BSc Quantity Surveying

Why choose BSc Quantity 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 quantity surveying. You will benefit from the Department’s strong links with industry and with the surveying profession. 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 Building Surveying or BSc Construction Management, at the end of your second year if you wish to do so. A particular emphasis is placed on transferable skills and University of Reading graduates are renowned for rapid progression to senior positions within the construction industry, in consultancy and contracting firms.

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). 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 knowledge will include subjects such as economics, law, industry practice and building technology. Recurring themes throughout the course include the application of digital technologies 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 which contribute towards your degree. Additionally, there is an 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 Quantity Surveying course is designed to you will develop your specialist knowledge of construction economics and contract law, with a particular focus on managing costs throughout the project life-cycle from early design through to building completion and beyond. You will also complete a dissertation on a research topic of your choice and a quantity surveying project, in which you will prepare a design cost plan for a project. Additionally you can explore areas of interest through optional modules on subjects such as human resource management, historic built environment, health and safety, 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 locations such as the USA, the Far East or the Caribbean. Firms offering places to our students in the past include major consultancies and contractors including AECOM, EC Harris, Faithful and Gould, Gardiner and Theobald, Laing O’Rourke, and Turner and Townsend.

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 Quantity 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).