Modules

Construction fundamentals
You identify construction styles and examine a range of solutions available to construction professionals in designing and constructing domestic and low rise commercial buildings.

Professional skills
This module is based upon the relevant RICS mandatory APC competencies and gives you with the key professional skills that you require in order to obtain employment and progress within your chosen career path.

Law for the built environment
You explore the legal environment in which real estate and the wider built environment operates. You examine the main duties of property owners and professionals arising out of contract and tort, and develop your understanding of land ownership and rights and interests in land. Having developed a thorough understanding of the relevant wider legal framework you can place the following legal studies in context.

Economics for the built environment
You examine the operation of land and property markets and the economic basis of development and the construction industry.

Construction project management
You study the principal characteristics of a construction project and place construction project management in the context of other core modules demonstrating the links between them. You acquire a critical appreciation of construction processes, their relationships and requirements. You study the role and practice of the construction project manager and learn how to critically appraise communication in construction project management. You reflect on and evaluate factors which have an impact on your achievement of the aims and desired learning outcomes, seeking, evaluating and using feedback on your performance.

Planning development and sustainability
You look at issues related to the physical change of the built and natural environment which are essential to conducting property valuation. Including site identification, marketing and disposal of the completed development, regulatory land use planning systems and sustainability. You consider the impact of change factors, such as funding which affect the success or failure of development projects.

Contract administration
You evaluate standard forms of contract and develop procedures to successfully fulfil any party's contractual responsibilities. You study contract procedures from the letting of a contract through to the financial settlement of the completed project.

Project procurement
You learn how to formulate and justify appropriate procurement methods, in given circumstances, including the constraints of quality, time and cost. You evaluate and appreciate the various forms of procurement and the contractual implications within the UK and international construction markets. You learn how to test for procurement success or failure using Benchmarking and Key Performance Indicators and you apply administrative procedures in relation to specific procurement methods, such as whole life, risk, value and supply chain management.

Project financial management
You learn how to analyse and apply financial and legal data in the development appraisal stage of a building project. You formulate and operate a building project's cash flow and cost monitoring systems and identify and recommend a range of initial and long-term project funding options. You give advice regarding information supplied with an organisation's financial accounting systems. You create and operate an effective and responsive development project management accounting system.

Investment and finance
You study the principles of financial and investment management and examine the significance of diversification, risk and return in investment portfolio management. You learn how to apply and evaluate the concept of stock and bond pricing, the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and modern portfolio theory for the development of a reasoned investment strategy. You acquire analytical decision-making skills and solve financial and investment problems.

Structural principles
You study basic principles of structural behaviour such as compression, tension, bending, shear, torsion. You carry out structural assessment including structural calculations. You undertake structural calculations and designs.

Refurbishment project
You evaluate the technical, design and ethical issues raised through the reuse of existing buildings and develop a proposal for a project based on the conversion of an existing building. You develop creative problem-solving skills in a simulated professional context as well as skills in research, report writing and graphical presentation.

International project
This module provides an opportunity to gain experience of the global nature of building surveying and reflects the challenges associated with working on a real live project for a client. We work with local practitioners and other experts, so you benefit from insights from professionals working in that location.

MSc

Dissertation/consultancy project
You develop your applied research methods, providing a firm foundation for your dissertation/consultancy project. You are supported by a tutor throughout this module, chosen according to the nature of the research you are undertaking. The tutor acts as a mentor during the process of your research and writing up phase.