Full Time: 3 Years
Analyse building performance and material lifecycles to establish the cause and effect of building defects.
This course prepares you for a successful career in building surveying. You will benefit from the Department's strong links with industry and the surveying profession. Additionally, the degree is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Building. 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 courses, such as Quantity Surveying or 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 professional firms.
You will study in an internationally-renowned department with strong industry links and an outstanding employability rating. 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.
During your first two years you will develop a comprehensive understanding of the disciplines which underpin construction management and the surveying professions. This will include subjects such as economics, law, professional practice and building technology. Recurring themes throughout the course include the application of digital technologies, extending from working with hand-held tablets to the use of aerial drones for roof surveys. There is an especially strong focus on project work and interdisciplinary collaboration. Recent projects have included a school in the Gambia and another in Malawi. 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.
In the final year of the BSc Building Surveying course you will develop the technical and practical skills needed for the inspection and analysis of buildings. You will also complete a dissertation on a research topic of your choice and a building surveying project, in which you will survey a building in need of repair and refurbishment and will produce a viable recommendation of proposed work for a client. Additionally you can explore areas of interest through optional modules on subjects such as intelligent buildings, historic built environment, construction contract law, and modern languages.
Placement
Between your second and final year you can carry out a paid industrial training placement, lasting a year or a shorter period. This experience not only provides you with an insight into industry, but is also a valuable opportunity for networking.
Placements can be located anywhere in the UK, and sometimes take place abroad in places such as the USA, the Far East or the Caribbean. You can either arrange your own placement or may be interviewed by one of our industry partners. Firms offering places to our students include Deloitte, Faithful and Gould, Lambert Smith Hampton, Rider Levett Bucknall, and Savills.
You will be given advice and support in finding the ideal placement, writing a CV and interview skills, by our dedicated placements officer.
Quick look entry requirements A Level ABB-BBB | IB 30-32 pts overall
What will you study?
How much will it cost?
How much will it cost?
New UK/EU students: £9250* per year
New international students: £19330 per year
* UK and EU Fee Changes
Subject to the Government passing legislation to raise the minimum fee cap, we will raise undergraduate tuition fees from £9,000 to £9,250 for new UK/EU students applying to start courses in the 2017/18 academic year. You will not be affected by this rise if you have deferred entry to the 2017/18 academic year. The Government will confirm future arrangements for EU students in due course.
Information on this page is based on 2018/19 figures and is likely to change slightly for 2019/20 entry. We will publish up-to-date information about 2019/20 entry as soon as it becomes available.
For further information, please see our webpage on the Teaching Excellence Framework and future tuition fees.
Additional Costs
These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK and other EU countries may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
* UK and EU Fee Changes
Subject to the Government passing legislation to raise the minimum fee cap, we will raise undergraduate tuition fees from £9,000 to £9,250 for new UK/EU students applying to start courses in the 2017/18 academic year. You will not be affected by this rise if you have deferred entry to the 2017/18 academic year. The Government will confirm future arrangements for EU students in due course.
The tuition fee will remain £9,000 per year for the full duration of this course if you start in the 2016/17 academic year or have accepted an offer but deferred your entry until the 2017/18 academic year. This is unlike other institutions who are planning to raise fees midway through courses.
For further information, please see our webpage on the Teaching Excellence Framework and future tuition fees.
Additional costs
These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK and other EU countries may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
What career can you have?
What career can you have?
The construction sector – including related products, materials and professional services – employs around 10 per cent of the UK workforce.
You will be well-placed to move into either consultancy or contracting. The vast majority of our graduates move into careers in building surveying, although some choose to move into other roles within or related to construction such as quantity surveying, project management or estate management. Alternatively, you will be able to move on to postgraduate study.
“The employment prospects for our graduates are outstanding, with 98% of the School of the Built Environment’s undergraduate students in work or further study within six months of graduation. Of those in full-time work, 100% progressed to professional or managerial roles. (DLHE Survey, 2015-16. For more details, ask us at www.reading.ac.uk/question.)