Building Surveying BSc (Hons)

Program Overview

The part-time BSc (Hons) Building Surveying program at Ulster University equips students with the expertise and skills to enter the building surveying profession. The program covers core areas such as technology, maintenance management, and building conservation, and prepares students for professional practice through integrated project work. Accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), graduates are eligible to pursue professional membership and work in various roles within the field.

Program Outline

Building Surveying BSc (Hons) at Ulster University 2024/25 entry - Part-time Undergraduate Study in Belfast

Degree Overview:

This part-time BSc (Hons) Building Surveying program equips graduates with the necessary expertise and skills to enter the building surveying profession at a graduate level and progress towards completing the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) to gain professional membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The program delves into the roles and purposes of building surveying and its relationship to other disciplines within the field. Core areas of study include technology, maintenance management, and building conservation, along with honing professional practice skills through integrated project work in all program years.

Outline:

Course Content:

• Introduction to the Built Environment
• Domestic Building Technology
• Law, Governance and Society
• Building and Land Measurement
• Digital Construction and Communication
• Materials and Structures
• Advanced Building Technology
• Structural Concepts and Services
• Built and Environmental Conservation
• Professional Practice and Project
• Hygrothermal Building Performance
• Property and Construction Law
• Green Building Design
• Financial Management and Economics
• Building Pathology
• Research and Dissertation A
• Research and Dissertation B
• Building Surveying Project

Course Structure:

• Part-time program: typically 6 years in duration
• Each academic year comprises 2 semesters with 60 credit points taught
• Each credit point represents ten hours of study
• Approximately 25% of study time is spent in lectures/tutorials/directed study, with the rest dedicated to independent study

Schedule:

• September 2024 start
• The program offers flexibility for those with prior experience and qualifications, with potential exemptions available
• Each academic year comprises 120 credit points, normally split into two semesters of 60 credit points each

Modules:

Analyzes the roles and responsibilities of property and construction professionals and explores professionalism in an era of climate emergency.

• Domestic Building Technology (C):
Provides a general introduction to construction technology with emphasis on the sustainable construction of small-scale, low-rise buildings. Also explores the factors influencing and controlling the internal environment of domestic buildings.
• Law, Governance and Society (C):
Introduces the fundamental principles of governance and the legal framework in contemporary society. Examines the interrelationship between governance actors, the legal system, and social policy in advancing sustainable development and improving social, economic, and environmental well-being.

Year Two:

• Building and Land Measurement (C):
Develops professional skills for building surveyors in the Built Environment. Establishes the theory and principles of measuring land and buildings. Develops foundational skills for internationally recognized BIM Level 2 for contemporary and future built environment professionals.

Assessment:

Assessment Methods:

• Examination
• Coursework

Assessment Criteria:

• Varies by module
• Defined explicitly in each module
• Assessments can be a combination of examination and coursework or just one of these methods
• Assessments designed to assess achievement of the module's stated learning outcomes
• Students receive timely feedback on all coursework
• Feedback may be issued individually and/or to the group, and students are encouraged to act on this feedback

Feedback:

• Timely feedback provided on all coursework assessments
• Feedback may be issued individually or to the group
• Students encouraged to act on the feedback for further development

Teaching:

Teaching Methods:

• The program incorporates various teaching methods to encourage students to adopt a knowledge-seeking attitude, build confidence in their own ability to learn, make reasoned judgements based on available evidence, and incorporate a practical dimension to their studies.
• Teaching and learning methods are designed to offer both academic and subject progression from Level 4 through to Level 6.
• Students adopt a student-centered approach to their learning through directed reading and individual research of projects and case studies.

Faculty:

• Program actively supported by a team of professionally and academically recognized teaching staff.
• Mr Ken Boston: Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, member of the Building Surveying Professional Practice Group, appointed by the Environment Minister to the ‘Historic Buildings Council of Northern Ireland’, and by the DOE / NIEA to the ‘Joint Council of Industrial Heritage of Northern Ireland’.
• Dr Trevor Hyde: Internationally recognized profile for research in advanced glazing and renewable energy technologies, received several Local, National, and International research grant awards, worked widely with industrial partners on product research and development.
• Dr Chapman: PhD in the ‘Non destructive testing of timber’, extensively involved with the partner colleges offering Built Environment programmes.

Careers:

Potential Career Paths:

• Building Control Surveyor
• Building Surveyor
• Contracts Manager
• Development Officer
• Estate Surveyor
• Graduate Surveyor

Employer Examples:

• E C Harris
• Malcolm Hollis
• MLM Building Control
• Moore McDonald
• VB Evans
• W H Stephens
• This part-time program offers the same qualification as the full-time program but with a more flexible study approach.
• The program is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
• Most graduates are employed in professional surveying practices, government, or commercial organizations.
• The program provides an ideal foundation for postgraduate study or research within Ulster University or other academic institutions.
• Graduates from this course are now working for a range of organizations, including those listed in the "Careers" section.
• The program prepares students for professional practice in the field of building surveying, with graduates eligible to pursue professional membership of RICS.