BSc Quantity Surveying

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.

100% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Architecture, Built Environment and Planning) and 100% of our research impact has been classed outstanding or very considerable (REF 2021, combining 4* and 3* submissions – Architecture, Built Environment and Planning). 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.

In the National Student Survey 2023, 95% of our students studying BSc Quantity Surveying said teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things; 95% also said that their course challenged them to achieve their best work very often or fairly often (95% of respondents studying BSc Quantity Surveying).

Placements

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 to get to know a range of industry professionals.

Placements can be located anywhere in the UK, and sometimes take place abroad in locations such as the USA, the Far East or the Caribbean. Firms offering places to our students in the past include major consultancies and contractors including AECOM, EC Harris, Faithful and Gould, Gardiner and Theobald, Laing O’Rourke, and Turner and Townsend.

You will be given advice and support in finding the ideal placement, writing a CV and interview skills, by our dedicated Placements Officer (Placements and study abroad opportunities are subject to availability and eligibility guidelines).

Scholarships

As part of the cohort joining the BSc Quantity Surveying course in 2024, you will have the opportunity to secure an annual £1,000 scholarship for each of the three years of the undergraduate degree (subject to conditions).

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.

Placements

Scholarships

Entry requirements A Level BBB

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.

Typical offer

BBB

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall

BTEC National Diploma

DDM

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.

Learn more about our International Foundation programme

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Compulsory modules

Construction Science

Learn the fundamental concepts of construction science. You’ll examine the physical properties and mechanics of construction materials, and the physical principles of heat transfer and heat loss, fluid flow, light, sound, acoustics, and electricity.

Information and Communication

Learn the importance of information representation and communication in the construction of building projects, and gain practical skills to support your studies. You’ll learn tools and methods to visually communicate project-related information, and current approaches to digital and building information modelling through hands-on work with relevant software applications.

Construction Technology

Develop knowledge and understanding of the various materials, technologies and systems employed in the construction of low-rise buildings, with a particular focus on the associated decision-making processes.

Introduction to Economics and Law

Gain an understanding of the economic and financial context of the development and construction of built facilities. You’ll learn basic economic techniques related to the estimating and cost planning of a proposed project, including financial management from strategic definition and concept, through the design and production stage, to completion and occupancy.

Empirical Studies and Site Engineering

Learn the principles of construction engineering methods, experimental design, measurement and technical report writing. You’ll link this theoretical knowledge to physical applications, and learn to evaluate the strengths and limitations of knowledge that’s generated empirically.

Introduction to Management and Projects

Explore key management and strategy approaches, challenges that construction and engineering firms face in a dynamic global context, and the need for effective team performance and the upholding of professional standards of conduct. You’ll develop your collaborative and analytical skills through teamwork and problem-solving.

These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Management of Construction Projects 1

Develop your analytical skills by examining various aspects of construction project management. You’ll learn and assess existing management techniques, focusing on time, cost, quality, resources, risk, logistics and health and safety.

Building Environment Systems and Technology

Develop insight into the environmental design, technologies and environmental performance of complex buildings. You’ll also learn about key concepts related to building construction technologies and building passive and active environmental systems.

Projects and Digitalisation

Gain hands-on experience in project-based practice, and develop your understanding of different professional roles and practices through role-play. You’ll work in teams to propose sustainable design and construction solutions in response to client briefs, and get the opportunity to play the role of a surveying or construction professional.

Construction Procurement and Contract Law

Learn about the development of policies, strategies and procedures for the organisation and management of construction projects. You'll gain an understanding of the role of contracts in the construction sector and the fundamentals of construction contract law.

Introduction to Quantification and Computerised Taking Off

Develop basic skills in the measurement and quantification of construction work. You’ll look at how these techniques are carried out using traditional and digital technologies. You’ll specifically learn about the measurement of concrete framed structures for a simple residential building.

Building Pathology and Surveying Practice

Develop a forensic understanding of the decay of buildings and the process of surveying buildings, as well as the role of professional bodies in the delivery of surveying advice. You’ll study the importance of professional guidance and frameworks in producing technical reports that consider sustainability, ethics, and accessibility in the built environment.

Compulsory modules

Quantification and Costing: Buildings and Civil Works

Develop your quantification skills to an advanced level and further explore the costing aspect of building elements in commercial management practices. You’ll develop an understanding of the principles and practice of measuring building work, and apply them to more advanced forms of construction including aspects of civil works. You’ll obtain a critical understanding of measurement and documentation as key skills of the quantity surveyor.

Quantity Surveying Project

Gain experience of the basic techniques used in current construction cost management practice, relating to the design, procurement and construction of buildings. You’ll apply the practical and professional competencies you have developed during the course to completing a pre-construction cost plan for a specified development project, based on a realistic scenario.

Research Skills and Dissertation

Develop your understanding of the research process, which is essential for preparing your dissertation. You’ll gain the key research skills required, develop your ideas and prepare a dissertation proposal with the help of a member of academic staff as your supervisor.

Optional modules

Environmental Management and Assessment

Gain an understanding of the issues of environmental management and assessment, from both conceptual and applied perspectives. Your learning will be focused on corporate environmental management, which includes drivers, tools, contrasting types and strategies; and environmental assessment, which includes economic assessment tools, environmental risk management and other current practices.

Sustainable Built Environments

Understand the role, practice, and application of sustainability for built environment professionals. You’ll learn to apply the fundamentals of resource efficiency and relevant frameworks to debates and research-based learning, and demonstrate the role of natural systems and processes in cities, and their effect on the sustainability of urban areas. You’ll develop your critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the context of sustainability.

Green Innovation in Construction

Develop your knowledge of innovation strategies deployed by construction companies to respond to the target of becoming net zero by 2050. You’ll learn how environmental policies, company strategies and new sustainable technologies are closely interconnected through detailed case studies.

Historic Building Environment

Learn about the built heritage of England; building conservation principles; legislation, procedures, policy and guidance relating to heritage assets; and the management of change affecting the historic built environment. You’ll gain experience through reading, project work and visits to buildings and areas of interest.

Management of Construction Projects 2

Gain the knowledge and skills to understand the management of project-based organisations and projects in complex institutional settings. You’ll examine how project-based organisations manage their projects in changing conditions such as geopolitical turbulence, globalisation and internationalisation.

Business Organisation and Management

Gain an understanding of the business principles and strategic management concepts used in the construction industry. You’ll learn through several case studies from the global construction market and in discussions in interactive sessions. You’ll be equipped with a strategic management framework as well as methods to develop business models and formulate competitive strategies.

Digital Technology Use in Construction

Learn about building information modelling (BIM) as a collaborative information management process supported and shaped by a range of digital tools. Examine the common considerations of interoperability, information exchanges and life cycle management. You’ll be exposed to some digital tools and technologies while learning about issues related to information management and planning the process for BIM-supported project delivery.

Human Resource and Health and Safety Management

Gain an appreciation and understanding of the processes, practices, and implications of human resource management and their implementation in the UK construction industry. You’ll develop perspectives on workplace cultures, the critical role of health and safety management, and communication in construction. You’ll be equipped with knowledge of strategies for occupational health and safety worker engagement and meaningful consultation between managers and workers.

Inclusive Environments

Examine issues relating to inclusion and accessibility for commercial buildings. Learn to recognise the diversity of disability and the obligations to provide access under existing legislation. You’ll be equipped with the knowledge to consider the benefits of implementing more than the legal minimum from both commercial and social perspectives.

Construction Contract Management

Learn about aspects of construction law within the wider context of roles and contractual and statutory obligations. You’ll consider the interpretation and application of contracts in the construction sector and the fundamentals of contract dispute resolution methods. You’ll also develop knowledge of the statutory legal framework within which construction professionals practise, and demonstrate your knowledge of the interpretation of law.

Construction Live Project

Gain hands-on, authentic experience in a live, two-week intensive construction project, supported by a team of academics and industry professionals. You’ll plan, schedule, cost, and finally build a scaled version of an iconic build or building.

International Construction

Explore the scale and size of the international construction markets and develop an understanding of how construction projects are financed, designed, engineered, procured, and delivered. You’ll examine the contrast between advanced industrial nations and low-income countries.

Construction Year in Industry

Gain professional experience of working in the construction industry and cultivate a reflective approach to practice. You’ll develop a range of career management and transferable skills, engage in professional development and your route to professional chartership, and consider your placement experience in the context of the wider construction industry.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250

New international students: £27,650

*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

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 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.

Careers

The vast majority of our graduates move into careers in quantity surveying, although some choose to move into other construction roles such as project management, construction management or cost consultancy. Alternatively, you can choose to move on to postgraduate study.

Overall, 94% of graduates from Construction Management and Engineering are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation; of those in full-time employment, 100% are in graduate-level roles [1].

[1] Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2023, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21; includes first degree Construction Management and Engineering responders.

BSc Quantity Surveying

Placements

Scholarships

*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

EU student fees

Additional costs

Financial support for your studies

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