What you will study
This conversion masters provides an opportunity to graduates from disciplines other than surveying to convert their transferable skills and extend their abilities in a critical way to the quantity surveying profession. You will develop in-depth knowledge and understanding of procurement, construction contracts and their administration. You will acquire sound knowledge of construction economics and cost planning. The curriculum further places emphasis on the EU and UK legal framework relating to construction, sustainable construction technology and project management. In addition to the core taught modules, you will receive training on research methodology and undertake a dissertation (research project).
Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list. Those listed here may also be a mixture of core and optional modules.
For a student to go on placement they are required to pass every module first time with no reassessments. It is the responsibility of individual students to find a suitable paid placement. Students will be supported by our dedicated placement team in securing this opportunity.
Modules
Core modules
Applied Sustainable Construction Technology and Measurement
30 credits
This module aims to help you gain in-depth working knowledge of construction technology and a systematic understanding of regulatory and procedural matters relating to the sustainable construction of low and high rise buildings. The module further seeks to enable you to apply your developed construction technology background on the quantification of building work. You will gain working knowledge of the current methods of measurement and critical understanding of specifications. Delivery is by a series of lectures, tutorials and workshops. The module is assessed by two pieces of coursework and a written examination.
Contract Law Administration and Practice
30 credits
The module aims to enable you to develop deep understanding and critical knowledge of the development process and the roles of key parties in procurement and contractual arrangements as they apply primarily in the UK construction industry. In addition, you will gain deep and broad knowledge of standard contract forms used in the UK and abroad and the legal duties and responsibilities of the parties involved in construction contracts. The module is taught by a series of lectures and tutorials and you will be expected to take an active part in applying your knowledge to worked examples within the tutorial format. Assessment will comprise two pieces of coursework and a written examination.
Design Economics and Cost Planning
30 credits
The module seeks to help you develop deep understanding of the principles of construction economics and building price estimating and their application in the UK construction context. Emphasis is placed on cost planning techniques based on elemental analysis and the relationship between building morphology and costs. You will develop the ability to critically appraise the use of techniques such as value management, whole-life costing, risk management and bench marking and be able to competently apply the concepts and practice of construction pricing in real-life scenarios. The module is taught by a series of lectures, tutorials and workshops. Assessment is by two pieces of coursework.
Management Consultancy
30 credits
This module aims to explore theories and applications of management consultancy in the context of delivering corporate objectives. In doing so, the module enables you to gain in depth knowledge of project management principles with emphasis on project programming, planning and control techniques. The subject material further places emphasis on development appraisals and sources of funding enabling you to develop a systematic approach to the preparation of a residual valuation and development appraisal.
Dissertation
60 credits
The overall aim of the module is to allow you to develop research skills and gain an appreciation of a subject area of the your own choosing. In undertaking the work that is required you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and competence in reviewing existing published literature and data and through the use of your own efforts apply one or more of a range of research methods to collect and analyse data and draw well-founded conclusions as a result of your research.
The module allows you to study an area of interest in significant depth and allows you to demonstrate a clear understanding of what has been learnt through a variety of means; a literature review, a research proposal, an oral presentation and a substantial dissertation.
Optional modules
Professional Placement
120 credits
The Professional Placement module is a core module for those students following a masters programme that incorporates an extended professional placement. It provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in an appropriate working environment, and develops and enhances key employability and subject specific skills in their chosen discipline. Students may wish to use the placement experience as a platform for the major project or future career.
It is the responsibility of individual students to find and secure a suitable placement opportunity; this should not normally involve more than two placements which must be completed over a minimum period of 10 months and within a maximum of 12 months. The placement must be approved by the Course Leader, prior to commencement to ensure its suitability. Students seeking placements will have access to the standard placement preparation activities offered by Student Engagement and Enhancement (SEE) group.
