BSc Hons Building Surveying

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Leeds Beckett University

Program Overview

This degree equips you with the skills to assess, preserve, refurbish, and manage built structures—both new and existing. It’s RICS-accredited, so it’s particularly suitable if you want to become a chartered building surveyor, working on everything from historic buildings to modern construction, site inspections to sustainability.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1
In your first year, you’ll establish foundational knowledge in construction, law, economics, design, and building science. Modules like Introduction to Construction Measurement & Estimating, Introduction to Construction Technology, Law in the Built Environment, Building Design Through the Ages, Building Science & Services, and Built Environment Economics help you understand how buildings are designed, built, and valued, plus how legal and economic factors affect them.

Year 2
In the second year, things get more applied and specialised. You’ll study Building Pathology, Construction Communications & Application, Construction Technology (at a deeper level), Building Surveying Commercial Management, Contract Practice, plus an Interdisciplinary Practice module. These help you learn how to diagnose building defects, manage commercial aspects of surveys, understand contract law, and communicate findings in realistic, cross-disciplinary contexts.

Year 3
In the final year you pull everything together: you work on Commercial Construction Management, Facilities Maintenance Management, Inter-Professional Consultancy, Refurbishment & Conservation, and a Dissertation. You’ll engage with real-world conservation/refurbishment projects, practice consultancy-type work, plan maintenance strategies for facilities, and carry out independent research to sharpen expertise and prepare for entering the profession. A placement/sandwich option is also available to gain industry experience between Years 2 & 3.

Focus Areas

"Building pathology and defect diagnosis; refurbishment and conservation; contract law & contract practice; building measurement, technology & science; facility maintenance & management; commercial/heritage project management; sustainable building practices"

Learning Outcomes

"You will gain ability to evaluate condition and defects in existing structures; design and manage refurbishment, conservation, and maintenance work; apply legal, contractual and health & safety frameworks; use measurement and technology (including modern modelling tools); communicate professionally with clients, contractors, and multidisciplinary teams; carry out independent research and problem-solving in building surveying contexts"

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

This BSc (Hons) Building Surveying is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). That means once you graduate and complete the required professional experience, you are eligible to aim for full RICS Chartered status. A sandwich/placement year in industry helps you gain practical experience toward that.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

According to the HESA Graduate Outcomes 2022-23, 100% of graduates from this course are in work or further study 15 months after graduation.
National Student Survey 2024: 100% of students were positive about how teaching staff explain things.
Good employability outcomes: many grads move into roles like Building Surveyor, Project Manager, Conservation Officer, Facilities / Estates Management etc.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

You won’t just study theory. The course is built so you’ll be out there in the field, using tools & tech, working with real situations, and being connected with industry. There are regular site visits (both contemporary developments and historic buildings) so you can see how construction, repair, refurbishment, heritage work, maintenance etc. are done in practice. You’ll also work on group projects, case studies, and collaborative assignments which reflect what building surveyors do in real life. On top of that, the course is accredited by RICS, so there are professional standards baked in (e.g. in measurement, law, heritage, condition surveys). You’ll get support in developing skills like contract practice, building pathology (understanding defects, materials, structure), and you’ll learn digital modelling / tools. Plus, there is a placement year option so you can spend time working in industry applying what you’ve learned.

Here are the specifics:

Key Tools, Facilities, and Learning Elements

Software / Modelling Tools: The course includes software application and modelling tools relevant to surveying. It doesn’t list every software, but modelling tools are part of the programme.
Site Visits: You’ll have many site visits, both to modern construction and historic buildings. These provide you first-hand exposure to building fabric, refurbishment, maintenance, and heritage building issues.
Group & Individual Projects: Assessment includes collaborative working, project modules, real-life case studies, etc. These sharpen your ability to work with teams, communicate with other disciplines (engineers, architects), and solve complex building problems.
Placement Year (Industry Experience): You have the option of a placement year (sometimes called a “sandwich year”) typically between Years 2 and 3, giving you a full year in industry. This helps you apply your skills in real-work settings and builds your CV.
Historic / Conservation Work: Because surveyors often deal with older buildings, heritage, conservation etc., the course includes modules & projects dealing with repair, refurbishment, conservation, and maintaining buildings of historic interest.

Facilities & Support

Northern Terrace Building: This houses the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing. It has been updated/refurbished, with modern teaching spaces and specialist labs.
Building Services Engineering Lab: Up-to-date lab with industry standard equipment and software—good for hands-on technical work.
Sheila Silver Library + Computer Training Rooms: These provide high-spec computer resources, study spaces, access to specialist journals and resources.

Why This Matters & How It Prepares You

The RICS accreditation means the syllabus is aligned with what employers expect. Once you graduate (and complete required professional experience) you can go on to full professional membership.
Because of the placement year, you will build contacts, get exposure to workplace norms (e.g. contracts, regulation, health & safety, defect diagnosis), and often be more employable immediately after graduation.
You’ll likely graduate with a skill-set that includes surveying techniques, defect & materials analysis, measurement, law and regulation (contract law, planning, heritage law), project management, conservation & refurbishment principles, and digital modelling or tools.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates from this degree often go into roles such as Building Surveyor, Conservation Officer, Estates Manager, or Project Manager. Leeds Beckett reports 100% of students on the BSc (Hons) Building Surveying course are in work or further study 15 months after graduation.

Here’s what supports you, what outcomes are typical, and what long-term value you get:

University services & support:
- The placement year in industry (between Years 2 and 3) gives you real-world work experience, connections, and a stronger CV.
- Regular site visits, including to modern developments and historic building projects, so you see how theory translates into practice.
- Teaching from experienced building surveyors, guest lectures from planners, architects, engineers, etc., so you get exposure to industry thinking.
- Extensive support in career readiness: helping with CVs, interview skills, connecting with employers. The university’s Graduate Promise supports you from day one up until 18 months after graduating.
Employment stats & salary figures:
- 100% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after finishing the course.
- Median salary around £23,000 15 months after graduation for students in Building & Construction-type roles. Over 3-5 years, this tends to increase (for example to around £27,000 after 3 years and more after that) depending on role, location, experience.
- Very low unemployment for this course; most graduates are employed in jobs that use the skills they studied.
University–industry partnerships:
- Strong regional industry links: guest lectures, real-life projects, involvement of practitioners in teaching.
- Opportunities to engage with existing and historic buildings, which involves conservation and refurbishment projects that often need collaboration with heritage/engineering bodies.
Long-term accreditation value:
- The degree is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). That means after completing your degree and required professional experience + assessment, you can become a Chartered Building Surveyor. That significantly boosts credibility, employability, and career options.
Graduation outcomes:
- Job roles you might move into include Building Surveyor, Project Manager, Estates Manager, Conservation Officer, Expert Witness, etc.
- Because the course gives you a broad grounding (design, law, building pathology, historic environment, sustainability), you’re not restricted to only one type of surveying ‒ you can shift across specialisms as your interests grow.

Further Academic Progression:
You have several good options after finishing BSc (Hons) Building Surveying:

Enroll in a master’s programme in a specialized area such as Building Pathology, Construction Law & Dispute Resolution, Historic Building Conservation, or Facilities Management.
Alternatively, take part in continuing professional development (CPD) modules and short courses relevant to your specialization (for instance in heritage conservation, sustainable buildings, advanced building inspection technologies).
With your accredited degree + work experience, you’ll be eligible for the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) route to become a Chartered Building Surveyor.
If you enjoy research, you could even think about pursuing a PhD in topics around built environment, conservation, sustainability, or building science.