Building Surveying with Foundation Year

Building Surveyors look at building pathology, focusing on refurbishment, reuse, development, restoration, repair, and conservation. Open up an exciting career in surveying with a BSc Building Surveying with Foundation Year degree.

Building Surveyors look at the pathology of buildings, focusing on opportunities for refurbishment, reuse, development, restoration, repair, or conservation. As our growing cities adapt to the changing needs of the 21st century, studying building surveying can unlock some rewarding career roles that can help to revitalise old properties for exciting new purposes.

Develop in-demand professional skills
We’ve designed our foundation year pathway to give you a strong foundation in construction, surveying and design techniques, and the essential study skills so you are ready to progress. This pathway is an excellent route if you want to study the full honours degree, but don't meet the direct entry requirements. On successful completion of the foundation year, you will progress on to the full RICS-accredited BSc (Hons) Building Surveying degree.

The introductory foundation year is designed to develop your awareness, understanding and problem-solving capabilities for typical challenges experienced in construction and the built environment. With a focus on your progression, the foundation year also introduces core skills in communication and teamwork that you will need to succeed at an advanced study level.

For a further three years of study - or four, if you choose to include an industry placement, you'll explore modules in regulation, economics, management, surveying and design. You will learn through a blend of academic tutorials and project work, collaborating with students from related courses to mirror the multidisciplinary, team-based approaches used in industry.

Get closer to industry
Located at the heart of the largest property and construction market outside of London, Salford is a great choice for building surveying. Drawing on our strong links with the construction industry and professional bodies, you will experiences site visits, guest speakers and placements. Working with ex-practitioner tutors, you will develop your surveying skills by working on live local projects with real clients and local surveying practices. Once you join the BSc (Hons) pathway, you will also have the option to include an industry placement between years two and three.

Our new home for the built environment
In Autumn 2022, we opened our new £65 million hub for science, engineering and the environment - and our new home for the built environment. Sustainability-designed and 100% electric powered, the building offers unrivalled teaching, learning and research facilities and provides exciting new spaces for industry collaboration.

Features
• Start with a foundation year to boost your skills and be ready to progress to the full BSc (Hons) Building Surveying degree
• Learn about the economic conditions, legal regulations and technological advancements driving the built environment
• Learn to identify and use appropriate strategies and technologies applicable to building surveying practice
• Develop an understanding of the interactions between a building and its internal and external environments
• Gain the ability to identify symptoms and diagnose defects found in a diverse range of building types
• Understand urban regeneration so you can participate in future sustainable regeneration initiatives

This course is not open to international students.

Course Modules

Foundation Year:

• Introduction to Built Environment Professional Practice
• Introduction to Design Practice
• Introduction to Building Science
• Introduction to Digital Built Environment
• IT and Study Skills
• Professional Practice Project

Year One:

• Introduction to Law and Regulatory Frameworks
• Economics and Management
• Introduction to the Role of the Quantity Surveyor
• Surveying Practice
• Building Construction and Defects
• Introduction to Valuation

Year Two:

• Technology 2
• Building Design Studies
• Procurement and Administration
• Sustainable and Energy Efficient Buildings
• Development Appraisal and Viability
• Property Law

Year Three:

• Building Surveying Practice 2
• Discipline Research Project
• Building Surveying Project
• Conservation and Urban Regeneration
• Building Maintenance and Retrofit
• Building Pathology

You will be assessed using a range of suitable methods, including:

• Design projects
• Essays
• Case study analysis
• Precedent studies
• Examinations