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Construction Inspection

Overview

Construction inspection programs prepare people to plan, direct, and monitor the completion of construction projects.

In construction inspection programs students study:

Students learn to apply industrial, labor, and governmental standards and laws to the inspection of construction projects.

Schools

Many career and technical schools as well as several community colleges offer certificate and associate degree programs in construction inspection. A certificate program usually takes a year of full-time study. An associate degree program at a community college usually takes two years to complete.

An apprenticeship program may require one to four additional years of on-the-job training.

A few colleges offer bachelor's degrees in construction inspection. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

See schools that offer this program.

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Program Admission

You can prepare for this program in several ways. You can get your high school diploma or equivalent, complete an apprenticeship in a construction trade, work for a few years, and then take college courses in inspection.

You can also prepare by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college and for work in construction. If you want to attend college, you usually need to take four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language. At the same time, you should take as many construction-related courses as possible and get some work experience.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree and good grades. You also need to submit letters of recommendation and a personal statement.

Many programs require that your bachelor's degree be in construction science, engineering, architecture, or another closely related field. A few programs do not require an undergraduate degree in construction, but you have to take prerequisite courses before you can start the graduate program.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

In this program of study, you typically take courses such as the following:

Majors in construction management also usually study the following:

Graduate Program Courses

Graduate course work tends to vary depending on the school. However, the outline of a typical master's degree curriculum in this program looks like the following:

Your thesis can focus on either a research topic or a professional project, such as helping to manage an aspect of a specific construction assignment.

Some programs require cooperative education as part of their curriculums. A cooperative education combines real-life work experience with your classroom and lab education. You apply to work part time in a construction management or inspection setting based on your knowledge so far. You usually report both to a supervisor in the company and to a faculty advisor in your program. You benefit not only from experiencing real-life construction situations but also from making professional contacts in the field.

Things to Know

Construction inspectors usually obtain national certification. As an inspector, you will need to continue your studies to keep up with changes in building codes, construction materials, and methods.

For information about apprenticeships and other training opportunities, call or visit websites for local contractors, union offices, apprenticeship agencies, or your nearest employment service office.

Schools

King-Snohomish Area

Edmonds Community College