Construction Practices
College of Extended Learning
Dean: Peter Dewees
Construction Practices Program
SFSU Downtown Center
425 Market Street, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-904-7720
Program Director: Mary Pieratt
Program
Certificate in Construction Practices
Program Scope
Construction professionals can gain practical knowledge and expertise through the
Construction Practices Certificate Program. Students participate with others who face
daily problems on construction projects. This program integrates technical skills from the
School of Engineering with management concepts from the College of Business.
Faculty
Instructors in the program are selected for their outstanding teaching ability and
expertise in the technical or business aspects of construction.
Career Outlook
Course work taken in the construction practices program may be transferred into the
Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Arts, an interdisciplinary major program at SFSU which is
housed in the Design and Industry (DAI) Department. Individual advising appointments
can be made to review program opportunities in DAI by contacting the Department of
Design and Industry office, Arts and Industry 230, (415) 338-2211. By advancing their skills
in construction management, students are prepared to work more profitably in general
contracting, heavy industries, high tech buildings, mass transit, high density housing,
high-rise offices, airports, theaters, warehouses, clinics, excavation, site development
projects, and seismic upgrades.
CERTIFICATE IN CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES
The Construction Practices Program consists of eight required courses. Each course is
worth three semester units for a total of 24 units.
Courses are listed in recommended sequence. For complete course descriptions,
contact the program director.
Admission to Program
To be admitted to the certificate program, students should have completed 56 units of
academic credit or have sufficient experience to demonstrate they can perform upper
division work. Students who do not have 56 units may be accepted on probation and
are encouraged to apply. Students may enroll in up to nine units before applying to a
certificate program.
Writing Skills
The certificate program's course content requires a good grasp of writing skills. Certificate
students are asked to demonstrate their writing ability soon after admission to the
certificate program to satisfy the university literacy requirement. Those who do not have
the necessary writing skills are referred to a course offered regularly through the
continuing education program: ENG 414, Elements of Writing.
Required Courses
CP 300 Survey of Construction Practices
CP 380 Construction Materials and Processes
CP 390 Construction Methods and Equipment Utilization
CP 310 Construction Accounting
CP 330 Estimating and Bidding
CP 320 Legal Aspects of Construction
CP 350 Construction Management and Labor Relations
CP 340 Construction Project Management