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Building Surveying BSc (Hons)

Start date

  • Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
  • Typical Offer: 112 - 120 UCAS tariff points
  • UCAS Code(s): K230 (with placement year) / K231 (full-time)
  • Start Date(s): September 2024
  • Duration: Four years full-time with placement year, three years full-time
  • Study Mode(s): Full-time / Sandwich
  • Campus: City Campus
Information for 2024

Introduction:

Building surveyors are advisors to the property and construction industry, identifying defects and suggesting options for maintenance and repair. They work on the development of new buildings, as well as restoring properties across residential, commercial, industrial and heritage projects.

On this course, you'll develop a thorough understanding of the architectural styles and influences that inform building surveying. You'll tackle subject such as the history of buildings, building techniques, evaluation of building elements, and performance of building materials.

You'll learn to test and analyse all aspects of building performance and become an expert in advising on alternative uses of existing buildings, supervising remediation and refurbishment projects, as well as how to apply crucial health and safety regulations.

We also offer this course as a Degree Apprenticeship.

  • 2nd most sustainable university in the world (UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2023).
  • 94% of our BSc (Hons) Building Surveying FT students are satisfied with their learning on this course (National Student Survey, 2022).
  • Acquire vital workplace skills by undertaking a one-year placement on our sandwich route. Previously students have spent their placements at companies such as Baily Garner, Paragon and Innes England.
  • 97% of Property Management and Development sandwich undergraduates are in work or further study within 15 months of finishing their degrees (latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21).

Course accreditation

  • Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors logo
  • Chartered Institute of Building logo
  • Chartered Association of Building Engineers

What you’ll study

Through your modules, you'll learn to diagnose, investigate, analyse and test all aspects of building performance and deterioration, enabling you to advise on relevant processes, including maintenance, refurbishment and restoration.

Modules on this course include:

Year One

  • Professional, Academic and Business Skills (20 credits)
  • Surveying Skills (20 credits)
  • Construction (20 credits)
  • Economics and Valuation (20 credits)
  • Law (20 credits)
  • Planning and Land Use (20 credits)

Year Two

  • Structural Appraisal (20 credits)
  • Contract Administration and Procurement (20 credits)
  • Building Design Project (40 credits)
  • Property Development: Principles and Practice (20 credits)
  • Employability and Commercial Awareness (20 credits)

Year Three

  • Sandwich placement year or Study abroad

Final Year

  • Heritage and Conservation (20 credits)
  • Building Surveying Practice (40 credits)
  • Building Pathology (40 credits)
  • Research Project (20 credits)

Professional, Academic and Business Skills (20 credits)

  • This module provides you with an introduction to academic study, to the built environment professions, and to the nature of the work carried out by surveyors.

Surveying Skills (20 credits)

  • This module will provide you with an introduction to practice and surveying skills that will be developed throughout the course of your degree and in the workplace.

Construction (20 credits)

  • This module introduces you to a range of technical, practical and environmental principles involved in the construction of a range of traditional and nontraditional buildings.
  • It provides a framework for understanding the environmental impact of buildings and introduces the concept of building pathology, which examines why buildings fail.

Economics and Valuation (20 credits)

  • This module introduces property economics and the links between the economy and the property market, as well as giving you a overview of property valuation.
  • By the end of the module, you will be able to use economic concepts and the theory of supply and demand to explain activities in the construction and property market.

Law (20 credits)

  • This module introduces you to the English legal system with a focus on civil law affecting the property industry. You will gain an understanding of how this law operates and an introduction to how it impacts on society and the property professions.

Planning and Land Use (20 credits)

  • This module introduces the concepts and principles of the planning system.
  • The content of the module is underpinned by the concept of sustainable development. and it considers the impact of climate change on how cities will evolve and adapt in the future.

Structural Appraisal (20 credits)

  • This module develops your knowledge of the performance of buildings and their component parts.
  • You will gain an understanding of the modes of failure and different construction materials, and be introduced to basic structural design, disrepair, and methods of remediation.

Contract Administration and Procurement (20 credits)

  • In this module you will analyse the procurement process involved in appointing consultants and contractors for building projects.

Building Design Project (40 credits)

  • During this module you will work in the studio to explore options in the selection of building materials, construction methods, and environmental services.
  • You will develop your proficiency at carrying out a range of surveys associated with land and buildings.

Property Development: Principles and Practice (20 credits)

  • This module introduces you to the development process and the commercial drivers behind them.
  • You will examine the roles of various participants in the development process and how they affect its end product.

Employability and Commercial Awareness (20 credits)

  • This module provides guidance for gaining, and preparing for, employment within the property sector.
  • You will be introduced to the requirements for the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence and the principles of employment law, Health and Safety at Work regulations, and related procedures.

Sandwich placement year

In your third year, you'll get the opportunity to take a year-long, full-time placement. This will give you real, hands-on experience and open exciting opportunities for your future employment. Many students return to their placement company after graduation.

Recent placement destinations have included CBRE, Michael Dyson Associates, Lambert Smith Hampton, Faithful+Gould, Arcadis, Tower Surveys, Watts Group, and more. The majority of these roles come with a salary, with some students earning up to £20,000 for their year. Roles have included Building Surveyor, Trainee Technical Adviser, Assistant Project Officer, and many more.

The majority of companies are RICS accredited, which means the year counts towards your RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and becoming a Chartered Surveyor.

Study abroad

If you're studying on our sandwich route you can also opt to study abroad for a full academic year, or for a semester, during Year Three. This is an optional and additional period of study that complements your degree at NTU as an alternative to taking a work placement.

This is an exciting opportunity to experience a different national culture, teaching and learning styles and subjects in an international environment. The destination university must be a year abroad / exchange partner of NTU or member of a formally recognised scheme such as the International Student Exchange Programme (ISEP).

Our NTU Global and student mobility team will support you in finding the right opportunity from one of the many international partners available around the world.

Successful completion of a period of international study will earn you a standalone award – an International Study Certificate (minimum six weeks) or the International Study Diploma (minimum 36 weeks).

Heritage and Conservation (20 credits)

  • This module develops your knowledge and skills in relation to architectural history and conservation, and heritage philosophy and practice.
  • You will learn how to identify different architectural styles, appraise culturally significant buildings, and manage proposed uses and interventions in line with current legal, technical and procedural considerations.

Building Surveying Practice (40 credits)

  • This module develops your knowledge of the performance of buildings and their component parts.
  • It will provide an understanding of the current best practice in terms of building management and maintenance. You will be taught how to identify and diagnose complex defects in existing buildings and suggest methods of remediation.
  • You will also look at the drawing up of schedules of planned and programmed maintenance work, gaining an understanding of budgetary control.

Building Pathology (40 credits)

  • This module develops your knowledge of building pathology so that you can diagnose, assess and classify defects in low-rise buildings in a practical setting.
  • The aim is that you will be able to apply your knowledge to practical situations and specify the use of appropriate methods of diagnosis to deal with hidden defects and sensitive locations.

Research Project (20 credits)

  • This module requires you to investigate a topic of your choice in an extended project.
  • You will critically analyse existing literature, recommend and apply suitable research methods, analyse data, and produce conclusions and recommendations.

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves

Student Profiles

Alec Lawrie

I chose NTU and my course as it promoted how important a year out in industry can be. The lecturers and employability team provide multiple services to help you improve your skills including CV writing and interview prep.

Emily Cardy

Building Surveying is such a varied subject, with so many potential routes to go down and so many exciting things to learn that you aren't ever bored. You are constantly learning new and challenging things.

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How you’re taught

Most content is delivered through practice-based teaching, which gives you the opportunity to understand the course material and its theoretical framework within the context of real professional practice and activity. Based on a 40 hour week during term time, approximately 12 to 15 hours is spent in scheduled learning. This includes lectures, seminars and tutorials, and field work that can include site visits and practical exercises.

You will also be involved in self-directed project work with the support of NOW, our virtual learning environment. Outside of the timetabled sessions you will need to undertake self-directed independent study. This will include preparing for lectures, researching, completing coursework, and directed reading to expand your knowledge.

Study trips

In the second and final year of your studies, you may have the opportunity to go on a field trip.

Field trips and study visits are an important part of your learning. Trips may include site visits and visits to practices, museums, exhibitions and events. Where a trip is mandatory it will be aligned to your modules and inform project work, and substantive costs – including travel and accommodation – will be paid for by the school.

Optional trips may also be organised which can provide additional opportunities to enhance your knowledge and experience. Optional trips may incur a cost to the student. A valid passport and any associated visas will be required for any trips outside of the UK. Where there are unforeseen circumstances outside of our control, trips may not run.

Contact hours

Year OneLectures/seminars/workshops25%Independent study75%
Year TwoLectures/seminars/workshops33%Independent study67%
Year ThreeOptional placement year
Year FourLectures/seminars/workshops28%Independent study72%

Research informed teaching

Our research is tackling real-world issues – and the people working on this research will be teaching you. It also informs the subjects you’ll be studying with us so you can be sure your knowledge will be cutting-edge in your field.  In the last Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) – the UK’s system for assessing the quality and impact of research in universities – we’re proud that 100% of research submitted by the Centre of the Built Environment was assessed to be either world-leading or international excellent.

Staff Profiles

Hannah Farr - Senior Lecturer

School of Architecture Design and the Built Environment

Hannah Farr is the Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Real Estate in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, Nottingham Trent University.

Chris Keast - Principal Lecturer

School of Architecture Design and the Built Environment

Chris Keast, C.Build E, FCIOB, FCABE, MInstLM, MICOMOS, FHEA, is the Postgraduate and Degree Apprenticeship Programmes Manager and Course Leader MSc Building Surveying in Property Management and Development.

Ryan Hardwick - Lecturer

School of Architecture Design and the Built Environment

Ryan Hardwick, Lecturer in Property Management and Development

Louise O'Donoghue - Senior Lecturer

School of Architecture Design and the Built Environment

Louise O'Donoghue's NTU Staff Profile.

Simone Allin - Senior Lecturer

School of Architecture Design and the Built Environment

Simone Allin

Jim Kempton - Senior Lecturer

School of Architecture Design and the Built Environment

Profile page of Dr Jim Kempton Senior Lecturer in Building Surveying NTU

Jim Sallis - Principal Lecturer

School of Architecture Design and the Built Environment

Toby Ebbs - Senior Lecturer

School of Architecture Design and the Built Environment

Toby Ebbs NTU Staff Profile

Paul Royston - Senior Lecturer

School of Architecture Design and the Built Environment

Academic Team Leader, Property Management and Development, Paul Royston is a Chartered Surveyor with extensive experience in property analysis, investment and real estate economics.

Careers and employability

Our course is designed to prepare you to succeed in the property industry, through work placements, working on real projects from industry, input from industry professionals, and regularly updated course content.

NTU is ranked top 12 (out of 31) in the UK for Building (The Times and Sunday Times League Tables 2024).

97% of Property Management and Development sandwich undergraduates are in work or further study within 15 months of finishing their degrees (latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21).

Where do Building Surveying graduates from NTU work?

NTU has a strong building surveying alumni community, with many graduates working in senior positions in leading national and international companies.

Recent BSc (Hons) Building Surveying graduate destinations have included:

  • EC Harris LLP (Arcadis)
  • Savills
  • Croudace Homes
  • Cubit Consulting
  • CBRE
  • NG Chartered Surveyors.

Graduate roles include graduate surveyor, building surveyor, and site manager.

What our accreditations mean for you

This degree is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE). These accreditations represent seals of approval that the course delivers the highest standards of teaching, and signify the quality and relevance of the course content.

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

The RICS accreditation enables you to progress to Chartered Surveyor status once you have completed your studies. To become a Chartered Surveyor, you'll need to complete at least two years of relevant professional work experience – the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). If you undertake a sandwich placement, this will normally count as the first year of your professional work experience (only for RICS), however at least 12 months of study must take place on a graduate training scheme. Find out more about how to complete your APC and become RICS qualified.

This course is designed to prepare you for future employment in a number of the RICS APC pathways.

Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

The CIOB accreditation ensures that successful students have a clear route to become full members of the CIOB (MCIOB). To become Chartered you must apply directly to the body, and demonstrate your knowledge, skills and experience in key areas of occupational, managerial and professional competence through reviews and assessments.

As a Chartered member of CIOB, you will be part of the world's largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership, with nearly 50,000 members in more than 100 countries.

Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)

All students on a CABE accredited course can apply for free Student Membership, and after graduating can apply for Graduate Membership (Grad CABE). Graduate Membership is a developmental grade on the pathway to becoming a fully qualified Building Engineer.

CABE is an internationally recognised professional body. As a member, you'll show your peers, employers and the public that you are a competent and ethical professional who can be relied upon to strive for the highest possible standards.

Employability team

Our expert Employability team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice. You can benefit from this service at any time during your studies, and for up to three years after completing your course. Our Employability team runs a series of events throughout the year specifically for Property Management and Development students, including our Built Environment Jobs Fair, bringing together our students with prospective employers.

Excellent placement opportunities

BSc (Hons) Building Surveying students have the opportunity to apply for a year-long work placement (minimum of 36 weeks in one or more organisations). This will give you real, hands-on experience within the industry, opening up exciting opportunities for future employment. Our sandwich route offers this year-long placement option, with a total course length of four years.

NTU is 1st for the number of UG students studying Architecture, building and planning (HESA, 2021/22).

Where can I work?

Building Surveying students typically gain placements with consultancies, developers, real estate management companies and investors, as well as on the client side, looking after large retail and leisure estates.

Recent destinations have included:

  • Baily Garner
  • Buckingham Palace
  • Cubit Consulting
  • Derbyshire County Council
  • Faithful+Gould
  • Great Ormond Street Hospital
  • Gleeds
  • Michael Dyson
  • Mitchells & Butlers
  • Nottingham City Homes.

Typical job roles include: assistant building surveyor, trainee building surveyor, junior project manager, project assistant, and facility assessor.

Professional qualification

Successful completion of the 36 weeks leads to an extra qualification – the Diploma in Professional Practice, which will further enhance your CV.

NTU Enterprise

You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise, NTU's purpose-built Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, a support centre to help students create, develop and grow their own businesses.

Campus and facilities

Facilities for Property students

The majority of your lectures and seminars will take place in the Newton building, which is at the heart of our City Campus.

Dedicated resource centre

Students in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment have access to a dedicated resource centre. This centre, based in the Maudslay building, enables students to undertake private study in a facility equipped with computers, large format plotters and desk space, together with the latest, and archived, journals and publications.

IT resources

Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the City Campus, with PCs providing access to Microsoft Office, email, web browsing, networked file storage and high-speed online printing services (with a free printing allowance for each student).

Books and library resources

In the library, you will have access to an extensive and diverse range of books and periodicals that focus on specialist areas within the Built Environment. The library's OneSearch system provides access to all our electronic resources, journals and books.

Within the library there is a liaison librarian who has specialist subject knowledge. They can offer detailed help in finding and using print and electronic resources, and also support on things such as Harvard referencing and research skills.

Entry requirements

What are we looking for?

  • Standard offer: 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent).
  • Contextual offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent).

Contextual offers

A lower offer may be made based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer and we get data from UCAS to make these decisions. NTU offers a student experience like no other and this approach helps us to find students who have the potential to succeed here but who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Find out how we assess your application.

Other qualifications and experience

We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.

Meeting our entry requirements

Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS tariff points attached to specific grades, including A levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form

What are we looking for?

  • 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent).

International qualifications

We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:

English language entry requirements

You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:

Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)

If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Foundation courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:

Advanced standing (starting your undergraduate degree in year 2 or 3)

You may be able to start your undergraduate course in year 2 or 3 based on what you have studied before. This decision would be made in accordance with our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

Fees and funding

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, that's why we're here to help. Take a look at our fees and funding pages for lots of handy advice and guidance.

Getting in touch

For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494

Additional costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our modern library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.

Library books

You’ll need to cover the cost of your own books, standard drawing and writing equipment and consumables. However, our City Campus library is home to four floors of books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! Our library team work closely with our academics to ensure that our library collection closely matches the topics you’ll be studying, to provide relevant resources for you to use, free of charge.

Printing and materials costs

Students should also budget approximately £100 per year to cover any printing or materials that they may require to support their studies. Students may choose to apply for a placement option during their course.

Our Students’ Union shop and Bonington art shop are great places to pick up drawing and writing equipment at reasonable prices and are located right in the centre of our City Campus.

Placements

If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.

Our Building Blocks financial package: supporting you throughout your studies

As a student at the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, you’ll also benefit from our Building Blocks financial package, which aims to help minimise the additional costs of study, while you’re here at NTU.

What you’ll receive

  • All of the materials needed for induction workshops and activities, working within our workshops and laboratories.
  • Free personal protective equipment (PPE), which usually includes hard-wearing boots, goggles and high-vis vests, to keep you safe on site visits and while working in our workshops.
  • Access to the free professional body accreditation, as appropriate for your course.
  • £20 pre-paid printing allowance for use at the NTU Print Shops, and library photocopiers.

Tuition fees for September 2024 entry 

Tuition fees are payable for each year that you are at the University. The level of tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of your undergraduate course may increase in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government. Visit our fees page for more information.

Scholarships 

We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.

Living costs

Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:

Paying fees 

Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:

Additional costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our modern library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.

Library books

You’ll need to cover the cost of your own books, standard drawing and writing equipment and consumables. However, our City Campus library is home to four floors of books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! Our library team work closely with our academics to ensure that our library collection closely matches the topics you’ll be studying, to provide relevant resources for you to use, free of charge.

Printing and materials costs

Students should also budget approximately £100 per year to cover any printing or materials that they may require to support their studies. Students may choose to apply for a placement option during their course.

Our Students’ Union shop and Bonington Art Shop are great places to pick up drawing and writing equipment at reasonable prices and are located right in the centre of our City Campus.

Placements

If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.

Our Building Blocks financial package: supporting you throughout your studies

As a student at the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, you’ll also benefit from our Building Blocks financial package, which aims to help minimise the additional costs of study, while you’re here at NTU.

What you’ll receive

  • All of the materials needed for induction workshops and activities, working within our workshops and laboratories.
  • Free personal protective equipment (PPE), which usually includes hard-wearing boots, goggles and high-vis vests, to keep you safe on site visits and while working in our workshops.
  • Access to the free professional body accreditation, as appropriate for your course.
  • £20 pre-paid printing allowance for use at the NTU Print Shops, and library photocopiers.

Would you like some advice on your study plans? 

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.

How to apply

Apply through UCAS.

As part of your application, you’ll submit a personal statement. Tell us about your ambitions, skills and experience. You have 4,000 characters to impress us – here’s how to make your words count.

Keeping up to date

After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page.

You can apply for this course through UCAS.

If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU Applicant Portal.

Application advice

Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example.  After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

Writing your personal statement

Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:

Would you like some advice on your study plans? 

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.

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