B.Sc. in Quantity Surveying

Course Description

During the course of a construction project, one of the most important professionals is the quantity surveyor. Quantity Surveyors are responsible for and also contribute actively to a number of different facets of the project starting from the planning stage, through to procurement, execution and post completion stages.

Quantity surveyors are responsible for budgeting, costing, progress payments, cost control, measurement of work and project close out. They must, therefore, have excellent knowledge of construction processes, materials, construction contracts as well project and construction management and be able to interact effectively with professionals in these fields.

Quantity surveyors also work other construction professionals and directly with clients, meaning that supervisory skills such as interpersonal communication, negotiation, problem solving, decision making is an important part of the job. The shortage of quantity surveyors in booming construction industry in Malta means that there are good opportunities for skilled quantity surveying graduates across the construction sector.

The B.Sc. in Quantity Surveying aims to provide students with specialist knowledge in cost planning, procurement processes and the management of construction projects. Students will also gain an understanding of legal, financial, political and economic issues and how these impact on construction processes, as well as ethical practices and sustainability.

In addition, students will develop many transferable skills. These skills include:

• Problem-solving ability
• Analytical and data interpretation skills
• Negotiation and dispute resolution skills
• Teamwork and interpersonal skills
• The ability to work independently
• Presentation skills
• Project management skills
• Confidence with business management systems

The overall course objectives are:

Knowledge:

At the end of the programme the learner will have been exposed to the following:

• The complex role of quantity surveyors and challenges facing the quantity surveying profession.
• The technical, financial and contractual concepts, theories and principles associated with the procurement, costings and execution of construction projects.
• The implications and importance of Building Information Modelling (BIM), and especially 5D BIM, to quality surveying profession.
• The business environment including the economic, legal, social, health and safety, technological and sustainability aspects affecting the construction processes.
• The roles and interdisciplinary relationships of the various stakeholders involved in the procurement, development and production of construction projects.
• Research methods and their applicability for quantity surveying field of study.
• The factors and challenges of teamwork.

Skills:

At the end of the programme the learner will have acquired the following skills:

• Undertake various pre and post contract quantity surveying procedures and processes in construction projects.
• Provide basic but appropriate advice to the different stakeholders in construction projects/contracts.
• Apply the necessary range of ICT applications for preparing and presenting information.
• Apply the techniques in pre and post contract risk, value, cost and financial management.
• Assess the methods to be used when resolving disputes under construction contracts.
• Develop a plan of action for teamwork.
• Evaluate team’s performance.

Competences:

At the end of the programme the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

• Develop / design and implement an independent undergraduate research project that integrates relevant literature and appropriate methodologies with the purpose of addressing specific issues.
• Use Computer Aided Design and Building Information Modelling software to extract necessary information to execute the contract/project.
• Select and use appropriate range of numerical approaches for calculating, checking and presenting solutions to problems related to costing, budgeting and financial management of projects.
• Source material and knowledge from a variety of resources and effectively judge what can be integrated and applied in context of quantity surveying activities.
• Develop a capacity for independent thought and be reflectively self-critical; · · Develop teamwork competencies.

Entry Requirements

Candidates who apply for this course must possess the following:

• a qualification at MQF Level 4 (one ‘A’ Level or equivalent in any subject);

AND

• a pass in English Language and Mathematics at MQF Level 3 (‘O’ Level or equivalent).

Preference is given to applicants having a year of work experience in a field related to the study programme.

Students whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate English language capability at IELTS level 6.0 or equivalent.

Target Audience

This course is targeted at:

• Individuals aspiring to work as Quantity Surveyors. (QS)
• Individuals who wish to advance their education and gain in depth knowledge and skills related to Quantity Surveying.
• Individuals already working in the field of quantity surveying who would like to obtain a qualification in Quantity Surveying.

Career Paths

The possible positions for which this programme aims to prepare you for include, but are not limited to:

• Quantity Surveyor (QS)
• Commercial / Residential Surveyor
• Estimator

Modules

You are required to complete all 25 compulsory modules (162 ECTS), as well as the Dissertation (18 ECTS) to fulfil the requirements of this bachelor’s degree.

Structure and Assessment

This is a part-time programme and will typically take 42 months to complete. The programme comprises a total of 26 modules. The method of assessment is assignment-based.

The course comprises:

• 6 lectures per module;
• 3-hour lectures (evening);
• 12 hours of guided learning, presentations, comprising synchronous online discussions, tutorials and/or videos;
• Self-study hours comprising research, reading and assignment work.

Assessment

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Overall assessment of this programme consists of two main components: 1. Modular Assessment carries 60% of the final grade. 2. The Dissertation carries 40% of the final grade.

The formative and summative assessment tasks may include an in-class assignment and/or a home-based written assignment using diverse assessment tools which may take the form of online and in-class discussions, examinations, case studies, reports, proposals, essays, and presentations, etc., as applicable to the diverse modules.

1. Modular Assessment

The modular score achieved at the end of the study programme modules is calculated by summing up and working an average of the overall grades obtained in all of the study modules. The final grade achieved by the modular component of the programme is calculated by working out 60% of the modular score obtained for the study modules.

Overall assessment weighting for each module consists of two assessment tasks, each carrying a weighting as below:

a) One Formative assignment carries 20% of total module mark achieved. b) One Summative assignment carries 80% of total module mark achieved.

2. Dissertation Assessment

Assessment of dissertations is primarily based on:

• Depth of critical understanding of the theoretical framework;
• Application of appropriate research tools;
• Critical approach to analysis, interpretation and evaluation of research findings;
• Depth and level of argumentation build-up;
• Original contribution to the generation of new knowledge/hypothesis/models;
• Scholarly presentation meeting academic standards.