Professional Certificate in Construction Practices
Gain a deeper understanding of the different stages of a construction project by earning your Professional Certificate in Construction Practices from SDSU Global Campus.
Click the link below to view all of our construction programs.
- Overview
- Courses
- How To Register
- Resources
About the Program
Construction projects can be broken down into a series of critical stages — including estimating, bidding, planning, scheduling, and execution. While some construction professionals specialize in certain stages, such as sitework or estimating, many take on a more fluid role throughout the project lifecycle and contribute at all stages.
Gain the broad skills you need to work on any stage of a construction project by earning your Professional Certificate in Construction Practices from SDSU Global Campus. All courses are 100% online and open to anyone interested in a career in construction.
Is This Program Right for Me?
SDSU’s construction practices program will help you acquire practical, on-the job skills that you can use on the job site right away. The program will also prepare you to take on supervisory roles at any stage of the construction project — from estimating and bidding through procurement, construction, and project closure.
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?
Construction projects need highly-trained, knowledgeable professionals at all stages. SDSU’s construction practices program will help you acquire the foundational knowledge you need to contribute and supervise at any point in the project lifecycle.
The online program provides an overview of the critical stages of the construction project — including estimating, bidding, planning, scheduling, execution, and closure. You’ll take a deep dive into many different construction topics, including:
- Blueprint reading
- Materials and processes
- Contract documents
- Construction cost management strategies
- Construction math
- Environmentally-friendly building techniques
- Construction law
Throughout the program, you’ll participate in discussions with your classmates and instructors using an online bulletin board. These discussions will give you the opportunity to examine everyday construction challenges shared by others in the construction industry.
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 how to become a cost estimation expert 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 construction 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.
SDSU’s Construction Practices program will prepare you to serve in many different roles throughout the construction industry, including:
- Office Administrator/ Office Manager
- Tradesworkers
- Facilities management
- Apprentice
- Investor
- Insurance
- Project coordinator
- Assistant PM
- General Contractor
- Contracts Administrator
- Junior estimator
- Project engineer
- Real estate
- HR
- Foreman
- Field engineer
- Assistant superintendent
- Subcontractor
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 get a comprehensive, hands-on look at the entire construction process from start to finish.
Proven Curriculum
When you choose SDSU, you’re choosing a construction program with a proven curriculum. All courses in the program are offered in cooperation with the San Diego Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.
In order to earn your Professional Certificate in Construction Practices, you’ll need to complete any eight (8) of the ten (10) courses offered. 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)
Core Courses | Block 1 Dates | Block 2 Dates |
---|---|---|
ENGR 0018 Construction Materials and Processes | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | Apr. 7-June 15 Reg. Close: Apr. 14, 2025 |
ENGR 0021 Estimating and Bidding I | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | Apr. 7-June 15 Reg. Close: Apr. 14, 2025 |
ENGR 0022 Estimating and Bidding II | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | Apr. 7-June 15 Reg. Close: Apr. 14, 2025 |
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 |
ENGR 0033 Construction Blueprint Reading | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | Apr. 7-June 15 Reg. Close: Apr. 14, 2025 |
ENGR 0034 Introduction to Construction Estimating | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | Apr. 7-June 15 Reg. Close: Apr. 14, 2025 |
ENGR 0035 Essential Construction Math | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | Apr. 7-June 15 Reg. Close: Apr. 14, 2025 |
ENGR 0038 Building Green Buildings: The Contractor’s Perspective | Jan. 13-Mar. 23 Reg. Close: Jan. 20, 2025 | |
ENGR 0049 Construction Productivity and Cost Management | Apr. 7-June 15 Reg. Close: Apr. 14, 2025 |
Dates and fees subject to change.
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.
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.
- Complete your full payment in my.SDSU after your registration has been submitted. Click here for more information on our payment and drop policy.
Finished All The Required Courses?
Click the button below to receive your certificate.
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.
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 intro courses are 100% online. Courses begin four times per year. You must complete all necessary coursework within 5 weeks from your date of enrollment. You’ll have access to course materials for up to 10 weeks from the date of enrollment.
Our introductory construction courses feature a mostly 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.
- Students may be expected to attend any live sessions necessary to complete the course.
- Final exams 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.
Mostly 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 group activities and arranged meetings with faculty.
The Professional Certificate in Construction Practices is eligible for tuition assistance for unemployed and underemployed students through the San Diego Workforce Partnership.
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
Request Your Certificate
FAQ – Online Construction Certificates
Additional Certificate Programs
Construction Programs
Tour an Online Construction Classroom
Construction Courses 2024 Schedule
Construction Courses 2025 Schedule
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.