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Building Surveying with Facilities Management - MSc

Currently viewing course to start in 2023/24 Entry.

The MSc Building Surveying programme with Facilities Management is designed to respond to the dynamic demands for sustainable management of the existing built environment and is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

  • Level Postgraduate Taught
  • Study mode Full Time/Part Time
  • Location City Centre
  • School School of Engineering and the Built Environment
  • Faculty Faculty of Computing, Engineering and The Built Environment

Overview

The MSc Building Surveying programme with Facilities Management is designed to respond to the dynamic demands for sustainable management of the existing built environment and is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

This course is open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

The course is founded on the principal that participants intend to attain membership of the RICS. The programme therefore embraces the values of the RICS and reflects the requirements of the professional body in terms of core technical and professional skills and attributes. All students are expected to be student or graduate members of the RICS.

The Building Surveying course content and delivery is underpinned by the need to respond to the RICS Strategic Foresight 2030 report, including incorporation of the seven strategic pillars for the future within learning, teaching and assessment.

The course will provide you with a broad but solid foundation in the fundamentals of organising, managing, and designing work to existing buildings. It seeks to provide you with the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges presented by the globally evolving built environment marketplace.

This course focuses on developing and expanding the knowledge, understanding and ability of practitioners to respond to the challenges of the 21st century. You will receive a rigorous grounding in the advanced skills needed to operate at a high level in industry and become competent in the solving the problems and challenges you will face. You will also be able to add value to your decisions through a thorough analytical approach and be able to better implement them as a competent building surveyor.

The course encompasses the entirety of the property life cycle, allowing you to appreciate how decisions made in one aspect of a property’s development and use can have a significant impact later on in the life cycle.

Tailor your degree

The Professional Placement version of the course is optional and is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course. This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.

Accredited By

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)

  • Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)
  • The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
  • The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

Why Choose Us?

  • Accredited Course - Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE).
  • Graduate success - Our graduates have secured positions with prestigious firms, such as Balfours and Prudential.
  • A well-established provider - The faculty has a reputation as the West Midlands' chief hub of knowledge, technology and skills-transfer into industry.
  • Professional placement option – Gain desirable employability skills with the option of a professional placement.
  • Preparation for industry - A simulation of the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) is built into the assessment process.
  • Respond to current industry challenges - This course is designed to respond to the challenges of the 21st century identified by Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), such as increased use of BIM, smart cities and Big Data

OPEN DAY

Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to meet us in person. You'll get the chance to learn about courses in subject talks, chat to tutors and explore our campus. We'll post you a detailed event programme to help plan your day and find your way.

Next Event: Saturday 24 June

Book your place

Entry Requirements

Essential Requirements

A good UK honours degree at 2:2 or above/equivalent in surveying, construction, civil engineering, real estate or any other construction subject

We will also consider other qualifications and suitable work based experience on an individual basis. You may be asked to attend a selection interview.

Additional information for EU/International students
Essential 

Non-EU students need to demonstrate a good command of English. IELTS 6.0 or equivalent is needed before they can enrol in this programme.

Introduction course

If you do not have a Building Surveying degree or considerable experience, there is an online introduction course based on self-directed learning available (at no charge) to prepare you for entry to this Master’s programme. You are required to complete this at your own pace as part of your application process.

Fees & How to Apply

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: MSc

Starting: Sep 2023

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 12 months
  • £8,500 in 2023/24
  • Full Time
  • 18 months with Professional Placement*
  • £9,350 in 2023/24
  • £945 per 20 credits
  • Year 1 - 60 credits
  • Year 2 - 120 credits

Fees for Part-time students

This course can be studied on a Part-time study basis. The cost per year of study is based on credit requirements for that year.

International students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: MSc

Starting: Sep 2023

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 12 months
  • £16,870 in 2023/24
  • Full Time
  • 18 months with Professional Placement*
  • £18,557 in 2023/24

Access to computer equipment 

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms.  

Printing

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment.

Access to Microsoft Office 365

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation.

Key Software

You will be able to download SPSS, NVivo, Matlab and Simulink to your home computer to support with your studies and research, so that you can access this software on and off campus. We also provide remote access to campus software which is essential to engage with the module contents. 

Key subscriptions

Subscriptions to key journals and websites are available through our library.

Placement expenses (optional)

If you choose to undertake a placement, you will need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst living or working away from home.

Excess printing (optional)

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet.

Books (optional)

All module key texts will be in the University library, but in limited numbers. You may choose to purchase a copy.

Professional Placement option*

The Professional Placement option will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.  Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement.  The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study.  You will also benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+ as well as advice and guidance from your School. 

Placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course.  All students who do not find a suitable placement or do not pass the competitive selection process will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.

Personal statement

You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.

Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.

Course in Depth

Module

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits):

Professional Placement

In order to qualify for the award of MSc Building Surveying with Facilities Management with Professional Placement, a student must successfully complete all of the Level 7 modules listed above as well as the following Level 6 module:

Download course specification

Download now

The course is delivered via a series of lectures, tutorials, case studies and project work. The assessment is by portfolio exercises, reports, presentations and a dissertation.

Each of the taught modules are designed to have a total study time of 200 hours. Approximately 36 hours of this is face to face teaching, tutorials and seminars, with the remainder a mixture of directed and self-study.

Professional Placement option

The Professional Placement option will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.  Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement.  The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study.  You will also benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+ as well as advice and guidance from your School. 

Placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course.  All students who do not find a suitable placement or do not pass the competitive selection process will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.

Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)
Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)

This course is accredited by Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
RICS

This course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and is specifically designed to meet the competencies required by its specialist Environmental Surveying pathway.

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

The Chartered Institute of Building is at the heart of a management career in construction. Its focus is on those entering and already in a management career in construction, by delivering qualifications and certifications that meet the needs of a changing industry. It works with members, employers, academia and governments across the globe to drive forward the science, practice and importance of management in construction.

Employability

Enhancing your employability skills

Birmingham City University has the Graduate+ scheme, an extracurricular programme which has been designed to hone the subject-based skills you develop throughout the programme alongside broader employability skills. You’ll develop skills in CV writing, presentations, a portfolio and more.

You are also encouraged to join the RICS and get involved in local Matrix events.

International

Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

Facilities & Staff


Our Facilities

The facility our students value most is not actually on campus, but is the location of the campus in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside opposite the new High Speed 2 station construction, and minutes from dozens of fascinating live projects within the city centre.

Birmingham as it changes constantly on our doorstep really is our ‘living lab’. By simply looking out the window of our classrooms you’ll be able to witness live projects as they’re happening around us. You’ll constantly be inspired by dozens of fascinating case studies just from walking from the station to the campus.

The facilities on offer to our students reflect the work environment you will enter as you start your career. Learn more about what we have to offer below.

Software

Recognising the rapidly evolving digital built environment we are constantly reviewing software to best fit with the professions of the future.

Autodesk Accredited Centre Status, we use the latest integrated building modelling software across undergraduate courses, seeing Architectural Technology, Building Surveying, Construction Management, and Quantity Surveying students engaging in cross discipline information management projects modelling real life experience. Accredited Centre status allowing all students licence to download this software, and making available additional qualifications and certification to those demonstrating expertise and dedication to exploring their own and the limits of the Autodesk environment.

At course level, students engage with the latest and most appropriate software for their future professions. Real Estate students with CoStar, the leading industry database supporting valuations. Quantity Surveyors using Blue Beam, Revu and QS Pro, and along these Quantity Surveyors and Construction Managers use Synchro and Navisworks for 4D and CostX for 5D work. For Building Surveying and Architectural Technology routes, visualisation is important where Enscape, V-Ray Lumion and Sketch-up are available.

Built Environment Space in Millennium Point

The Built Environment Space in Millennium Point is available to all students with a huge resource of software-equipped laptops for loan on campus. For off campus working, much of the software we use comes with free student licences and all students will have access to the Windows Virtual Desktop, allowing access to our range of software from anywhere where the internet is available.

The Studio Space that we've created in Millennium Point is an open workspace where students can work on their design projects. We have all student work and examples that will change every week or month depending on what stage of a project we're at. And it's an open space for working on projects.

This is where our Architectural Technology students and our Building Surveying students in particular, spend a lot of their time.

Concrete and Hydraulics Labs

Our dedicated Civil Engineering facilities include a Hydraulics & Structures lab Concrete & Geotechnics lab as well as a bending rig.

The swollen concrete lab and hydraulics lab are the heart of our Civil Engineering course, where we have a range of test equipment. This is where our students can carry out experimental work as part of their course, either as part modules or using those labs to work on their final year project.


Built Environment facilities

Our staff

Dr Mohammad Mayouf

Senior Lecturer in Digital Built Environment

Dr Mohammad Mayouf teaches a range of modules across Construction Management, Quantity Surveying and Building Surveying both at Undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His expertise include embedding and applying the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) within the built environment teaching curriculums, and research and collaboration with...

More about Mohammad

Dr Ghasson Shabha

Senior Lecturer

Ghasson has obtained his PhD in Architecture from Bath University, UK. He is an architect by profession with a wide range of experience in the design and property management of office, residential and commercial buildings. He has acted in an advisory capacity to Housing Associations, PROMIS , Dubai, CIB and Building Research Establishment (BRE).

More about Ghasson

Amanda Mundell

Senior Lecturer

Amanda is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering and the Built Environment and teaches on post-graduate and undergraduate programmes. Her teaching experience is supported by 2:1 law degree (specialising in Planning and Environmental Law), a post-graduate professional qualification (Legal Practice Course), along with 15 years...

More about Amanda