CIM:  Concrete Industry Management

The need for people with enhanced technical, communication and management skills to meet the growing demands of the progressively changing concrete industry of the 21st Century prompted the addition of the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) concentration to the Del E. Webb School of Construction (DEWSC) (http://construction.asu.edu) within the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering.

The goal of the CIM program is to produce broadly educated, articulate graduates grounded in basic construction management, who are knowledgeable of concrete technology and techniques and who are able to manage people and systems and to promote products or services related to the concrete industry. This broad education provides CIM graduates a broad career field…sales, operations, project and production management, tech services…within the concrete industry… concrete producers; cement, admix, or equipment manufacturing; concrete or general contracting; developers.

The curriculum was developed using input from leaders of both the concrete and construction industries. The curriculum includes general studies requirements, business and engineering classes, construction management coursework, concrete industry-related courses and two internships that provide practical experience and many times result in a permanent position upon graduation.

CIM has the utmost support from the concrete industry. The need for such a program was recognized in 1994 and was put into action by the concrete industry. What resulted was a partnership between the concrete industry and Middle Tennessee State University to develop CIM. The result has been a successful program for both the industry and the graduates. This success coupled with the continued need for industry-educated graduates, has brought about the expansion of the CIM program to ASU and the Del E. Webb School of Construction for the spring semester of 2006. The DEWSC is ranked as one of the best schools of construction in the nation.