paragraph or two the exact method the student intends to use to achieve the objective.
Administrative details: Provide the following information:
Bibliography and Appendix containing copies of literature that was used to prepare this proposal. At least three of the sources must come from peer-reviewed journals or published books.
Practicum Paper
A paper describing the practicum will be prepared and turned into the CA practicum coordinator no later than the first day of the semester following the completion of the practicum. Students enrolled for 3 credit hours will prepare a ten-page (12 point font, double-spaced) paper. Students enrolled in 2 credit hours will turn in a six-page paper and students enrolled in 1 credit hour will turn in a four-page paper. The paper will illustrate original, critical thinking and present the student’s analysis of the events that occurred during the practicum and how they affected the practicum’s objective. The paper will include an updated literature review incorporating those new items in the literature to which the student was exposed during the practicum.
Practicum Presentation
As directed by the CA practicum coordinator, each CA student who has completed a practicum will prepare and deliver a ten-minute presentation that summarizes their practicum experience. As a minimum, the presentation will cover the company’s mission, a brief description of the project or projects that the student was exposed to, a summary of how the student achieved his or her practicum objective, and any lessons learned for future practicum experiences.
Evaluation
The grade assigned to each practicum will be derived from four sources: