Introduction
Accredited by: CIOB RICS CABE
Building Surveyors are key professionals in the acquisition, building management and development sectors of the property profession, advising on both commercial and residential building issues.
Building Surveying is an extremely varied profession, with main areas covering design, construction technology, conservation, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Building Information Modeling (BIM), professional practice/studies, building pathology, performance, sustainability and regulation.
At GCU the emphasis is firmly on practical experience with site visits and live project work. Industry experts provide guest lectures and you will spend six to eight months on a work placement in Year 3. Those who aspire to become Chartered Surveyors will be working in a dominant client facing environment. Excellent communication skills are therefore essential. There are opportunities to study abroad at our partner universities across Europe. Honours graduates can begin working to gain full membership of both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
Your career
There is always a high demand for our graduates; they have gone on to work for practices such as Jones Lang Lasalle, Watts, Trident, Cushman and Wakefield, CBRE, Doig + Smith, Colliers, Brown & Wallace, Knight Frank, Davis Langdon, Graham & Sibbald, Workman LLP, Thomson Bethune, P3 Consulting, GVA & City Property Glasgow. Others opt for employment within the public sector. Those that opt for Chartered Surveyor status (RICS) will have worldwide opportunities.
What you will study
Year 1
Principles of Construction Technology & Materials Study, Professional Orientation, Construction Engineering & Structures, Construction Contracts, PropertyLegislation & Economics, and an Introduction to CAD Design.
Year 2
Building Performance, Construction Process Management & Safety, Design &Regulation (inc intermediate CAD), Construction Cost Studies.
Year 3
Placement, Construction Technology, Design & Regulation, CAD Application &Innovation, Building Inspection and Pathology.
Year 4
Building Development, Sustainability & Building Surveying Studies with an option from Conservation, Facilities or Project Management, Honours Dissertation.
Part-time students
Please note that in your final year, subject variety will be limited should you wish to restrict your attendance. For some site visits, it may also be necessary to negotiate additional time with your employer or take annual leave. In all cases, students will be required to attend an evening class outside normal day(s) of attendance.
Entry requirements
All entry requirements listed here should be used as a guide and represent the minimum required to be considered for entry. Applicants who are made a conditional offer of a place may be asked to achieve more than is stated.
Year 1
SQA Higher
ABBC plus Nat 5 English and Maths at C
A level
CCC plus GCSE English and Maths at C/4
ILC Higher
H2, H2, H2, H2 plus English and Maths at Ordinary Level O2
IB Diploma
24 points
BTEC
Level 3 Extended Diploma in relevant subject at MMM
Year 2
HNC
HNC Built Environment subject with a B in the Graded Unit.
A Level
BBC plus GCSE English and Maths at C/4.
BTEC
Level 3 Extended Diploma in Built Environment subject at DMM.
Year 3
HND
HND Building Surveying with A in the Graded Units, other Built Environment HND programmes may be considered.
English language
Students whose first language is not English will normally be required to hold the equivalent of an Academic IELTS test score of 6.0 with no element less than 5.5.
Please note: if you are from a majority English speaking country, you may not be required to provide further proof of your English Language proficiency.
Additional information
Other academic and vocational qualifications
Each application to GCU is considered on an individual basis. If you do not have the typical academic entry qualifications, but can demonstrate relevant work experience and/or credits from recognised professional bodies, you may be eligible to enter this course via the University's Recognition of Prior Learning scheme.
International pathways
If you do not meet the English language requirements, you may be eligible for the English for University Study programme.
Fees and funding
The tuition fees you pay are mostly determined by your fee status. What is my student fee status?
Tuition fees 2018/19
Home: £1820
RUK: £9250*
EU: £1820
International: £11,500
*Total tuition fees for RUK students completing a three or four-year degree are capped at £27,750. Specific fees are subject to confirmation by the Scottish Government and may change once confirmed.
If you commence your studies in September 2018 or January 2019, these are the annual or module fees that apply to the duration of your course; however, fees are subject to change. For full details on how fees may change read our fees and refund policy.
Students on a part-time programme may be invoiced for the full annual fee or for the number of modules completed per academic year. Students may be eligible to pay this in instalments over the course of the year. View part-time and distance learning fees.
Additional costs
In addition to course tuition fees, you may encounter additional costs during your time at University.
Scholarships
We provide high-quality education for a fair price; as the University for the Common Good, we are committed to offering accessible higher education for talented students by keeping our tuition fees low and providing a generous scholarship package of over £2.5 million per year.
If you have any questions or enquiries regarding scholarships available for 2018/19, please feel free to contact the student enquiries team.
International student start dates
For new international students, orientation events start on 14 September 2018. This extra time is specifically designed to assist new international students in settling into the UK and GCU prior to the start of general student induction and teaching.
There will be a whole host of fun and informative activities taking place during this period, including campus and city tours, as well as welcome events where you can meet other international students.
Work placement
Your 6-8 month work placement in the third year can be completed in Scotland or abroad.
Professional accreditation
The Building Surveying degree is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). Graduates can go on to chartered membership status (MRICS/MCIOB).
Study trip
There are opportunities to study abroad including a week-long European city study trip.
HM Forces
In partnership with HM Forces, GCU has identified this programme is being particularly suited to military and ex-military men and women. Visit the HM Forces Careers Zone for more information on the services we provide.
Accreditation
The Building Surveying degree is accredited by RICS The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and CIOB The Chartered Institute of Building. On successful completion of your degree, you can work towards MEICS Chartered Membership of RICS and MICOB Chartered Membership of CIOB.
Assessment methods
Assessment methods include coursework activities and formal examinations. Our students have many opportunities to enhance their employability by studying abroad. Through KAR Scholarship funding our students have worked in Ladakh in India and Guedelon in France; students have enjoyed placements in New Zealand while next year, two students will be attending Barcelona University for a six month Erasmus Exchange.
Teaching methods
The employability of our students is in part due to our excellent links with our professional partners which include the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Chartered Institute of Building (who provide our industry standard course accreditation) and Historic Scotland, as well as a six month industry placement at the beginning of third year, something no other Scottish institution offers. For their final year, our students undertake Building Surveying Studies, an industry based project driven by the professional competency requirements deemed essential by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. This project is fully supported through our Industry links with site visits accompanied by and lectures often provided by Professional Practitioner partners.
