When Michael Tramel considered the need for a college degree program in construction management during the early 1990s, he knew he would be facing an uphill battle. 

“It was unheard of,” said Tramel, chair of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering. “It was family heritage that was passed down from father to son. In my family, it was passed down to my sons and daughter and will most likely pass to my grandchildren.”

Arkansas contractors headed by George Rozzell Jr., Bob Nabholz, Gus Vratsinas, Jim May, Bob Shell, and Jack Kinnaman urged the university to begin a new program in construction management in the early 1990s. Former Chancellor Jim Young initiated an in-depth study on the issue. The program began in fall 1997.

Tramel, who began picking up trash at construction sites at the age of 8, fondly remembers the travel, high pay, friendships, and his “construction family.”

“Those days are over, and today you must have a degree in construction management or construction engineering to be employed in the industry,” he said.

The degree is well worth it, Tramel notes, since construction managers had a median annual salary of $87,400 in May 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the most recent statistics available.

What began as a labor of love led to the formation of a construction management program that has been ranked among the best in the nation.

The Community for Accredited Online Schools recognized UA Little Rock on its list of 50 four-year U.S. colleges and universities that offer the best construction management education programs for the 2016-17 school year.

“We wanted to highlight schools like University of Arkansas at Little Rock, who are striving for excellence in education,” said Doug Jones, CEO and founder of the Community for Accredited Online Schools. “These colleges offer an exceptional educational experience, upholding rigorous accreditation standards and showing an overall commitment to maximizing student success.”

At UA Little Rock, students can pursue an associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in construction management as well as an 18-credit-hour minor available to all students. UA Little Rock is home to the only undergraduate construction management program at a public university in Arkansas and the only graduate-level construction management program in Arkansas.

In addition to completing a rigorous 125-hour curriculum, students in the civil and construction engineering program must also obtain at least 800 hours of engineering or construction-related work experience and pass two national exams. In order to help students obtain these credentials, construction management faculty members have professional licenses, certifications, and construction work experience, Tramel said.

To be eligible for this ranking, universities must hold public or private not-for-profit status and carry institutional accreditation. Rankings are determined by more than a dozen school-specific statistics, including cost, academic/career counseling, student-to-teacher ratios, financial aid offerings and graduation rates.

For more information and to view the rankings, visit the Community for Accredited Online Schools website.