Students graduating from Middle Tennessee State University's Concrete (MTSU) Industry Management department had much to celebrate after finals last week, university officials said in a press release. Fourteen of 19 graduates will have a starting salary averaging nearly $53,500, nearly $8,100 more than an MTSU concrete graduate’s average starting salary of $45,347. The remaining five grads are mulling offers. The first and one of only four such programs nationwide, concrete industry management is one of MTSU’s signature offerings. It is a joint initiative between MTSU and industry leaders, providing opportunities to enter a broad field that has a need for skilled professionals, the release stated.