A recent Purdue feature by Marcia Sweet highlights the career trajectory of Trevor Sierzputowski, a graduate of the online Master of Science in Construction Management (MSCM) program offered through Purdue Polytechnic's Bowen School of Construction.
The article details how Sierzputowski utilized the program's flexible, 100 percent online format to advance her career while working full-time. Sierzputowski, who currently works as an estimator for Messer Construction Co., found that the curriculum provided the exact leadership, business strategy, and project management skills she needed to transition from field expertise to executive decision-making.
"I knew I wanted to further my education… before life got crazy," Sierzputowski said. "It felt like it was a good investment in me and the future that I could have, the career I could have."
While her undergraduate degree covered the technical aspects of the profession, Sierzputowski noted that the master's program introduced critical business elements, including risk management, value engineering, and strategic planning. The online modality also allowed her to collaborate with and learn from professionals across the globe.
"I worked with people who are architects and I worked with people who had no construction experience," she said. "Being able to interact with them and learn from their experiences was really cool. A lot of knowledge came out of that."
Since completing the degree, Sierzputowski reports she has already been assigned more complex tasks at work and plans to eventually lead projects as a senior estimator or estimating manager.
Additional information