Program Overview

With BSc Quantity Surveying you will learn about the mechanisms that determine the cost and price of construction, and how projects can be completed on time, to specification and within budget.

This course is designed to prepare you for a successful career in quantity surveying. You will benefit from the Department’s strong links with industry and with the surveying profession. Additionally, the degree is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and by the Chartered Institute of Building. (Accreditation is reviewed periodically. Successful completion of courses accredited by CIOB and RICS satisfies the academic requirements for membership of CIOB and RICS.)

As with all of our surveying and construction courses, the programme structure provides an opportunity to explore a range of construction-related disciplines prior to specialising in the final year. You will be able to transfer onto other programmes, such as BSc Building Surveying or BSc Construction Management, at the end of your second year if you wish to do so. A particular emphasis is placed on transferable skills and University of Reading graduates are renowned for rapid progression to senior positions within the construction industry, in consultancy and contracting firms.

The University of Reading is ranked 3rd in the UK for research impact in Architecture, Built Environment and Planning. (Times Higher Education Institutions Ranked By Subject, 2014, based on its analysis of REF 2014.) Many members of staff within the School are active in research and consultancy. This ensures that the course reflects not only the very best of current practice, but also the latest developments in areas such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and sustainability.

Your first two years are designed to develop a comprehensive understanding of the disciplines which underpin construction management and the surveying professions. This knowledge will include subjects such as economics, law, industry practice and building technology. Recurring themes throughout the course include the application of digital technologies and internationalisation. There is an especially strong focus on project work and on interdisciplinary collaboration. For example, during your second year, you may work with a real client to plan a live construction project overseas. Furthermore, we place a strong focus on employability and you will have the opportunity to network with industry professionals throughout the course.

You will also be encouraged to take up a placement over the summer between your second and final years, for which you will gain credits which contribute towards your degree. Additionally, there is an option to spend a year in industry, in the UK or abroad. (Placements and study abroad opportunities are subject to availability and eligibility guidelines.)

The final year of the BSc Quantity Surveying course is designed to you will develop your specialist knowledge of construction economics and contract law, with a particular focus on managing costs throughout the project life-cycle from early design through to building completion and beyond. You will also complete a dissertation on a research topic of your choice and a quantity surveying project, in which you will prepare a design cost plan for a project. Additionally you can explore areas of interest through optional modules on subjects such as human resource management, historic built environment, health and safety, and modern languages.