re: What can you tell me about the Construction Management program at LSU?

CM grad 2003. I now manage Image for the sales and marketing arm of an oil major for every retail site eaat of Rockies. My advice is find the most financially lucrative position and move wherever it takes you. I started out on the fabrication side working at shipyards, then got into industrial at refineries. During the 2008 recession got forced into electric utility then years later someone I worked with at Turner referred me to a job with my current company and I took it. Started it at a refinery then was a Construction Manager for sales and marketing in NY/NJ and now I have this gig which seems to be bringing me to a full Sales/Marketing role. Also lately Ive been given an opportunity to use my electrical background to help out the folks in the EV charging solutions dept.

07 CM Graduate. It’s been a great career. Spent a dozen years in commercial then switched to utility.

Tell your brother to consider getting the hell out of this state though. He’ll make more money and have insanely more opportunities elsewhere.

My ex did and works for
Bernhard. Makes great money.

Graduated 30+ years ago in CM from LSU. By far the best decision I made was switching from engineering. Wasn’t stuck behind a calculator with the Geek Squad, but rather able to move up management ranks because of the balance of technical knowledge with business/finance skills. Offers a wide range of options from hard core estimating & PM in contracting world to Real Estate development and property management. Couple it with an MBA or law degree and you’ll name your price.

Start in engineering and try to finish that then switch to CM if you can’t cut it in engineering.

One of the most practical degrees available. Kids start out around $60-70k. Within 5 years should be in the $100-150 range and within 10 years 150k +++.

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Does the LSU program now require a semester long internship to graduate? That’s been my biggest critique of the program when I went through it is that there was no requirement to get real world experience to graduate.

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I got a cuz who did the same type of program at Georgia Southern back in the 80s, and he interned every spring and summer quarter with a company that strung these big powerlines all over the world. It took him longer to graduate, but he already had time in with his company paid all his school expenses and he started off full time in management. He retired last year at 55 and is sitting pretty. Said one time that he almost went to Georgia Tech and is very glad he didn't. I think he still does a little consulting work from time to time.

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It’s a solid program

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I am in pipeline construction in Houston. We recruit the CM guys at A&M, U of H, LSU, and LA Tech because I like their CM program. For some reason the CM guys relate more to the field construction ops side while the engineers often bounce over to the client side although we chase ME's as well. What we like to do is get a CM in their Junior year and let them come intern over the Summer on a pipeline job. We put them in the field and let them get a taste of it all, from actual field shite, to office shite, and then a brief stint in the main office to see how estimating/scheduling is done in the real world. If they are gtg and not a shitebird, then we hire them as Project Engineers when they graduate and they go assist PM's in the field and within 3-5 they will probably become PM's.

I have it. Great degree and very lucrative depending on what sector of construction you get into. I graduated in 2006 and am a Senior PM for an industrial GC in Houston specializing in Heavy Civil and Pile Driving.

If he can pass physics, tell him to get an engineering degree. Those that couldn’t became non matriculating in general studies, ultimately CM grads.