The Certificate in Civil Sitework Construction will equip students with career advancement skills in the areas of site work development including excavation, site utilities, and road way improvements. This online program will help students develop usable skills in understanding construction equipment utilization, civil blueprint reading, and civil estimating. The program focuses on skills needed by constructors interested in site development. Excavation, roads, bridges, and underground utilities will also be covered. Students will learn how to work with the earth, how to select, use, and budget for the best equipment needed to transform a plot of land into a developed site and how to utilize related construction documents.
Fall Courses Now Available!
Learn how to prepare construction sites for construction by earning your Professional Certificate in Civil Sitework Construction from SDSU Global Campus.
Click the link below to view all of our construction programs.
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About the Program
Before any construction takes place, there are many steps that need to take place when preparing a job site for development — including clearing, grubbing, shoring, and acquiring heavy sitework equipment to begin excavation and utility installation. Sitework is a vital stage in any construction project, and requires highly-skilled construction professionals that can prepare a job site quickly and efficiently.
$3,450*
Total Estimated Cost
Textbooks not included
*$3,735 for Spring 2025
5 Months
Min. Completion Time
Online
Course Format
Take an active role in the preliminary steps needed to prepare a job site for construction by earning your Professional Certificate in Civil Sitework Construction from SDSU Global Campus. All courses are 100% online, open to all, and run throughout the year.
Is This Program Right for Me?
Whether you’re already a sitework laborer and want to move into a supervisory position, or you’re transitioning into sitework from a different role in the construction industry, this program will help you acquire the in-demand skills that employers are looking for in their next sitework professionals.
SDSU’s civil sitework certificate program will prepare you to work on many types of job sites, including:
- City projects
- Highways
- Government buildings
- Schools
- Residential housing projects
- Bridges
- Roadways
There are no prerequisites and no application is necessary to participate in the program, which means that you can register for any of our online construction courses no matter what your experience level is. However, if you’re completely new to the industry, we also offer two Introduction to Construction courses to help you build a solid foundation in construction.
You can log onto any course from any computer with an internet connection. Most classes have assignments with weekly due dates — please ensure that you can complete any necessary coursework for the duration of the course.
SDSU is a State-approved provider for the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). If you’re unemployed or underemployed, you may be eligible to receive full or partial tuition assistance on this program. Equal Opportunity is the Law. Equal opportunity employer/program auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Click here to learn more.
What Can I Learn?
Before any actual building takes place, teams of laborers, engineers, and supervisors need to prepare the job site for construction. From excavation and stabilizing subgrade to installing drainage systems, septic systems, and other utilities, sitework is a lengthy and complex process —but it’s a vital step in ensuring that the construction project will be a success.
SDSU’s Certificate in Civil Sitework Construction will equip you with the skills you need to transform a plot of land into a developed site in preparation for a construction project. Courses cover a wide range of topics in the field of civil site development, including:
- Construction equipment utilization
- Blueprint reading
- Estimating
- Excavations
- Roads, bridges, and underground utilities
- Earthwork
- Construction documents
Online lessons are supplemented by quizzes, which will give you immediate feedback on your understanding of the course content. You’ll set your own class times to complete the work due each week. Typically, you should plan on dedicating about five hours per week, per class.
You’ll learn about civil sitework construction under the guidance of a panel of expert instructors. Your lessons are led by active career professionals from all levels of the construction industry. Through their experience and extensive knowledge, you’ll learn what works — and what doesn’t — for job site leaders who are currently working in construction.
This Civil Sitework program is authorized by SDSU's College of Engineering. This means that you’ll be able to earn three professional development units (PDUs) per course, which can raise your career potential through more job opportunities at a higher pay scale.
Career Outcomes
Labor Analysis
Construction Laborers — Nationwide
448,000
Last 12 months
+12%
Over 10 years
$88,310
Average Salary
The construction industry needs knowledgeable job site leaders who can take an active role through the entire construction project lifecycle. According to the leading estimates, there are currently more than seven million construction laborers employed across the country, and those numbers are projected to grow by 12% over the next decade.
Any preliminary work on a construction project requires teams of highly-trained, knowledgeable construction laborers. The outlook for construction laborers is bright; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently over 1 million construction laborers employed across the country, and those numbers are projected to grow by 5-7% over the next decade, which is faster than the national average rate of employment growth.
By participating in SDSU’s Civil Sitework program, you’ll be well-prepared for work in a variety of roles throughout the preparation phase of a construction project lifecycle. Some of these roles include:
- Excavator contractors
- Demolition contractors
- Utilities contractors
- Civil estimators
- Construction Project Managers
- General Contractors
- Operations manager
- Site development contractor
- Paving contractors
- Utilities directors
- Military contractors
- Field engineers
- Heavy civil sitework contractors
- Residential contractors building subdivisions/master-planned communities
- Roadwork contractors
- Transportation engineer
- Earthwork estimators
- Developer
- Concrete contractor
- City planner
Why Choose SDSU?
Accessibility
All courses are 100% online and accessible from anywhere in the world, which means you can earn your certificate on your schedule. You can complete the program in as few as five months, or take up to two years to complete all your courses.
Expert Instructors
The program is led by seasoned construction professionals with years of industry experience. Through their knowledge, combined with a robust online curriculum, you’ll acquire the skills you need to become an asset on the job site.
Customized Curriculum
In addition to four core courses, you can customize your curriculum by choosing between two unique elective courses — one in documents and law, one in planning and scheduling.
Want to Learn More?
Submit this web form and we’ll be in touch to answer all your questions and explain the next steps in the process. Or, you can reach a program recruiter by emailing outreach.global@sdsu.edu or by calling (619) 594-7700.