Master of Construction Management Course

As part of the recent research project in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, one of the key deliverables is the development of a new Construction Management course in Assam Engineering College.

Introduction

A new Construction Management course has been developed for Assam Engineering College. The subjects were developed by academic staff from AEC in collaboration with University of Melbourne. The AEC staff visited Melbourne to develop the courses. The multidisciplinary course provides relevant technical education to meet growing demand in multiple sectors of the construction industry. Students with an undergraduate degree from any discipline can apply for the courses allowing them to develop the required technical knowledge in construction management in one of four areas of specialization. The four areas of specialisation are shown in the table below along with the specific subjects relevant to each course. The course developers are shown in brackets were relevant.

Construction Management Course (AEC)

Specification 1: Sustainability Management
Core subjects	Introduction to Sustainability Sustainable Solutions for Building (Dr Sasanka Borah) Sustainable Materials and Performance Construction Waste Management (Dr Pradip Baishya) Research Project
Elective Subjects	Construction Safety (Dr Manjuri Hazarika) Environmental Risks and Impact Assessment Social Procurement (Dr Purobi Patowary) Building regulations
Specification 2: Cost Management
Core subjects	Building Services and Operations (Dr Sasanka Borah) Building regulations (Dr Jayantha Pathak) Construction Law Construction Methods and Equipment (Dr Sasanka Borah & Dr Pradip Baishya) Research Project
Elective Subjects	Cost Planning and Budgeting Measurement and Estimation Cost monitoring and control Project procurement (Prof S. K. Deb)
Specification 3: Project Management
Core subjects	Fundamentals of Project Management (Dr Pradip Baishya) Contract Management (Prof Jayantha Pathak) Project Procurement (Prof S. K. Deb) Project Monitoring and Control Research Project
Elective Subjects	Project Finance and Economics (Prof S. K. Deb) Construction Planning Project Risks and Quality Management (Prof S. K. Deb)
Specification 4: Building Construction & Technology
Core subjects	Construction Materials (Prof Bipul Talukdar) Construction Law Building Construction (Prof Bipul Talukdar) Construction Methods and Equipment (Dr Sasanka Borah & Dr Pradip Baishya) Research Project
Elective Subjects	Building regulations Construction Methods and Equipment (Dr Sasanka Borah & Dr Pradip Baishya) 3R (Repair, Rehabilitation & Retrofitting) in Construction (Profs Bipul Talukdar & Jayantha Pathak)

Entry requirements

Students must have a recognized degree in any of the engineering and semi-engineering discipline with a minimum overall mark of 50%.

Teaching staff and responsibilities

The leadership team of the Construction Management program in AEC is comprised of a group of dedicated faculty members with specific expertise in both the subject matters and specialization streams. The team of seven scholars that visited the University of Melbourne over 2016-2019 have developed the necessary expertise in the specified areas.

The organization chart is shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Schematic Organisation of the Construction Management program Figure 1: Schematic Organization of the Construction Management program

Accreditation requirements

In order to establish the Construction Management program in AEC at an international level, the quality of the program in relation to teaching practices, competencies and outcomes, accountability, continuous innovations & research was ensured by fulfilling the requirements of both national and international accrediting bodies.

While designing the Construction Management program at AEC, a target must be set to meet the accreditation requirement of the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). Accreditation from the NBA will not only ensure a standard comparable internationally but also it will align the learning outcomes and objectives as per the terms of the Washington Accords. Once a fully established program is up and running, further global recognition will then be ensured by obtaining the accreditation from agencies such as Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), London.

Thus the two accrediting bodies to target will be: NBA (by 2020) and RICS (by 2020).

Benefits

Having accredited the program by NBA and RICS, the students will have international recognition. As part of the ongoing collaboration with the University of Melbourne, the students will be able to apply for higher research degrees at the University of Melbourne and continue developing research and academic careers.