Building SurveyingBSc Hons

As a building surveyor, you'll be at the heart of decision-making in construction projects that could transform the built environment or contribute to a more sustainable world. You'll advise on the specification of exciting new development proposals and be responsible for assessing the success of repairs and renovations.

On this BSc (Hons) Building Surveying degree course, you'll develop the technical skills and experience you need for a specialist career as a chartered building surveyor. You'll also have the expertise to consult and lead on facilities management, project management and building conservation.

Accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), graduating from this degree course is the first step to becoming a Chartered Building Surveyor.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Interact with the 360 image below to see our civil engineering students using surveying equipment on a practical class in the centre of Northern Quarter campus.

90% of our graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduation and 95% are working in highly skilled roles in areas of architecture, surveying, construction, engineering and management.

What's more, graduates from all our building courses are earning an average salary of £27,000 after 15 months, and £38,500 after 5 years.

What jobs can you do with a Building Surveying degree?

Roles you can go onto include:

• building surveyor
• assistant building surveyor
• project manager
• facilities manager
• BIM coordinator
• historic building conservationist
• property developer

Placement year (optional)

Taking an optional placement year gives you the experience you need to increase your chances of landing your perfect role after graduation. You could work in a paid role in a professional organisation (our students earn an average salary of £19,000 during their placements) or set up your own business, giving you the chance to grow your professional network and enhance your CV. 

We'll give you all the support you need to find a placement that prepares you for your career, and we'll continue to mentor you throughout your placement.

Potential roles

Previous students have been successful in roles such as:

• industrial placement engineer
• trainee building surveyor
• real estate development, construction and building engineering services

Potential destinations

They've worked at exciting companies, including:

• Balfour Beatty
• Metropolitan Police
• Portsmouth City Council

Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits.

In each year, you need to study modules worth a total of 120 credits. For example, four modules worth 20 credits and one module worth 40 credits.

Changes to course content

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Teaching methods on this course include:

• lectures
• seminars
• one-on-one tutorials
• practical group work

Term dates

The academic year runs from September to June. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter.

See term dates

How you're assessed

You’ll be assessed through:

• written exams
• web assessments
• essays and reports
• presentations
• an individual project

You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

The amount of timetabled teaching you'll get on your degree might be less than what you're used to at school or college, but you'll also get support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:

Tuition fees (2023 start)

• UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,250 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
• EU students – £9,250 a year (including Transition Scholarship – may be subject to annual increase)
• International (non-EU) students – £19,200 per year (subject to annual increase)

Tuition fees (2024 start)

• UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,250 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
• EU students – £9,250 a year (including Transition Scholarship – may be subject to annual increase)
• International students – £20.200 per year (subject to annual increase)

Funding your studies

Find out how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.

Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students.

Additional course costs

These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.

Admissions terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.