An effective construction manager understands how to successfully organise and plan complex construction projects, diagnose corporate problems, and manage project teams, procurement, finance and risk. Many graduates use this course to gain the skills and knowledge required to advance their careers and undertake senior management positions.
The development of this course has been led by industry to ensure that it covers current industry trends and emerging future skills areas in construction management. Emphasis is on developing practical skills and tools for a rewarding career in construction. Additionally this course provides hands-on training in the use of state-of-the-art software tools and techniques.
This course will teach you how to successfully organise and plan complex construction projects and you will gain an understanding of international markets. You will also learn how to diagnose corporate problems and manage a multitude of areas including people, finance and risk. Additionally, you will be taught to recognise the significance of processes, technology and people to the success of projects in the construction industry.
This full Masters degree is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Association for Project Management (APM); educating you to the highest industry standards.
This course can be studied full-time, part-time on campus, or part-time by online distance learning. Admission onto the course is in September or January.
The Masters award consists of four taught modules followed by a Research Methods module and Dissertation. The PgDip requires the completion of the four taught modules. All modules are delivered over a 15 week period and are assessed through written coursework.
FOR THE FULL-TIME STUDY OPTION:
You will study two 30 credit taught modules in each of your first two semesters, these are designed to give you the core knowledge required in construction management. In the final semester you will undertake a dissertation worth 60 credits.
FOR THE DISTANCE LEARNING STUDY OPTION:
A 30 credit taught module is studied in each semester for the first 24 months. Assessment of these modules is driven by real-world problems aligned to your workplace and job role. Teaching is based around a virtual learning environment supported by interactive online sessions.
FOR THE PART-TIME ON CAMPUS STUDY OPTION:
Part-time students attend the University one day per week, usually on day release from employment in industry. A 30 credit module is studied each semester. Throughout the final two semesters you choose to undertake a dissertation or research by design project.
On campus study is delivered through a variety of learning and teaching methods. Lectures introduce new material and provide the core knowledge base for each module. Tutorials offer the opportunity for discussion and debate with personalised instruction from lecturers. Project work is an important aspect of the course enabling you to initiate and control research or other techniques to develop solutions to prescribed tasks. Throughout the course expert guest lecturers in relevant fields are invited to deliver lectures.
Distance learning uses an internet-based learning environment backed up by intensive tutor support. Weekly online tutorials are led by tutors with student interaction. Our online repository of learning material enables you to undertake self directed study at your own convenience. Learning is driven by real-world problems aligned to your workplace and job role.
Full-time: Approximately two days per week
Distance Learning: Two to three hours online contact time with up to five hours personal study time per week
You will be assessed through:
This course will prepare you for a management position in the construction industry. Graduates have gone on to roles in project, construction and architectural / engineering-design management. They include winners of the Whiting Award and the CIOB Building Manager of the Year competition.
Many graduates use this course to gain the skills and knowledge required to advance their careers and undertake a senior management role. Previous graduates have followed careers in the construction industry in project management, construction management, architectural and engineering design management. However, a significant number have also branched out into parallel careers in the civil engineering, financial, legal and business sectors. Our graduates work across the globe for many of the world's leading built environment organisations. Many graduates have gone on to achieve notable success, with numerous winners of the Whiting Award and also several awards in the CIOB Building Manager of the Year competition.
More and more in today's corporate environment, successful organisations are viewing real estate and facilities management as an integral part of their strategic business plan. Real estate facilities management is a vital strategic discipline because it "translates" the high-level, strategic change required by senior decision-makers into day-to-day reality for people in their work or living space.
This course has been created to help construction professionals develop and enhance the project management skills required in the construction industry.
You’ll prepare for the challenges of the changing and increasingly global construction industry with a focus on the financial, planning and management aspects of a project life cycle. You’ll explore construction processes from inception and feasibility, design, contact and construction through to commissioning, maintenance, renewal and decommissioning. The philosophy of the course is to develop a “whole life” understanding of constructed facilities and infrastructure.
A choice of optional modules will allow you to strengthen existing technical and engineering skills, or gain an understanding of a new topic. You’ll benefit from the expertise of our Institute for Resilient Infrastructure, the Institute for Public Health and Environmental Engineering and the active research groups across the Faculty of Engineering.
Our specialist facilities will also support your studies, such as bench-top testing facilities to look at the fundamental behaviour of material soils and testing rigs for full-scale structures. We have all the specialist software you’ll need for your programme, and you’ll have access to a dedicated study suite for Masters students.
The programme also offers you the opportunity to undertake projects in a multi-disciplinary environment, with access to the expertise in both the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure and the Institute for Public Health and Environmental Engineering.
This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired a partial CEng accredited undergraduate first degree.
This course is also accredited by EUR-ACE, the European quality label for engineering degree programmes at Bachelor and Master level.
Throughout the programme you’ll gain an understanding of the different aspects of project management within the construction industry. You’ll learn about common project management tools and techniques, then put this into the “whole project” context and consider when and how to use them.
At the same time, you’ll consider risk management and its role during the project lifecycle. Whole Life Asset Management examines the “whole life management” of infrastructure, with additional focus on operations, maintenance, renewal and decommissioning.
The Applied Construction Management module explores the management process during the execution phase of projects. Another core module will introduce you to a variety of procurement strategies to keep projects running effectively. You’ll also choose from a range of optional modules to focus on topics that suit your interests and career plans.
Over the summer months you’ll work with your supervisor to complete your independent research project – a chance to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you’ve gained and perhaps specialise in an area that relates to your career ambitions.
Want to find out more about your modules?
Take a look at the International Construction Management and Engineering module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines. You’ll have regular contact with them through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings.
Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.
You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.
The dissertation project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.
Most projects are experimentally based and linked with companies within the oil and gas industry to ensure the topic of research is relevant to the field whilst also addressing a real-world problem.
Recent projects for MSc International Construction Management and Engineering students have included:
A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and can include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer.
Upon graduation you may expect to find employment in a range of roles across the construction industry, as a construction manager, planning engineer or project manager among many others. Opportunities also exist with multidisciplinary consulting organisations, while many of our graduates return to work for government agencies and other large client organisations.
Our graduates have gone on to develop careers with organisations worldwide including Ministry of Prisons KSA, Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong, African Development Bank, Ghana Highways Authority, TATA Steel, Network Rail, Turner & Townsend, Mace Group, M+W Shanghai Co., Damac Properties, China State Railways and Keller Ground Engineering.
This is an international programme of advanced management studies for the modern construction industry.
We develop specialist expertise on how to manage organisations engaged in construction from the multiple perspectives of the client, design team, and contractor. This includes an overview of how the construction sector operates in the developed and developing world and of the macro-economic and micro-economic factors that influence the work of the sector.
The distinctive focus is on the management of the construction firm, including finance, organisation, project procurement, contracts for design and construction, information and communication technologies in the construction sector and the expectations of clients, developers, financiers and investors in a project.
The course suits those who have an interest in pursuing a career in the management of construction, whether on the supply side or the demand side. Graduates with professional experience will find this course provides a strong grounding for promotion to more senior management positions in the industry. Graduates without experience will find this course an excellent way to gain mastery of the topics relating to management in construction.
Another distinctive feature is in the application of research carried out by the staff of the School; the research informs policy nationally and internationally. All of our research is carried out through close work with industry partners and develops new ways of thinking about the management of construction. The course is constantly being updated with the latest thinking in all the various aspects of construction management.
The course is for graduates from any discipline who are seeking a professional qualification leading to employment in a dynamic, exciting profession involving the application of financial, managerial and property design skills.
The course is offered as a one-year full-time modular course or two-year flexible modular course. It is accredited by RICS and CIOB.
Sample modules
Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.
Dissertation
The dissertation is a major individual research project. Guidance will be given on choosing a research topic, research techniques and the style and presentation of the finished document. Classes in research skills are provided as part of the dissertation module. Students will have their own carefully selected dissertation tutor whose role is to help them plan and successfully execute this key part of the programme.
Full-time
We offer a one-year, full-time modular course. It is taught with ten, one-week attendance periods at the University. The full-time programme starts in September each year.
Flexible part-time
We also offer a two-year, part-time modular course. It is taught with ten, one-week attendance periods at the University. The duration of the flexible route is strongly recommended as two years, but this is not fixed. The flexible course starts in September each year.
Graduates will follow careers in a wide range of construction-related vocations: architectural and engineering design, project management, construction management, general business management, investment appraisal and in the public sector. Some pursue a career in research. This programme is particularly attractive to international students seeking to expand their knowledge and learn about construction management in different national contexts.
The Thouron Award - Typically, 6 to 10 awards are made each year to British graduates. Each award provides funding in excess of US$90,000 per year
UCFB, a world-first in higher education, trains and educates individuals for roles in the Football Industry
