New Capitol degree program trains construction managers – and adds critical infrastructure expertise

Want to become a construction manager? Do you want to understand and protect the nation’s critical infrastructure? Consider learning the project management needed skills to be a manager in the construction industry while learning what and how infrastructure projects operate and the cybersecurity behind protecting these facilities.

Construction is a top industry both in the United States and worldwide, with new projects continually in the works. Those in charge of building new facilities must also think about how to secure them – not only against physical intruders, but against attacks launched through computer networks. And that requires an understanding of how hackers operate, and how to defend against them.

You won’t find critical infrastructure and cybersecurity skills taught in most construction management programs, however. And that’s why Capitol Technology University has launched a brand new bachelor’s degree program in bachelor's degree in construction management and critical infrastructure, providing a unique blend for the next generation of students going into the construction industry.

“I believe this is the time to bring these fields closer together,” says Dr. Bradford L. Sims, Capitol’s president. Dr. Sims holds bachelors and master’s degrees in construction management and has worked coast-to-coast in industrial construction, often drawing from his own computer background to solve digital-era problems.

Capitol’s program covers three specific areas, Sims says. “The first and largest is the standard construction project management core, preparing students for the field or home office positions. The second is the critical infrastructure area, covering what the many infrastructure projects sectors are and how they function from a component and systems viewpoint.”

“The third is an understanding of cybersecurity, taking advantage of Capitol’s role as a leading provider of cyber education,” Sims said. “We were one of the first schools to be designated a National Center of Academic Excellence-Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) in 2003, and have been successfully re-designated two times.”

With a combination of construction management and cybersecurity industry, students graduating from the program will be well-positioned for career growth, data suggests.

There is intense demand for cybersecurity professionals, including in the construction industry. As Greg Davis notes in an article for Construction Executive, “the construction sector is a prime example of an industry that possesses large amounts of private information that would be desirable to a hacker.”

“Construction companies have proprietary information that requires protecting, including bid data, designs, materials pricing, profit/loss data, employee information, banking records and other highly confidential information,” Davis noted.

Department of Homeland Security has identified 16 critical infrastructure sectors “whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.”

The 16 sectors include commercial facilities, communications, dams, critical manufacturing, dams, government facilities, nuclear reactors, transportation systems, and wastewater systems, among others.

Marianne Meins is vice president for critical infrastructure protection strategy at Parsons, a Capitol Tech corporate partner and digitally enabled solutions provider focused on the defense, security, and infrastructure markets. “Estimates suggest 3.5 million cybersecurity positions will be open by 2021. Building a relationship with Capitol Tech will serve to benefit both Parsons and Capitol students, meeting not only current industry needs but also those of the future,” says Meins.

At the same time, construction continues to boom. According to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), “construction is a major contributor to the U.S. economy. The industry has more than 650,000 employers with over 6 million employees and creates nearly $1 trillion worth of structures each year. Construction is one of the largest customers for manufacturing, mining and a variety of services.” 

A recent report from the Maryland Center for Construction Education & Innovation (MCCEI) shows that that by 2020, in Maryland alone, there will be a need for 9,715 construction managers with bachelor’s degrees – but current projections show the state producing only 1,020 by that time.

Bob Aydukovic, the president of MCCEI, says Capitol’s new degree program is a significant step towards closing the gap.

 “MCCEI is very supportive of this new bachelor’s degree program being launched in our state.  The industry is going through rapid technological advances with robotics, drones, 3d printing and the internet of things, and Capitol’s unique technology focus gives Maryland’s companies a strong option to hire in-state,” Aydukovic said.
 “The construction industry in Maryland is red-hot and our companies have a tremendous demand for people with construction management degrees,” he said. “Capitol Tech’s new program could not have come at a better time.  The focus on construction fundamentals and technology will, without a doubt, be highly desirable to Maryland employers.” 

Interested students are encouraged to apply now for the program, which will begin in August 2019 at Capitol Tech’s campus in Laurel, MD. For more information, email admissions@captechu.edu.

Companies or associations looking to more closely partner in the construction management and critical infrastructure area can email Dr. Sims directly at president@captechu.edu.