Construction Degree vs. Business Degree

[aegis]

Hi,

I'm a 2nd year apprentice in the plumbers/pipefitters union and I do mechanical work (HVAC/Refrigeration). When I become a journeyman, I will have an AAS degree in Mechanical/Plumbing Trades. However, I would like to continue my education and eventually become a construction manager.

I'm interested in getting a BS in Construction Management or something related. However, because of my work schedule (I'm on call all the time) it would be impossible for me to complete a degree in a traditional classroom setting.

So, I'm interested in getting a degree online from a fully (regionally) accredited school. I only found one school that offers a BS in Construction Technology online: Thomas Edison State College. They are one of the state colleges of New Jersey and they are regionally accredited.

However, they are not recognized by ACCE (American Council for Construction Education). I'm not sure if it really matters though. They seem to award construction management certification to those don't have degrees from ACCE recognized programs anyway. But I'm not sure if it will be that way in the future.

There are also a couple of state universities that offer ABET accredited engineering technology degrees online (Construction/Civil Engineering Technology). However, I have no interest in being an engineer.

Would I be better off just getting a BS in Business Admin and then getting a Masters in CM? Would my work experience in the trades and a bachelors degree in business be equivalent to someone with a no work experience and an engineering/CM degree?

I have worked on a few job sites where the CM or assistant-CM was a recent college grad with an engineering degree. Not one of them seemed to have a clue as to what they were doing. They had little/no knowledge of tools or basic carpentry. With my work experience, would I have the edge?

Your thoughts?

[Tomn]

Would my work experience in the trades and a bachelors degree in business be equivalent to someone with a no work experience and an engineering/CM degree?

I have worked on a few job sites where the CM or assistant-CM was a recent college grad with an engineering degree. Not one of them seemed to have a clue as to what they were doing. They had little/no knowledge of tools or basic carpentry. With my work experience, would I have the edge?

Your thoughts?

To answer your question, no! Experience is everything!! The degree is just a thing you hang on the wall. I went through a CM program and even after working a few summers, I didn't have a clue. I would go with the business admin degree as long as it is easier for you to get than the CM one. Getting a masters in CM couldn't hurt either...

Either way, think of it from an employers point of view. They don't really care what you went to college for, just what you know and how well you perform.

A CM degree is good for someone who doesn't know a thing about CM... If you know a lot already, it will bore you to tears.