34 Comments

1. Hi, am Junior can I pursue Construction management under self sponsorship either in JKUAT OR KU coz I got a C+ and will I be favoured in the job market be coz am afraid that I might be discriminated due to my lower grade

   • What you get in high school will not limit you if you perform very well in university. In fact, if people see that you got a C and then got a first class in university, they will be impressed and want to hire you for your ability to improve dramatically.

2. Hey there Onsomu, between construction management and computer science, which one would you recommend

   • Hi Eugene, that’s a tricky question. It’s like comparing oranges to mangoes. Each course has its pros and cons. There are no guarantees of employment opportunities. You can be successful if you are aggressive and make use of networks. It boils down to what you’re passionate about.

3. Hello, can I do CM after getting a credit in diploma in building construction technology, if yes in which year will I start?

   • Hey Elvis, nice question you’ll be accepted as a second year in a degree course.

4. I scored an A- what course should I consider to pursue between construction management and civil engineering? And by how much does the two differ? And is there any difference between a contractor and construction manager?

   • Hi John, if your aggregate points meet the cut offs, you should go for Civil Engineering. It is more technical than construction management and as a specialized professionals you’ll get better opportunities. The difference between a contractor and construction manager is that the former is more hands-on while the latter is more of a general manager of a project. The contractor does the sourcing of materials, acquires equipment, take part in actual construction of projects. Meanwhile, the construction manager oversees the project making sure the client’s money is spent responsibly and resources are located appropriately.

5. Hello, Onsomu, I have a question. Which areas can I get an attachment or internship as a Construction manager??

   • Hey Daniel, start with building and construction companies. Also, consider talking to you lectures to see if they have resourceful leads. In most cases they do.

6. Hi,is project management same as construction management??

   • Hey Eugene, construction management is more technical than project management. As a CM, you are in charge of all building trades including electrical, carpentry, plumbing, general construction. A CM works closely with the workers.
     Project management is more about running the entire project. A PM is in charge of planning, site selection, analysis, procurement, construction, budjet etc.
     A PM works closely with the client to ensure that his/her goals are achieved.

7. Hi there Onsomu,i wanted to inquire if project management and construction management is one and the same course?, secondly,i scored an A- of 77pts in my kcse but am not sure whether const man would be a good course to major,i kindly ask for your guidance

   • I would advice you to go for construction management as it is more technical and hands-on. Also, when you join the job market, you can grow with time, and advance into a project manager. A project manager with no technical skills is rarely favored over an experienced construction manager with a certificate in project management

8. Am a student best in physics and mathematics as well as English ,,I hardly don’t which course am I supposed to pursue considering marketability and good salary

   • Hey Esokon, sorry for the late reply but here is the thing. When selecting a course, have several things in mind. Life Goals, Passions and Strengths/skills. Life goals are the things you want to achieve in life besides your career. Passions are the things you enjoy doing while strengths are skills you are good at. If you can identify a course that falls directly within these three, then you’re good. But here is the thing, in this century, you also need to be realistic. In fact I like the fact that you’ve mentioned marketability. Check this list of marketable courses in Kenya to guide you: https://kampusville.com/most-marketable-courses-in-kenya/

9. can i pursue the course without physics?

   • Hey Samuel, No, i don’t think so. Physics is a requirement for ConMan

     • Good afternoon Sir.
       Is it possible for me to advance with construction management having graduated recently with a diploma in architecture?
       what could be your advice.
       Thanks.

       • Hey Peter, i think it would much more valuable for you to advance with Architecture because when you choose conman, although the two courses are a bit related, you’ll be concentrating on skills that aren’t as special as those in Architecture. Architecture is better paying, more demanded and marketable. Don’t waste all those years you did diploma to start something else. Stay on your path. That’s my advice.

10. What’s your thoughts on conman course in jaramogi oginga odinga univrsity of science and technology.is it competitive as those of jkuat and the likes

    • Hey Shadrack, although conman in JKUAT and UoN is considered more competitive, it doesn’t necessarily mean a conman degree from Jaramogi will get you nowhere. One big factor that determines the competitiveness of a course in a certain institution is the alumni it produces who dominate in the field and later on when hiring graduates in their companies, prefer those from their former universities. This trickles down and results into a situation where it seems students from these colleges are more competitive. However, students from other university need not to despair. Instead, they should put more effort and be more aggressive especially in job hunting. This is where knowing the right people maters. Once they secure employment, they ought to promote their comrades too.

11. For the sake of people wondering about the future of construction management as compared to other related courses, here is a comment from an experienced professional engineer from Msingi Africa Limited.

    Things post-COVID will shift..the future of work is here in my opinion…so compensation will be based on value/output and not salary scale..so I will not express my opinion based on this metric. If I were to choose between QS n Construction manager, I would pick construction manager..reasons as follows:
    1. The skills of measurement and QS can be learned by a construction manager.
    2. Project management is a dynamic skill that will quickly differentiate you if since you interact front line on a project with stakeholders as opposed to QS who largely works behind the scene.
    3. QS function will be largely automated in the future… opportunities that cannot be automated are contract and dispute management but arbitrators and lawyers can also do this… remember..conflict is exceptional so the demand for them may not be as much.
    4. Construction project managers can use the skillsets cross-industry as running of projects and stakeholder management cuts across…
    5. Yes, conman skills can be used in roads..once you understand the process..that’s it..
    6. BSc real estate..don’t know much about it but I don’t think I would recommend it..don’t see the value and that’s important in the future of work..

12. Hallo Onsomu,I have a question about construction management,what is the difference between bachelor of science in construction management as offered in jkuat and bachelor of technology in construction management as offered in tuk??. And is there any reason why the btech has low entry requirements than the bsc?

    • Hi Mark, that’s a great question. Nowadays, universities are competing to attract students to their programs and on tactic they use is using better and more technical appearing names for their courses. For instance in this case, JKUAT offers the normal BSc in Construction Management which is a very competitive course in fact one of the most highly ranked courses of that kind in Kenya. To try and beat this competition, TUK goes ahead and includes the word technology in their courses. Now, technology seems more technical and appealing than science so people might think its the better course. However, both of these courses are almost the same with very minute differences. Check the units offered by JKUAT BSc ConMan and compare with those offered by TUK BTech ConMan. You will see very many similarities.
      Secondly, the reason why BTech from TUK has low entry requirements is that the BSc course from JKUAT is highly demanded as compared to the former.

      • Oooh,thanks.So is there any advantage of studying it at jkuat as compared to tuk??and what about the job market,who is at a disadvantage and why?

        • First, JKUAT is more preferred in the job market as compared to TUK, but the difference is small considering the factors of our country where money and who you know matters most. Secondly, student life in JKUAT is much cheaper as compared to life in TUK. JKUAT is located in Juja where the cost of living for students if affordable plus there is enough accommodation both inside and outside the university. On the other hand, TUK is located in Nairobi CBD, it lacks adequate student housing and cost of living is relatively high, just like in UoN.

          • Do building construction management involves structural designs using steel especially during designs of colomns,beams,stairs to strengthen them when concreting. Like in civil engineering where it includes structural steel structural desingns and analysis

          • I don’t think you indulge into technical details of structural design. That’s done by civil engineers. As you can see in JKUAT’s course outline yours is less of the science behind construction and more of the economics.

      • Thanks,and what upon graduation,will both have equal opportunities or who is preferred the most and why

      • Oooh,okay,I have gotten it, thanks so much

13. Hallo Onsomu,,I have some few questions regarding this topic,, between construction management and quantity survey which is more marketable and as well salary wise?..and can a construction manager be assigned in construction of roads instead of buildings??..also is a bsc in real estate a good course?

    • Hey John, that’s a great question. I did a little research and here is my opinion. Note, this is just an opinion not an absolute. Well, between Construction management and quantity survey, I believe Conman is better and offers more opportunities. This is based on the fact that ConMan is a broad course that covers very many aspects including quantity survey. A conman graduate can do what a quantity surveyor can, not as good but good enough to make a project work. Construction managers deal with planning, design, preparing Bills of quantities, costs projection, etc. On the other hand, a quantity surveyor mostly manages the costs of project. A con manager can work in the architecture department, engineering department, as a quantity surveyor, and even go to the field. A con manager can be assigned in construction of roads too because of the multidimensional skills they have while the work of a quantity surveyor in a road construction project can be done even by a surveyor or civil engineer. Hence, between the two, conman offers more opportunities and you’re likely to make more money with it. Lastly, Real estate industry is still on the rise, so the demand for real estate experts will continue to grow. However, it is a fact that many practitioners in the real estate industry didn’t do a course in real estate. Which begs the question, is it really necessary. At the moment, i think you can do a related course like civil engineering or conman and still enter the real estate market with ease. Take a real estate course if you want to be a real estate agent.

      • Thanks so much,,this will help alot

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