Summary

• School of Property, Construction and Planning

• Duration
• Full Time: 12 months
  

• Fees
• Full Time: €4,290 per year
  International Students: €9,750 International GDL

Overview

The course is aimed at non-cognate degree holders and built environment professionals seeking membership of the construction profession. It offers you options for quantity surveying, building surveying and construction management. It covers the main topic areas of technology, law, finance, planning and management and leads onto exploring development issues such as supply chain and value management. The conversion course is designed as a fast track to professional qualification and reflects the growth in demand for qualified personnel in this area, and the need for an educational course that fulfils the needs of the industry. The property and construction industry is forever evolving and consequently offers a diverse range of attractive career prospects and challenges for graduates. There are many opportunities for a rewarding career in an industry where people can make a real difference to the world in which they live. The programmes are rigorous, demanding but coherent, aimed at producing capable, creative, reflective and critical practitioners. This course is fully recognised and accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The learning adopts a 'knowledge-centric' approach to thinking, acting and social process within the industry's technical environment. This lively and challenging approach deviates from conventional courses, based on detailed technical knowledge, by developing a capability to work with inadequate knowledge. You will be encouraged to develop your own approaches to problems rather than being presented with standard solutions.

Key Facts

The course is fully accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and can lead to Professional Membership (Chartered Surveyor status) after completion of the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). Our strong and relevant partnerships with industry are evidenced by the guest lecturers given by key figures in industry. Fast track options are available for mature students wishing to enter the industry.

Course Outline

Course Structure

This in an intensive and challenging course which will supply you with the necessary academic qualifications to achieve professional status within the construction industry. It will provide you with the opportunity to develop skills to take on responsible management positions. As a graduate you will be able to understand and deal with complex issues in order to make sound judgements and reach conclusions that are clearly and concisely communicated. You will also be able to provide a critical and systematic analysis of the problems, issues and opportunities for the construction industry. We will encourage you to consider and critically comment on a range of conflicting interests for resource use within a political, social, economic, technological, environmental and legal context. You will be encouraged to work with a mentor who is likely to be a graduate of the course now working in practice.

Modules

Postgraduate Certificate Learning in Practice-15 Credits Practice Module – Project-15 Credits Management-15 Credits Property Development Policy and Practice-15 Credits

Postgraduate Diploma Design, Cost and Value-15 Credits Supply Chain Management and Contract Administration-15 Credits Operation Strategy – Project-15 Credits Critical Evaluation in Practice-15 Credits

Master's Dissertation-60 Credits

Examples of Module Content:

Construction Technology

This module focuses on construction methods and building materials as applied to complex building types in different localities and climatic conditions. It seeks primarily to address and evaluate the impact of new materials and methods in terms of durability, maintainability and defect minimisation. The module also highlights some contractual and health and safety issues within the context of property development and asset management.

Learning in Practice

This module is designed to enable you to develop an effective working style within the construction industry and to continue to develop throughout your career. You will analyse yourself to appreciate how you can learn effectively and how you can take responsibility for your own learning in new situations. A wider context of the industry will be presented to enable you to place knowledge on an institutional framework, including an understanding of the conflicts - both social and technical - that you may experience. The problems of information management, role and personalities in project teams will be introduced.

After your studies

Further Studies

The University has a range of research (MPhil and PhD) postgraduate programmes.

Details can be found on the courses section of the website.

Employment Opportunities

This is a professionally accredited course which will lead to membership of RICS. Nearly all our graduates go straight into employment, where they are well paid and work in challenging jobs. Roles such as surveyor, construction manager, project manager are the likely careers for you as a graduate. You could be employed in professional practice (individual firm), contracting and subcontracting organisations, commercial organisations, local authority and central government; insurance companies and utility companies. Quantity Surveyors can be found working on projects such as motorways, railways, oil rigs, hospitals, schools, power stations, chemical plants, housing, hotels, banks, offices, heritage and conservation projects.

The higher standard of education in this boom area of employment enables you to move into a new career with real expectations of progression and development opportunity.