BSc Construction Management and Surveying

Why choose BSc Construction Management and Surveying at Reading?

We're one of the UK's top-ranking universities for teaching and research in the built environment:

• 1st for Architecture, Building and Planning in the Daily Mail University Guide 2025
• 3rd for Building in the Complete University Guide, 2025
• 5th for Building in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2025
• 98% of our students said teaching staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2024, 97.75% of responders from the School of Construction Management and Engineering).

This course is designed to prepare you for a successful career in a management position within the construction sector. You will benefit from the Department’s strong links with industry and with the surveying professions.

Additionally, the degree is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and by the Chartered Institute of Building. (Accreditation is reviewed periodically. Successful completion of courses accredited by CIOB and RICS satisfies the academic requirements for membership of CIOB and RICS.)

Flexible course options

As with all of our surveying and construction courses, the programme structure provides an opportunity to explore a range of construction-related disciplines prior to specialising in the final year. You will be able to transfer onto other programmes such as BSc Quantity Surveying at the end of your second year if you wish to do so. This programme will equip you with a broad knowledge of construction and surveying, and will prepare you for a wide range of roles. A particular emphasis is placed on transferable skills and University of Reading graduates are renowned for rapid progression to senior management positions in a variety of firms within the construction sector.

Research with real-world applications

100% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Architecture, Built Environment and Planning) and 100% of our research impact has been classed outstanding or very considerable (REF 2021, combining 4* and 3* submissions – Architecture, Built Environment and Planning).

You will study in an internationally-renowned department with strong industry links and an outstanding employability rating. Many members of staff within the School are active in research and consultancy. This ensures that the course reflects not only the very best of current practice, but also the latest developments in areas such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and sustainability.

Your learning

Your first two years are designed to develop a comprehensive understanding of the disciplines which underpin construction management and the surveying professions. This will include subjects such as economics, law, and building technology. Recurring themes throughout the course include the application of digital technologies, sustainability and internationalisation. There is an especially strong focus on project work and on interdisciplinary collaboration. For example, during your second year, you may work with a real client to plan a live construction project overseas. Furthermore, we place a strong focus on employability and you will have the opportunity to network with industry professionals throughout the course.

You will also be encouraged to take up a placement over the summer between your second and final years, for which you will gain credits that contribute towards your degree. Additionally, there is the option to spend a year in industry, in the UK or abroad. (Placements and study abroad opportunities are subject to availability and eligibility guidelines.)

The final year of the BSc Construction Management and Surveying course introduces you to the latest thinking in management technology and provides the opportunity to specialise. You will also complete a dissertation on a research topic of your choice and a built environment project, in which you will prepare an environmental impact assessment for a building project. Additionally you can explore areas of interest through optional modules on subjects such as green innovation, historic built environments, construction contract law, and modern languages.

Placements

Between your second and final year you can carry out a paid industrial training placement, lasting a year or a shorter period. This experience not only provides you with an insight into industry, but is also a valuable opportunity to get to know a range of industry professionals.

Placements can be located anywhere in the UK, and sometimes take place abroad in in locations such as the USA, the Far East or the Caribbean. Firms offering places to our students in the past include AECOM, Kier Group, MACE, Morgan Sindall, Taylor Woodrow, and Vinci.

You will be given advice and support in finding the ideal placement, writing a CV and interview skills, by our dedicated placements officer. (Placements and study abroad opportunities are subject to availability and eligibility guidelines.)

Scholarships

As part of the cohort joining the BSc Construction Management and Surveying course in 2025, you will have the opportunity to secure an annual £1,000 scholarship for each of the three years of the undergraduate degree (subject to conditions).

For more information, please visit the School of Construction Management and Engineering's website.