The aim of the course is to develop and empower emerging leaders as agents of change to transform the construction industry.

The course is a two-year part-time degree targeted at those who have several years professional experience and have already attained a leadership role or have been identified as potential leaders in their organisations. The course will enhance students' technical knowledge and managerial skills with the expectation that they will return to their respective companies trained as agents of change ready to redefine the way in which the infrastructure of society is created. The part-time format of the course permits students to continue with their professional careers while studying.

Course Themes

The course focuses on the following themes:

• The built environment
• Design for value
• Research and innovation
• Advanced construction technology and materials
• Advanced construction management
• Finance planning and procurement
• The future of construction

Sustainability, leadership, innovation, whole-life performance and systematic thinking are topics interwoven throughout the course. The course is continually evolving in order to stay current and meet the needs of participants.

Students are first given an understanding of the current context and challenges faced by the construction industry. They then critically evaluate the latest research in design, management, and construction techniques and processes. The programme encompasses a broad view of the construction industry from the high-level financing requirements of mega-projects through to innovations in analysis, design and materials technology. Throughout the course students are given leadership and communication training that will give them the skills and confidence to develop their own vision of the future of construction and enact it.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MSt programme will be equipped with the technical, leadership and managerial skills they need to play a transformative role in the construction sector. The key learning objectives are for the students to:

1. Understand the key factors governing national policies in construction.
2. Learn how the construction industry must and will change to accommodate the legally binding targets for sustainability and CO2 reduction.
3. Identify technological advances that will enhance the production of constructed facilities.
4. Understand the range of financial instruments and constraints on managing large-scale construction projects.
5. Gain a broad knowledge of the construction sector with specialist components of the course covering topics such as construction technologies, integration of other services and operational priorities, maintenance procedures, safety-critical components, robustness in the different areas of buildings, infrastructure, water, advanced materials, sustainable practices, energy management,  supply chain management, recycling and  life-cycle management.
6. Gain an insight into good research practice based on university research programmes and the ability to report research outcomes.
7. Understand business practice and tools in the areas of technology management, technology transfer and exploitation with particular emphasis on the construction industry.

The programme will develop the following intellectual skills:

1. Application of generic skills in modelling, simulating and experimentally evaluating construction projects.
2. Critical evaluation of technical problems and examining alternative approaches and technologies to solve them.
3. Holistic thinking in solving problems and designing systems by applying professional engineering judgment to balance technological, environmental, ethical, economic and public policy considerations.
4. Ability to act as a change agent within an organisation, manage change effectively and respond to changing demands.
5. Ability to solve complex research issues both systematically and creatively, and make informed judgments in the absence of complete data and in unpredictable situations.
6. Understanding of commercial exploitation routes for construction-based technologies and evaluation of options for technology transfer and/or implementation.
7. Planning, execution and critical evaluation of an original and individual investigative piece of work through a major dissertation.

Students will develop transferable skills that include the following:

1. Preparing formal reports in a range of styles.
2. Reasoning critically, thinking creatively, exercising independence of mind and thought and the ability to communicate ideas.
3. Managing time and work to deadlines, working effectively both independently and in groups, and developing the ability to assess the relevance and importance of the ideas of others.
4. The ability to find information and learn effectively for the purpose of continuing professional development and in a wider context throughout their career.

Open Days

Prospective students are encouraged to contact the CEM Director at cem.director@construction.cam.ac.uk if they wish to learn more about the course.

Departments

This course is advertised in the following departments: