Amanda Paladino, Features Editor 

The Construction Management major at Utica College provides students the opportunity to pursue a degree with a 100 percent job placement rate while simultaneously implementing logical thought and creative desires.

With 56 students, the program has grown since it’s re-establishment in 2008, and is fully accredited by the American Council for Construction Education.

All of the program’s 10 graduating seniors this year have jobs lined up with the exception of one, who is currently negotiating. The field of construction management provides an average starting salary of $55,000. Yet, the program’s benefits exceed those of the economic realm.

“It’s fun. It’s never boring, it’s challenging and it’s rewarding,” Dr. Dubblede, Director of Construction Management at U.C, said. “This degree will take you anywhere you want to go. It opens doors not only domestically, but internationally.”

Dubblede also emphasized the reward of witnessing the fruits of your labor.

“My favorite part is the completion date, when the owner and other people are able to use the building and they are ecstatic with the result of the work,” Matt Desens, a junior in the Construction Management (CM) program, said.

The program stresses professionalism from the start, implementing a mandatory business-casual dress code all week, with Tuesdays requiring professional-business attire. The dress code is applied at the beginning of the program for all individuals with a goal of establishing the importance of carrying oneself in a manner that builds confidence and trust in potential clients. It also prepares students to comply with OSHA dress code requirements that they will face in the field.

U.C’s CM program is closely knit with its alumni network, providing students with a better access to internships and jobs throughout the country.

“CM is a very close group of students that are always willing to look out for each other,” Stephen Puglia, a senior in the major, said.

Puglia said he’s looking forward to starting his career as a Project Manager for Hunter Roberts Construction Group in Manhattan, a job he received after interning with the company last summer.

In terms of choosing future careers, the path for construction management students is certainly not concrete.

“You can build anything,” Dubblede said.

He described the eclectic array of options, including Disney theme park rides, parks, zoos, pools, restaurants, cabins, ski resorts and even movie set models.

“Leonardo DiCaprio didn’t build the Titanic,” Dubblede said, referencing the award-winning motion picture. Movie set props, including the notorious ship, are designed by individuals with a background in construction management.

Dubblede says the major allows students to follow their dreams. The myriad of job opportunities in the program’s four sections- residential, commercial, heavy civil and industrial, leave the possibility for students to pair their personal interests with jobs they desire.