BlogUniversityPros and Cons of a Bachelor of Construction Management at WSU

Pros and Cons of a Bachelor of Construction Management at WSU

Let’s get this straight. You’ve read all about what it’s like studying a Bachelor of Construction Management at WSU and now you’re hoping for a real student’s real opinion on the course?

Well, we’ve got you covered. We got to chat to Stefan, a Bachelor of Construction Management graduate who told us everything there is to know about the course. The good and the bad, the positives and the negatives, and the ups and the downs. You name it, we’ve got it! 

If you’re keen to learn more, all you have to do is scroll!

Why should you study a Construction Management degree at WSU?
Top 3 Pros of a Construction Management Degree
Top 3 Cons of a Construction Management Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting WSU Construction Management
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying WSU Construction Management
Potential Career Paths

Why should you study a Construction Management degree at WSU?

The Bachelor of Construction Management at WSU is the perfect course for anyone envisioning themselves as a future construction manager or building surveyor.

If you’re someone keen on designing and creating useful sites and facilities, Construction Management at WSU may be the way to go. Think of it as your one way ticket to the building industry. 

Construction Management WSU - Quote

You’ll get to develop your design skills and solidify your career within the industry with the 4-year undergraduate degree at WSU. You’ll get to know topics like construction technology, construction economics, construction lay and construction project management.

You can basically think of any aspect of life, add ‘construction’ to the front of it, and the chances are, you’ll learn about it in this degree!

Top 3 Pros of a Construction Management degree

#1: Range of subject material 

As we’ve mentioned earlier, this degree isn’t just focussed on construction. You’ll gain a range of valuable and transferable skills from taking subjects across a range of disciplines.

You’ll be dipping your toes into business law, getting a taster for economics, trying a bit of design and of course, developing your managerial skills. 

“I guess the biggest pro for me was the range of subjects they give you. Because you’re not just sticking to construction engineering or you’re just sticking to a business course, you get to experience a large range of subjects and of course a lot of disciplines,” Stefan said. 

Another great feature of this extensive study plan is that you’ll be collaborating with students who are solely studying subjects like design or economics, so you’ll have access to not only some new pals but students who know all about the other subjects that you’ll get to know. 

Stefan explained, “It’s not like you’re just sitting in on a class, you actually sit in a room with other law students or business students or structural engineering students.” 

#2: You’re practically guaranteed a job by the end of it

The Bachelor of Construction Management at WSU is no stranger to practical and professional experience. The people behind the degree know all about the significance of graduating with a resume that goes on for miles.

In fact, once you finish Construction Management, you’ll have a whopping 1200 hours of practical work experience to brag about with potential employers or clients. While it sounds like a daunting amount of time, it’ll be smoothly integrated into your course plan so you won’t even notice the hours flying by. 

“Because the degree forces you to work and it’s a part of the degree, everyone gets a kick in the butt and gets out of it with a job. So, it’s good encouragement to get a job and they do facilitate that. There are nights where companies come in to hire students, which is good,” Stefan said. 

Additionally, all of your Construction Management units are accredited by the Australian Institute of Building, which is a pretty big deal in the construction world. 

#3: You’ll develop essential interpersonal skills 

Tradespeople are great conversationalists. It’s a fact of life for the managers of construction projects to have the skills to coordinate plans, liaise with clients and collaborate on projects.

If you’re someone that isn’t the most confident in public speaking or general chatting, don’t fear, it’s definitely a skill that you’ll learn to cultivate with a good few years of experience. Still, Stefan explained that now his job practically revolved around conversing. 

He said, “I’ve gotten about 3000 contacts on my phone over the past 5 or 6 years, which is crazy. I’m on the phone like everyday making telephone calls for at least two or three hours a day.” 

Another positive of Stefan’s job is the kinds of people he gets to work with. He gets to work with all sorts of different clients: “You may deal with people that barely speak english to people who’ve just gotten out of prison. Then you’ll deal with structural engineers worth a billion dolls, so it’s definitely a good experience.” 

 

Top 3 Cons of a Construction Management degree

#1: Four years is longer than other construction courses 

This con is a bit of a negative mixed with a positive. While Stefan told us that some people may view the length of the degree as a con, it does include the business license that you would normally have to get at TAFE after the undergraduate degree anyway. Still, Stefan admitted that this feature may be a tad off putting. 

“If you never intend on getting a builder’s license then I wouldn’t say there’s much purpose of coming over to Western Sydney, I would go to UNSW and do it in 3 years. Like a year is a long time and you know it’s another 8 to 10 grand, so it’s something to think about,” Stefan explained. 

#2: There’s a lot of compulsory work experience 

Again, this one is a mixture of pros and cons! A minimum of 1200 work experience hours is an awful lot but it saves you from gaining that experience later on, so while it can come across as quite daunting, it would be totally worth it.

With that said, if you’re hoping to develop skills from the more managerial side of things, perhaps a different degree may be the way to go! 

Stefan gave us a rundown of the practice hours, “I think it equates to about six months of full time work over the 4 years, that’s a requirement and that’s why they fast track you to get your building license.”

#3: That was all Stefan could think of

There weren’t many cons that Stefan could think of. It sounds like it was the perfect degree for what he was looking for. If you’re wanting a sign to apply to WSU’s Bachelor of Construction Management, let this be it! 

Any regrets? 

“Not really. Obviously, if I could’ve, I would’ve done it in 4 years. Because I was working full-time at the time but it was alright. But overall, not really any regrets,” Stefan shared. 

Despite the cons that Stefan mentioned above, he told us that he doesn’t regret studying the Bachelor of Construction Management at WSU. Though this would be a good chance to mention that everyone has a different experience at uni.

You may not be a fan of the pros that Stefan mentioned or you may love the cons. It all comes down to personal preference! 

What do you wish you had known before starting the degree? 

#1: Network, network, network

Did we mention that you should network? In an industry like construction, where you’ll get a major portion of clients from word of mouth, it’s a great idea to gain connections, get to know the others in your industry and leave a likeable first impression for potential clients. 

“Probably my biggest regret is that I didn’t network that much because I see everyone out in the industry now, and it’s a small industry so they’re all guys I went to uni with, so I think I should have networked a bit more while I was actually at uni,” Stefan said. 

You could network at uni events, union events for construction workers or across applications like LinkedIn. LinkedIn could be a great place to start if you’re wanting to build a solid connection and start promoting your skills! 

#2: Remember that studying part time is an option 

Stefan studied with the best of both worlds as a student in the Bachelor of Construction Management program. He completed 2 years full-time and then transitioned to part time where he studied for another 3 years. Still, Stefan told us that he wished he had known of this option earlier. 

“No one told me about the possibility of part time study until I asked the coordinator. That’s something that they don’t really advertise and they should advertise it because it’s very flexible. They don’t really advertise that you can study at night,” Stefan said. 

If you’re wanting to get straight into the industry, you can totally do that by working and studying simultaneously. When Stefan shifted to full-time work and part time study, he managed to complete his degree at nighttime, so it was a lot but he said that it was definitely manageable. 

“So, it’s definitely something to consider if you’re wanting to get out there and work and study at the same time. You can do the degree in 4 years, you can take 6 years to do it, you can work at the same time. So that’s something I wish I had been aware of from the get-go.” 

What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities? 

WSU’s major point of difference is the in-built building license which, according to Stefan, isn’t offered at any other university. 

“If you do 4 years at WSU, it fast tracks your studies so that you can get your building license. Whereas if you do it at UTS or UNSW, you don’t get your building license. You’ll have to go to TAFE and do an additional course. So, that’s the main reason why I went to Western Sydney,” Stefan explained. 

So, if you’re looking for a one stop shop for all of your Construction Management needs, the Bachelor of Construction Management at WSU may be perfect for you. You can study, gain experience and graduate with your building license all from the one institution. 

What inspired you to choose this degree?

Stefan explained that a major motivating factor to study Construction Management when he did was a result of the construction boom in Sydney. If you’re a Sydneysider, you’ve likely noticed the seemingly endless construction projects going on. There’s been the Sydney Metros, Light Rails, WestConnex and new Western Sydney Airport. 

“At the time, say between 2012 all the way to 2019, there was a big boom in the construction industry in Sydney. It does make up a large part of the market in pretty much any state in Australia,” said Stefan. 

If you’re needing any more encouragement to study at WSU, take a look at the expected construction boom unique to Western Sydney. There’s going to be significant growth and development in and around Western Sydney, and it’s pretty safe to assume that WSU students will get some work experience in those projects. 

Stefan added, “It’s also a good way to make money without dealing with a lot of the roadblocks that you’d find in the corporate world. If you are good, it doesn’t matter your age or who you are, doesn’t matter what your gender is — as long as you’re good, people will hire you.” 

What are the possible career paths?

Construction Management WSU - Careers

Once you graduate and step out of WSU’s doors for the last time, you’re almost guaranteed to find a job in the construction world. Not only have you spent the last 4 years gaining all the necessary knowledge to make that next step possible, but the 1200 hours of industry experience that you’ll have under your belt will be so worth it.

There’ll be heaps of construction-related positions waiting for you, some of these include:

    • Construction manager 
    • Project manager 
    • Site manager 
    • Quantity surveyor 
    • Building surveyor 
    • Estimator 
    • Facilities manager 
    • Building economist 
    • Property manager or developer 
    • Building consultant 

If you need any more surety, Stefan told us, “I don’t know anyone that was in the degree that didn’t get a job in construction. It’s very much like by the time everyone was finished, everyone had a job. So, you’re guaranteed to get a job quickly because construction is just massive in Sydney.” 


Gemma Billington is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and an undergraduate student at the University of Technology Sydney. While studying Journalism and Social and Political Sciences, Gemma enjoys spending her time at the gym or reading about Britain’s medieval monarchy – ideally not at the same time. She currently creates and administers social media posts for Central News and writes for the student publication, The Comma. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to study a Masters of Medieval History and is very excited about the prospect! 

 

45,861 students have a head start...

Get exclusive study content & advice from our team of experts delivered weekly to your inbox!

AOS Website Asset 2

Want to study Engineering?

Discover how we can help you!

AOS Website Asset 1