A DUAL DEGREE MBA/MS IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

How does a small developing construction program have the audacity to offer two graduate degrees? Why, when we are already spread as thin as Oklahoma ice, would we want to offer a second graduate degree. Have we lost our minds?

No. We did it by going with the flow, following existing currents and using in-place mechanisms. The Graduate College pulled and the Business College greased the skids. So we easily slipped into an advantageous dual degree program.

Why? Because it didn't spread us thinner. We've picked up a few star students and extra duties but we have become allied with the larger, better funded MBA faculty.

THE DUAL DEGREE - MBA/MS IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

The dual degree is created from two existing degrees that have some overlap in courses and are joined to provide a combination of knowledge useful to top managers. Certificates for the degrees are separate, but are awarded simultaneously. The graduate may want to emphasize the recognition of either degree or both, depending on the impact and effect needed.

A model degree plan is shown on the following page, in Table 1. The courses are existing courses that are currently being taught; however, 18 credit hours of overlap are allowed between the two programs.

Administration of the MBA/MS Program

Since the dual degree candidate must meet all the requirements of each program, administration is by both programs separately and jointly. Checking that the candidates meet Construction Science requirements is done by the Division Director and the candidate's Committee Chairman. In Construction Science we consider the evaluation and acceptance procedure to be as important as granting the degree; therefore, careful review of the candidate is necessary. Acceptance is considered tantamount to successful completion, since we commit needed leadership, counseling, and teaching to achieve the degree. Similarly, the MBA Program is responsible for admission to and administration of their portion of the dual degree.

At O.U. dual degrees require a four person Oversite Committee; two from each college. This administrative committee functions to maintain University requirements, identify and recruit students, and approve the selection of an Advisory Committee for each student. In our case, the

committee consists of the Directors and Graduate Council members from each college.

Of course, the student and the Committee Chairman have primary responsibility for the informal administration of the individual candidate's program. All proposals for curriculum and special studies projects, as well as administrative paperwork, is the responsibility of the candidate.

Each dual degree candidate chooses at least three faculty approved by the Graduate College to advise and review progress. We haven't worked all the bugs out yet, but clearly both Construction and Business Administration should be represented on this committee.

The Business Administration Division requires a score of 550 on the GMAT as a prerequisite for entry into their program. The Graduate College requires a GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours. However, students with a GPA of 2.75 are routinely admitted on .probation, and those with even lower GPA's are admitted in special cases.

Both the Construction and MBA programs seek candidates with significant experience. Exceptional background will offset marginal grades and superior academic ability will offset lack of experience.

MBA candidates are admitted with any undergraduate degree; however, MS candidates must have a "related" undergraduate degree. This generally means that the candidate comes from a program of construction, engineering, architecture, business administration, finance, economics, or management.

An important prerequisite of the Construction Science program is a letter of career intent that is evaluated by the entire faculty. We believe that our program should support candidates who seek careers in construction education or industry leadership. Evidence of potential achievement in either or both these areas is expected in this letter.

Ideally, candidates for the dual degree have certain basic undergraduate courses in construction. Since candidates from other curricula have other assets, it seems inappropriate to require all of the construction undergraduate subjects. Therefore, only eight basic courses were selected as prerequisites.

Sequence of Study

It is possible, even recommended, that the candidate concentrate on one of the degrees first. This gives them a safe "fall back" position in case finishing the entire dual degree becomes impossible. However, if the candidate finishes all the requirements of one degree, application for graduation must await completion of the requirements for the second degree. To allow the 18 hours of overlap, both degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

REASONS WE ESTABLISHED A DUAL DEGREE

From Construction Science's Point of View

Why do we have a graduate program in the first place? We are a developing program. We are just now grooming our undergraduate program for accreditation. It would seem that we are reaching too far; that we will stretch our resources too thin.

The danger is real and we must constantly evaluate our strategies in light of limited resources. But, in our University environment we need the graduate programs to compete. The University's mission is to be a comprehensive research university. We have a recently completed "Strategy for Excellence" document - the result of three years of strategic planning. All university support is considered in context with this strategy. To grow, or even to survive in this environment, we must have a strong graduate program. This graduate program does not necessarily have to be research oriented. There is precedent for professional programs at O.U. -Law, Architecture, MBA, Medicine, Nursing and Dentistry. We are sculpting our graduate programs to fit this mold.

Acknowledging that the undergraduate curriculum is our first priority, we have found ways to make the graduate courses and students add to that undergraduate experience. Undergraduate students often take our graduate level courses as electives. Graduate assistants help us with our classes - rarely as the prime instructor, usually as graders and teaching assistants. We have an exceptional computer lab staffed by these graduate assistants.

In this setting, when the Business College approached us concerning the implementation of a dual degree, we listened. The Business College is very well funded and enjoys an excellent reputation on campus. There is money available for a graduate assistantship for every student enrolled in the dual degree program. If there is significant demand for the MBA/MS program, we will be able to hire additional faculty and these people can also teach undergraduate courses. Fortunately, the Colleges of Business and Architecture are organized on a similar division structure, instead of a department structure. Therefore, budgets, resources, faculty, and graduate programs are administered at the college level.

We already use the Business College extensively. Our undergraduate curriculum requires at least seven courses that they teach. Most of our current 20 Construction Science graduate students are taking a number of electives in the MBA program. The dual degree has formalized this relationship. It has created a standing Oversight Committee that can address issues concerning the interaction of our respective programs. We serve on individual graduate student committees together. As our interests as professional programs often coincide, we coordinate our efforts in the Faculty Senate and on campus wide committees, therefore multiplying our effectiveness.

Most importantly, it is a degree option to permit our students to become better construction managers. The MBA curriculum can give them more of the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to excel in the business of construction.

From the Business College's Point of View

  What is in it for the Business College? It was their idea. They already have four dual degrees in place, with Applied Mathematics, Law, Library Science, and Languages. They like their MBA students to be anchored in a specific knowledge area. It helps students to focus, to learn management in the context of a specific industry.

The Master of Business Administration program prepares students to be leaders in industry. It recognizes that construction is a major segment of the business world. It helps in recruiting top students because it is a unique option to offer. The Business Administration faculty also realizes that their students will be more equipped for success in the dynamic business of construction by completing our MS in Construction Science curriculum.

From the Student's Point of View

We have all discussed the relative merits of graduate study in construction. Many feel that continued education after a good undergraduate program in construction is not useful at all. A B.S. in construction and a MBA may be a better business credential than the BS - MS in construction combination. But what if teaching is part of the goal? In most programs, an MS in construction is preferred over a MBA. Which combination would better lead to a Phd? In what? Are there really any doctoral programs in construction? Would a MS or Phd help or hurt a student's chance of getting a good construction management job. There are a lot of questions and a lot of answers. It is nice to have another option, such as the MBA/MS.

The dual MBA/MS in Construction Management offers the student a unique credential and course of study exceptionally suited to success in construction management. It provides academic preparation for leadership in both the management of complex construction projects and of competitive construction companies. With as little as 14 credit hours more than required for a stand-alone MBA, an aspiring construction executive just might get a leg up on the competition.

HOW THE MBA/MS IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT WAS CREATED

You may want to create a similar dual degree program at your institution. If so, you would probably like to know the steps we took to implement the program at the University of Oklahoma.

Fortunately, our Graduate College has files on the development of the four previous dual degree programs that have been proposed and approved. These valuable files were made available to us. We found that the installation process was fairly simple, and with the help from the Business College and the Graduate College, we generated the information needed for approval.

Review of the existing programs indicated that the JD/MBA was in a similar professional field. We took it as our model. The overlap credit hours, which is the real reason for a student to undertake a dual degree, ranged from 12 to 21. We selected a target of 18 credit hours for the student to save, and to justify selecting the program.

Courses were selected from the graduate courses offered and a model curriculum developed. A description of this curriculum was prepared and evaluated by the Graduate Program Committees of both colleges. This curriculum was submitted jointly to the Graduate College Council for review. Included in the program description was an executive summary, a study of the market for graduates of the program, a summary of faculty and other resources needed, precedents for the program, academic requirements, and an administrative proposal for the Oversite Committee.

Fortunately, a key study of the market for graduates had been completed in 1982 in the CICE report of the Business Roundtable. That study noted that "ineffective project management and lack of use of modem management systems was a major stumbling block to achieving realistic goals for the control of schedule, cost, and quality" in construction. It was also noted that the courses already exist that can combine construction management and business management.

The actual demand for this program on our campus was brought into focus when the University President asked us how many students we expected to seek the MBA/MS in Construction Management. The answer was a gut feeling that 15 to 20 students at one time will want to seek this combination. We now (Spring 1989) have three students in the program, even though this is the first public announcement of the program. Therefore, we believe the industry market and the student demand does exist.

As part of the Graduate Council approval process, a comparison was made of current and proposed degrees for admission requirements, prerequisites, courses, and credit hours. This comparison showed that the only difference in current and proposed programs was the savings of 18 credit hours in the overlap of the two degrees. As a result it was not necessary to seek the approval of University or State Regents.

Next, the Academic Programs Council and the Provost approved the dual degree program with the challenge to publicize within the University, state, and beyond the state, the advantages of this new program. That is one reason why we are making this presentation. Will you send us some of your best graduates to seek this opportunity for an outstanding position in the construction industry?

WHO ARE CANDIDATES FOR THIS PROGRAM

Who might be interested in this dual degree option? Quite a few of your students. If they have the right combination of academic ability and experience and a desire to be leaders in the construction industry, we would like to talk to them.

The profile of likely candidates is varied. If we were advising an incoming freshman who already had some construction experience, knew what he wanted to do, and was sure of his ability and resolve, we could design a six year, three degree program that would put him on the fast track with greased wheels. Unfortunately, we rarely see freshmen at all, let alone those ready and willing for a six year commitment. In reality our best prospects are more similar in profile to the usual Construction Science graduate student applicant.

The bottom line for most constructors is cost in terms of time. Our MS in Construction Science requires at least 32 hours. The MBA requires at least 54 hours for non-business majors. The joint degree can be accomplished in 68 hours.

The Construction Undergraduate

Our most likely candidate is a student with an undergraduate degree in construction. This student would certainly have all the prerequisites necessary for the MS part of the dual degree and would have probably completed those required for the MBA part. With only 14 credit hours more than required for the MBA, both degrees could be earned.

The Engineering or Architecture Undergraduate

The second most likely prospect probably has a Civil Engineering or Architecture degree. This student needs both the specialized construction courses and the broad management training. While a few prerequisites will likely be required, they are all in areas that will be recognized as critical to the career objectives, therefore, easy to justify and complete.

The Business Undergraduate

The student with a business degree will have the technical prerequisites in construction to complete. A graduate from an approved business program can complete our MBA in as little as 45 hours. Though the total number of credit hours may be similar, the increase over a stand­alone MBA is substantial. Strong interest and commitment to construction will be needed to undertake the dual degree as a business undergraduate.

SUMMARY

A dual MBA/MS in Construction Management degree is designed for potential industry leaders. It will require two and one-half years of intense work. A candidate must be committed to a high level of academic and career achievement. We believe that graduates will find the investment in construction and business management a good one.

The Business and Graduate Colleges of the University of Oklahoma are also solidly behind the dual degree concept. For a few especially qualified and motivated students, this program may be valuable. We know of no other similar educational opportunity. We welcome the comments and criticisms of our colleagues in education and industry.