March 17, 2008

Project Management Training

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology plans construction management program

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) has hired a new academic chair to establish a bachelor of science program in construction management, which will be unique in western Canada.

The construction department at SAIT is still in the early stages of planning the proposed program. The new academic chair was hired in November 2007 to get program approval and accreditation through the Ministry of Advanced Education and the Campus Alberta Quality Council (CAQC).

Faisal Arain is the chair and he said there is no equivalent program in western Canada. In addition, there is a need for it.

“The students survey done at SAIT, found that 79 per cent of the diploma students want to carry on and do the B.Sc.,” he explained.

A plan is being prepared for these students, who are completing a two-year diploma in architectural technology, engineering design and civil engineering technology.

Some of the paper work for the program will be submitted in late August or early September.

“We will then make adjustments based on comments and resubmit the formal report with further details,” he said.

The proposed B.Sc. program in construction management will be a four year full-time degree, which consists of eight academic semesters.

A part-time option that will take a maximum of six years to complete is also being developed for working students.

Students in both streams will be required to obtain hands-on experience through a 16-week internship.

What makes the program unique is that the first two years will have a traditional focus on construction and construction management, while the third and fourth year will focus on project management.

Another important aspect of the proposal is a review of similar programs that are offered at other universities in Canada, the U.S., Singapore and Australia. While similar, but not the same, the British Columbia Institute of Technology offers a bachelor of technology in construction management.

Several schools in Ontario offer a bachelor of applied technology in construction science.

Graduate programs in construction management are also being assessed so students who graduate from SAIT can continue on with post-graduate studies.

Masters programs are offered by the civil engineering department at the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia.

Concordia University offers M.Sc. and PhD degrees in construction engineering and management.

The whole process of submitting proposals and getting approval from the CAQC will take two years and should be completed in 2010.

Arain is also working on getting Gold Seal certification for the program through the Calgary Construction Association and the Canadian Construction Association.

Arain completed his PhD in project management at Singapore National University.

He was also presented the Donald S. Barrie Award from the Project Management Institute in the U.S. for his contribution to the body of knowledge in project management and has published 40 international research papers in the area of construction management.

The construction department at SAIT employs 210 faculty and support staff to provide career training to about 9,000 students a year.

The department offers a range of programs that lead to the completion of applied degrees, diplomas, certificates and trades training.

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