Building Surveying, BSc (Hons)

This course develops the skills needed to become the equivalent of a building doctor - able to diagnose, investigate, analyse and test all aspects of building performance. You will be able to advise on relevant processes, including maintenance, refurbishment and restoration.

If you are interested in the various aspects, uses, practicalities and history of building techniques, styles and materials, then this is the course for you. It develops the skills needed to become the equivalent of a building doctor - able to diagnose, investigate, analyse and test all aspects of building performance.

Why choose this course?

• It’s accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• You will have the opportunity to apply for a one-year work placement
• You'll gain experience from a European field trip (included in fees)
• It’s a professional route to becoming a chartered surveyor
• You’ll have the opportunity of a mentor from industry
• You will work on real projects with companies
• You’ll get to go on lots of site visits and hear from visiting industry experts

Did you know?

NTU is in the top two universities in the UK for the number of students on building related courses on year-long work placements. (HESA data 2011/12)

European field trip

In your second year you will have the chance to go on a European field trip. This will give you opportunity to:

• meet and learn from practitioners
• work on projects in new and different cultures
• gain insight into the global aspects of the property industry

In 2012 students visited Milan and in 2013 students visited Malta.

What do our students say?

"I enjoyed the Building Design Project module; it involved going on site, conducting multiple surveys and producing work in the exact same manner as it would be done in practice."
Simon Guild, BSc (Hons) Building Surveying

Read more profiles from current students and graduates.

Open days

You can find out more about this course and the University at an open day.
Find out the dates of our next open day and book your place.

Download the Open Day Presentations

Attending an open day is really the best way to find out about our courses. But if you can't make it to an open day you can download a copy of the Open Day presentation.

Can't visit us? Talk to us online...

We know it's not always possible to come along to one of our open events, particularly if you don't live in the UK. Throughout the year we will be running a series of live chat sessions, where you can log on and talk to us remotely.
Find out more about live chats for this course on our live chat webpage.

Latest news

Find out what’s going on in the School on our news pages and our facebook page.

Any questions?

Email us
Tel: +44 (0)115 941 8418
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Accredited by:

How many places are available on this course?

30 places across the sandwich and full-time routes.

When does the course start?

This course starts in September. For more information, take a look at our academic calendar for details of term start and end dates.

What will you study?

The course provides you with detailed specialist knowledge and skills in areas including:

• building construction, conservation and restoration
• building design
• building pathology
• contract administration
• sustainability
• construction technology.

You will develop an detailed understanding of architectural styles and influences, the history of buildings and building techniques, the evaluation of building elements and the performance of building materials.

You will learn to diagnose, investigate, analyse and test all aspects of building performance. In addition, you will develop the ability to assess alternative uses of existing buildings and to identify and supervise remediation and refurbishment projects and to apply health and safety legislation.

You will also develop core surveying competencies in areas such as:

• business planning
• client care
• negotiation
• project management.

Below is a list of the modules you’ll study and the attached document explains each module in more detail.

Year One - An introduction to skills for practice
The modules in Year One are shared with BSc (Hons) Planning and Development, BSc (Hons) Property Finance and Investment and BSc (Hons) Property Finance and Investment. This enables you to build a foundation in the core competencies and subjects across all property and surveying disciplines.

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

Year Two - Development of practice

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

Year Three
Optional work placement year
This is your opportunity to gain real experience in industry through a work placement year.

Final year - Application and analysis

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

During your studies you will have the opportunity to familiarise yourself with, and utilise industry-standard software including:

• digital mapping
• development appraisal
• property and environmental risk information
• industry-standard information systems and databases.

Course content and module descriptions

For a full description of each module, take a look at the attached document.

How do you study?

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.

On average you will receive 12 - 15 hours of teaching per week from a combination of:

• lectures
• seminars and tutorials
• field work – site visits, field trips, 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.

How are you assessed?

You will be assessed through a mix of coursework, practical exercises and exams.
The coursework will make up the majority of your assessment and will consist of group and individual projects, reports, presentations and essays.
You will receive feedback throughout each module.

To progress through the course you will need to achieve 120 credits each year. The amount of credits for each module are listed above.

Trips and study visits

Site visits and field trips form an integral part of the learning process, allowing you to put theory into practice. As well as the second year European field trip, recent trips have included:

• Sheffield: visit hosted by Sheffield County Council and South Yorkshire Forest Partnerships. Students gained an insight into regional development activities visiting several regeneration sites in the city
• London: As part of the Law module, students visited the Houses of Parliament and the High Court and were given a lecture by a London based lawyer
• York: A heritage planning and conversation task was set in the historical city to support learning on the Planning and Land Use module

Our links with industry

You will benefit from our great links with industry which help ensure that everything you learn can be applied to the real world. This will be through real briefs set by companies, guest lecturers from industry, visits to development sites, industry sponsored awards and work placements.

Recent examples include:

• Nottinghamshire Scouts – enlisted the help of Building Surveying students to put forward ideas for a £100,000 refurbishment of a disused barn – which will form part of the Scouts proposals to transform the unused building.
• Savills – students visited their London West End offices and were given a presentation on the current market and career development
• Derwent Valley World Heritage site - with the kind permission of the Arkwright Society students visited Cromford Mill, working in multidisciplinary groups to conduct detailed building survey work to inform a planning consideration and development scheme
• Nottingham Regeneration Ltd – guest lecture on regeneration projects around Nottingham Train station

Is the course professionally accredited?

Yes, the course is fully accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Gaining an RICS-accredited degree is the most accepted way of becoming a chartered surveyor. After completing an RICS-accredited degree or diploma you’ll then need two or three years’ work experience before taking your RICS professional assessment interview – known as the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).

Learn from expert staff

Our Real Estate subject team is made up of experienced academics and staff who have recently joined from industry. These, together with regular visiting experts, provide an up-to-date education, informed by current practice and industry developments.

Find out more some of the academic team on the BSc (Hons) Building Surveying course:
First Year Tutor

What do the course fees cover?

Find out what's included in your course fees.

It’s a flexible course

The modules in Year One are shared with BSc (Hons) Planning and Development, BSc (Hons) Property Finance and Investment and BSc (Hons) Real Estate.

This enables you to develop a multi-disciplinary understanding of the industry and also have the flexibility to switch to either of the other courses at the start of your second year if you feel they are more aligned to your career aspirations.

Where will you study?

You will study on the City site. Most of your lectures will be taught in the recently renovated Newton building.

View the full course specification
Please note that course specifications may be subject to change Lecture theatres

The majority of your lectures and seminars will take place in the Newton building. This building has recently undergone a major renovation making it a great environment to study in.

Dedicated resource centre

Students in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment have access to a dedicated resource centre. This centre is based in the Maudslay building. It enables students to undertake private study in a facility equipped with:

• computers
• large format plotters
• desk space together
• the latest, and archived, journals and publications.

This resource centre is open from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday.

IT resources

Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the City site, with PCs providing access to:

• Microsoft Office
• email
• web browsing
• networked file storage
• high-speed online printing services (with a free printing allowance for each student). Resource rooms are available 24 hours a day).

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
• books.

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