ObjectivesThe Building Surveying profession provides exciting and rewarding career opportunities. Increasingly more and more successful graduates from unrelated first degree courses are recognising this and are seeking to pursue professional careers in this demanding and dynamic discipline. Career advancement in this discipline demands knowledge, understanding, capabilities and development of a range of subjects and professional skills, as well as membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The MA Property and Building Surveying course provides this educational foundation to holders of unrelated first degrees, as well as providing an award that is recognised by the professional body, the RICS. Thus the course provides a route into the building surveying business for candidates from a wide variety of first degree backgrounds. The course has a building ‘performance and pathology’ focus, enabling the development of skills and abilities of performance evaluation of buildings and the diagnosis, prognosis and remediation of physical building faults and problems; additionally the course focuses on the management of building works, thereby making it particularly appropriate to applicants wishing to gain a stronger insight into these aspects of the building surveying and construction business. Careers in building surveying are interdisciplinary in nature, requiring knowledge and understanding of the principles and practice of a diverse range of subjects; these include building construction, and building defects and remedies, law, town planning, and the management of building works. These subjects are addressed within the course.
Entry requirementsEntry requirements You will need a good honours degree in any subject area, plus proficiency in written and spoken English to IELTS level 6.5. We welcome applications from mature applicants with non-standard qualifications who have relevant work experience. These applications will be considered on an individual basis.
Academic titleMA Property and Building Surveying
Course descriptionCourse content
* building construction
* law
* town planning
* building pathology and building works management
These subjects are addressed within the following range of modules.
* property and construction: law, business and skills
* property and construction: technology, contract, cost and value
* economics and sustainability
* research and study skills; planning, development and sustainability
* research proposal
* postgraduate dissertation
* building defects: diagnosis, prognosis and remediation managing building works and performance evaluation
Accreditation
The course is accredited by the RICS thereby enabling successful graduates entry to the Assessment of Professional Competence of the RICS; a prerequisite for full Chartered Surveyor status.
Assessment
Assessment within modules generally involves a combination of coursework undertaken during the module and a conclusive end test or formal examination, although a small number of modules are assessed solely by coursework. The assessment of the postgraduate dissertation module is based on the dissertation submitted.
Resources and facilities
As well as the wider facilities offered by the University, students in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment are able to use School dedicated IT and study space, and resources centre.
Study routes
The course may be studied either 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time. The course recruits annually and commences in September. Both the full-time and part-time routes start with a six week intensive full-time period that is intended to introduce all students to the world of property and construction as well as encourage and develop a range of interpersonal and study skills.
Special benefits
The course is one in a suite of four which share a common core curriculum, with each course having its own distinctive range of course specific modules. This commonality between the courses allows opportunity to transfer between pathways during the early phase of their delivery (see the MA Property Investment and Management, MA Property Development and Construction, and MA Property Management and Development).
Research opportunities
The Postgraduate Dissertation, supported by the Research and Study Skills, and Research Proposal modules, provide opportunity to develop and further enhance research skills, and to undertake independent primary research in the general fields of property and construction and the broader context of business and the environment.