BSc (Hons)
Quantity Surveying
Gain the combined technical, economic, legal and managerial expertise for the quantity surveying profession
Course Overview
Why take this course?
‘How much will it cost?’ is often the key question for any building project. However, modern-day quantity surveying, along with costing, now also involves management of the social, economical and technical issues at the heart of any construction project.
This innovative course brings together the entrepreneurial skills of the property developer with the professional acumen of the quantity surveyor.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Visit sites and study locally based case studies that will introduce you to the professional markets and environments
- Attend and contribute to current debates by visiting guest speakers
- Venture overseas on a European field trip
What opportunities might it lead to?
This degree is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Once you complete your studies and have found your first job, you can begin training to become a Chartered Quantity Surveyor.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- property development
- surveying
- project management
- consultancy
Fieldtrips have always been very useful. They allow us to get the real feel of a problem when we see it for ourselves.
Deepu Prabhakaran, construction student
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- K240
- Duration
- 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry
270-300 points to include 160 points from a minimum of 2 A Levels, or equivalent.
Other qualifications- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750 p/a* International full-time students: £11,900 p/a*
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- technology.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 2555 - Department
- School of Civil Engineering and Surveying
Subject:
Architecture, Property and Surveying
Find out what our students say about studying at Portsmouth, including:
- Vocationally-focused courses which concentrate on both the practical and theoretical
- An exciting environment to work in, with excellent facilities including technical labs and studio space
- Enthusiastic, friendly tutors who bring the subject to life
Visit us at our open day
Wed 10 Jul
Structure & Teaching
Year one
Your first year will introduce you to the construction industry as a whole, which will underpin your study of quantity surveying.
Core units in this year include:
- Professional Development
- Construction, Design and Sustainability
- Measurement
- Law
- Economics and Finance
- Property Valuation
Year two
In the second year, alongside developing your general construction studies, you will be able to study specific quantity surveying topics.
Core units in this year include:
- Professional Development
- Health and Safety and People Skills
- Procurement
- Pre-contract Practice
- Valuation
- Tender Documentation
- Measurement
- IT
- Quantitative Methods
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Heritage Property
- Project Management
- International Fieldwork
Year three*
In the third year your studies are steered towards preparation for professional placement once you have graduated. Consolidate the skills you have learnt and showcase them in your written dissertation as well as a piece of group work where you will be tasked to produce a ‘real’ project.
Core units in this year include:
- Research Methods
- Applied Professional Awareness
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Tender Documentation
- Quantity Surveying Practice
- Contract Administration
- Dispute Resolution
*This course is also available as a 4-year sandwich (work placement)
Teaching and Assessment
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and group work, and be fully supported throughout your degree. We promote many practical teaching methods as by its very nature 'property' requires a proactive, hands-on approach.
How are you assessed?
We guarantee sustained feedback to make sure your studies are on track. Providing you with valuable skills and experience you will be assessed in a variety of ways, including:
- written exams
- web assessments
- essays and reports
- project presentations
- a 10,000-word dissertation
Visit us open day
Facilities & Features
Guest Speakers
Lectures delivered by specially invited professional practitioners
Field Trips
Fieldwork is an important part of the course
Maths Café
One-to-one help with maths or stats problems
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment
Guest Speakers
We coordinate a series of lectures delivered by specially invited professional practitioners. The series provides you with an opportunity for business updates and a first-hand perspective on both local and international property environments.
Field Trips
Go on site visits and carry out fieldwork that will introduce you to the markets and environments in which you will eventually work. Also have the opportunity to go on overseas fieldtrips with past destinations including Barcelona, Paris, Turkey, Dublin and the Netherlands.
Maths Café
Drop in any time and get one-to-one help with that tricky maths or stats problem. With handouts on key topics to take away and computer-aided learning packages, we can get the problem solved and help you improve your numeracy skills.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
Working in the quantity surveying sector makes for an interesting, challenging and rewarding career. It is well paid and very sociable – it gets you out of the office and you will meet and work with all sorts of interesting people. The best aspect about working in construction is the sheer variety of the field.
Taking this course means that you are most likely looking to become a chartered quantity surveyor. British quantity surveying skills are highly regarded and the majority of international projects call for them. Consequently, other than the financial rewards, you can have the satisfaction of being part of a team delivering landmark projects.
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- graduate structural engineer
- property developer
- construction engineer
- trainee quantity surveyor
Work experience
Taking a placement year in industry could be one of the best decisions you make and, more often than not, it leads to further opportunities after graduation. Our Student Placement and Employability Centre (SPEC) not only helps you to arrange your placement, but also acts as a source of information and guidance throughout the recruitment process and beyond. We help on anything and everything related to your employability, as well as assisting you in securing other types of work experience.
Our aim is to provide you with the opportunities to gain as much work-related experience as possible while you study with us. For example, you will get the chance to solve real-life practical problems as part of our partnership scheme with charities, local and global organisations. Or take the unit International Built Environment Fieldwork, an overseas fieldtrip which enables you to apply your skills in an international context.
Career planning
6.04 minutes
Finding a job is a competitive business, but the statistics show that 89 per cent of our 2011graduates went into employment, further study or training within six months of finishing their degrees.
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
Open Day
Our next open day is Wed 10 July
VISIT US! Have a look around and get a feel for what it’s like to live and study here. We’ll be on hand to talk to you about your course interests and show you all of our amazing facilities. You’ll also get to meet tutors and other students…
Application, Fees and Funding — find out more