Professional Certificate in Civil Sitework Construction
Spring ’25 Registration Now Open!
Learn how to read civil construction plans, prepare jobsites and mobilize 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.
- Overview
- Courses
- How To Register
- Resources
About the Program
Before any construction takes place, there are many steps that must be completed when preparing a job site for development — including clearing, grubbing, shoring, and acquiring heavy 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.
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 skilled laborer pouring concrete, installing asphalt, new to heavy civil estimating, or an equipment operator and want to move into a supervisory position, or you’re transitioning into site work 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 site work professionals.
SDSU’s civil sitework certificate program will prepare you to work on many types of job sites, including:
- City projects
- Government buildings
- Residential housing projects
- Roadways
- Highways
- Schools
- Bridges
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?
You’ll learn about civil sitework construction under the guidance of a panel of construction experts. 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.
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
- Estimating
- Roads, bridges, and underground utilities
- Construction documents
- Blueprint reading
- Excavations
- Earthwork
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
- 448,000Job Postings in the last 12 months
- +12%Projected job growth in the next 10 years
- $88,310Average salary of graduates
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
- Utilities contractors
- Construction Project Managers
- Military contractors
- Heavy civil sitework contractors
- Roadwork contractors
- Earthwork estimators
- Concrete contractor
- Demolition contractors
- Civil estimators
- General Contractors
- Site development contractor
- Field engineers
- Residential contractors building subdivisions/master-planned communities
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 six 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.
Enrollment now open for Spring ’25!
In order to earn your Professional Certificate in Civil Sitework Construction, you’ll need to complete four (4) core courses, as well as one (1) of our elective courses. Each course costs $747 and is worth three (3) Professional Development Units (PDUs).
2025 Term Dates
See below list of courses and descriptions. Each course costs $747 and is worth three (3) Professional Development Units (PDUs).
Block 1
Term Dates: Jan. 13-Mar. 23, 2025
Registration Opens: Oct. 30, 2024
Registration Closes: Jan. 20, 2025
Block 2
Term Dates: Apr. 7-June 15, 2025
Registration Opens: Oct. 30, 2024
Registration Closes: Apr. 14, 2025
Core Courses (Spring)
Courses | Block 1 Dates | Block 2 Dates |
---|---|---|
ENGR 0043 Construction Equipment and Methods | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | Apr. 7-June 15 Reg. Close: Apr. 14, 2025 |
ENGR 0044 Practical Applications of Heavy Civil Construction | Apr. 7-June 15 Reg. Close: Apr. 14, 2025 | |
ENGR 0045 Estimating Civil Construction | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | |
ENGR 0046 Civil Blueprint Reading and Materials | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 |
Elective Courses (Spring)
Courses | Block 1 Dates | Block 2 Dates |
---|---|---|
ENGR 0031 Contract Documents and Construction Law | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | |
ENGR 0032 Planning and Scheduling | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | Apr. 7-June 15 Reg. Close: Apr. 14, 2025 |
Registration Instructions
Continuing Students
If you have enrolled in your program within the past three terms, you are considered a continuing student. Starting in the summer 2024 term, continuing students can simply log into my.SDSU and register for upcoming courses in their program once the registration period opens. You’ll still need to complete your full payment in my.SDSU after your registration has been submitted.
These courses are not delivered or available through Canvas. All courses are delivered in partnership with Construction Experts, Inc. through the learning management platform available here: https://www.constructionclasses.education/.
Please visit my.sdsu.edu for more information.
New Students
If you have not enrolled within the past three terms, you will need to enroll in the program as a new student to register for courses. Please complete the following steps below to get started.
- Once you’ve chosen your courses, click the Enroll button below to begin the registration process. Please indicate on the form that you’d like to register for courses. Enroll
- Once you’ve filled out the Enrollment form, you’ll receive a confirmation email from SDSU Global Campus within 2-3 business days with the next steps to complete your enrollment.
- Once registration opens for your courses, you can register in the my.SDSU portal.
- Approximately one week before your class starts, passwords and information to log into your online classroom will be sent directly to your @SDSU.edu email address from constructionclasses@gmail.com or your instructor with an @constructionclasses.com email address. Please be sure to check your SDSU email account inbox as well as your spam folder for this important information.
- These courses are not delivered or available through Canvas. All courses are delivered in partnership with Construction Experts, Inc. through the learning management platform available here: https://www.constructionclasses.education/.
Finished All The Required Courses?
Click the button below to receive your certificate.
Enrollment now open for Spring ’25!
Frequently Asked Questions
Students taking our construction intro courses can check their progress by logging into my.SDSU. If you need assistance with your account, contact our Registration staff at 619-594-5152 or enrollment.global@sdsu.edu.
Current course progress can be accessed by logging into https://www.constructionclasses.education/
After registering for classes, you will receive access to the learning management system at https://www.constructionclasses.education/ where you will access all of your classes. These courses are not available in Canvas. Your login details will be sent to your @SDSU.edu email address approximately one week before your class starts from constructionclasses@gmail.com. Please be sure to check your SDSU email account inbox as well as your spam folder for this important information.
You’ll earn three units of professional development credit from SDSU for each intro course you complete. Other institutions may or may not accept this for academic credit; please confirm with these institutions that SDSU’s courses are transferable before enrolling in our courses.
Our construction courses are 100% online. Courses begin four times per year. You must complete all necessary coursework within 10 weeks from your date of enrollment. You’ll have access to course materials for up to 12 weeks from the date of enrollment.
Our introductory construction courses feature asynchronous virtual instruction learning modality. Courses in this modality feature instruction provided through a combination of recorded and limited direct instruction with academic activities, quizzes, etc., at the arranged times and dates described in the footnotes and syllabus unless otherwise noted. Content may be open for restricted periods.
- Assessments or assignments will be listed in the course syllabus and may need to be completed at a set time and date.
- Faculty and instructors are available for office hours and instructional support when needed.
Asynchronous courses may be preferable for students in different time zones as they provide the flexibility to work on your schedule at your own pace. However, these courses may require asynchronous discussion participation.
Federal financial aid does not generally apply to our online construction programs, but you may qualify for other private loans from lending institutions, or employer-based tuition reimbursement programs. Please see our Financial Aid Information to learn more.
Some of your courses may require textbooks. Click here for a list of textbooks along with purchasing instructions from the SDSU Bookstore’s website. Textbooks are also available new or used through many online retailers.
Once you’ve completed all the program requirements, fill out a certificate request form. SDSU Global Campus will verify that you’ve completed all the required courses and assignments. Once you’ve been verified, you’ll receive a digital copy of your certificate.
Related Links
This program presented in partnership with a third-party provider is not taught by San Diego State University faculty. It is authorized by SDSU’s College of Engineering for professional development credit. Courses offered in partnership with third-party providers are not degree-eligible at San Diego State University.