Master of Science in Quantity Surveying including Professional Placement

Kingston University

This module will provide you with broad expert knowledge in commercial construction technology, from pre-construction to post-construction phases, with a focus on sustainable construction and building services in the built environment. Sustainability, Building Regulations, and Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations will also be highlighted to create inclusive environments in line with the demands of the construction industry.

The module introduces you to the processes used to procure and manage construction projects. You will be provided with an overview of the construction industry and the role of the surveyor in key stages of the property life cycle. The fundamentals of professional and ethical conduct and principles of client care and inclusive communication and collaboration will be explored. The module will proceed to introduce you to procurement and tendering arrangements typically employed in the UK construction sector, enabling you to apply your knowledge to identify optimal solutions to suit the client's needs. Project management techniques and tools will also be covered, with emphasis placed on core functions relating to project planning, programming and control. Soft skills essential for successful project delivery will be considered. You will attend a series of lectures and practical sessions and be expected to take an active role by applying your knowledge to practical scenarios within these. The module is assessed by a client report.

This module explores into the intricacies of contractual arrangements and administration within the context of the UK construction industry. Throughout this module, you will acquire a comprehensive understanding of key concepts and principles, enabling you to navigate the legal landscape that governs construction projects and their appropriate approach to contract administration. This module offers a profound deliberation into various facets of legal obligations and contract administration in construction, including statutory and regulatory frameworks, standard contract forms, and the roles and responsibilities of parties involved in construction contracts. This module equips you with knowledge in cultivating analytical and critical approaches in applying the law of obligations and evidence, and skills essential for successful contract management, risk mitigation, conflict and dispute resolutions and compliance with statutory requirements; skills that are invaluable for built-environment professionals in the construction industry that fulfils key criteria as set by the relevant professional institutions in the UK. The module also accentuates the development of relevant graduate attributes highly sought after in the construction industry, such as collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, initiative and creativity.

This module provides you with the knowledge and skills required for managing people and organisations in sustainable environments within the construction industry context. It introduces you to the basics of business planning and organising to achieve business goals and objectives. In addition, the module encompasses the knowledge of accounting principles, standards and the knowledge and skills required for evaluating the financial standing and viability of organisations as a prerequisite for involvement in a project team.

This module will enable you to develop the knowledge and ability to produce construction works estimates at various stages of work based on amount of information available at each stage and using methods appropriate for the purpose for which the estimate is required. The module focuses on approximate and detailed quantification and costing of buildings and engineering projects and aims to enable you to gain working knowledge of the principal methods of measurement and their application in quantifying and costing of such complex construction. The module will allow you to apply your developed construction technology background on the quantification of building and civil engineering works at all stages of the construction process. Upon completion, you should be able to competently carry out measurement and costing of complex structures at preliminary and later stages of the design and construction process. The module is taught by a series of lectures, tutorials and workshops in which you will be expected to take an active role. Quantification and costing of construction work are core skills of the quantity surveyor that underpin the procurement and financial management of construction projects.

The module enables you to develop deep understanding of the principles of construction economics and explore applications of consultancy in the context of delivering corporate objectives. The module places emphasis on the relationship between building morphology and costs throughout the building life cycle and the control of costs from inception through design development. You will develop analytical knowledge of building price estimating, and cost planning and their application in the UK construction context. You will develop the ability to critically apply the use of techniques such as value management, whole-life costing, risk management, benchmarking, and carbon emission reporting in development appraisals as well as the application of standard IT packages in construction economics. The module finally aims to provide you with a stimulating experience involving fieldwork in which you can apply the knowledge that you have gained in this and other modules to a consultancy practice scenario. You will work in a team to innovate and think strategically to provide reasoned advice and complete solutions on a wide range of issues. The module is delivered through a series of lectures, tutorials and simulated role-play. Assessment is by two elements of coursework and an oral presentation.

The overall aim of the module is to allow you to develop research skills and gain an appreciation of a subject area of your own choosing. In undertaking the work that is required you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and competence in reviewing existing published literature and data and through the use of your own efforts apply one or more of a range of research methods to collect and analyse data and draw well-founded conclusions as a result of your research. The module allows you to study an area of interest in significant depth and allows you to demonstrate a clear understanding of what has been learnt through a variety of means; a literature review, a research proposal, an oral presentation and a substantial dissertation.