What It’s Like to Minor in Construction Management at NYU Tandon

The Construction Management minor gives you an inside look at how the industry actually works, with professors who bring their own projects and field experience into the classroom. Many of them work full-time in construction or real estate, bringing real-world expertise straight into the lessons. In Construction Materials and Methods, for example, we visited The Orchard, the tallest building in Queens, to see how structural systems and building components come together on site.

Another class, Construction Project Management, is taught by Professor Aysun Sarikardasoglu, a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase who shares stories from her own projects and shows students how major developments are managed from start-to-finish.

The courses aren’t just about theory. They teach you how to think like a project manager, solve problems on your feet, and work collaboratively, just like on an active job site.

What I’ve learned in the classroom has directly prepared me for my internships. At the New York City Department of Transportation, I worked in the Bridge Division, reviewing drawings and analyzing how design choices affect construction feasibility. Later, with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, I observe multiple teams plan and manage large-scale infrastructure projects like airports, bridges, and tunnels.

Each experience made me realize how valuable my coursework was. I could apply what I learned about scheduling, budgeting, and materials to real projects that impact millions of people every day.

Studying Construction Management has broadened my view of what it means to be an engineer. It has taught me that engineering isn’t just about calculations and design. It is about leadership, coordination, and turning plans into reality.

If you enjoy hands-on problem-solving and want to see your work take shape beyond the classroom, the Construction Management minor at NYU Tandon is a great choice. Between industry professors, site visits, and city-based projects, every lesson feels applied, exciting, and relevant. And since you’re learning in New York City, your classroom is literally all around you. From skyscrapers to bridges, the city itself becomes a living textbook.