Construction Management BSc (Hons)

Level 3 (foundation year)

• Foundation in Engineering, Computing and Technology

  This module will provide students with the necessary skills to begin studying at level 4 in Engineering, Computer Science and related courses. Students will be introduced to the core skills necessary to succeed in higher education, including thinking critically, researching and referencing appropriately, demonstrating appropriate numeracy and ICT skills, and communicating effectively verbally and in writing. In addition to these fundamental skills, Students will cover the subjects underpinning the technological disciplines. Fundamental mathematical skills will be covered, alongside pre-calculus, followed by an introduction to calculus and vector and matrix arithmetic. Students will also be introduced to Classical mechanics, and its application to real-world scenarios. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of computer science, learning about the principles behind programming and applying them through a series of practical coding exercises. Students will undertake a multi-disciplinary group project as they learn about the collaborative nature of engineering, and design from a broader perspective of business. The module is made up of the following eight constituent elements: Interactive Learning Skills and Communication (ILSC); Information Communication Technology (ICT); Critical Thinking; Maths for Scientists; Maths for Engineers; Physics for Engineers; Fundamentals of Computing; Engineering Design.

Year one, core modules

• Introduction to Civil Law and Legislation

  This module introduces you to the structure and processes of the English legal system, the sources of the law, and to basic legal concepts and skills you'll need to address more detailed legal issues later on. It's an essential foundation to the development of the legal skills necessary to give sound advice to clients in your professional career. You will focus in particular on the English Civil Law, as this is the branch of the law most relevant to you both in following modules and in professional careers after completing your course. Certain Criminal Law topics will be included where necessary, to understand or draw a distinction between processes in the two branches of the law. A key aim of the module is to develop your research skills, specifically in the field of legal issues affecting your work, together with your ability to analyse research material, and to marshal material and facts into cogent advice and reports.

• Site Management and Safety

  Examine health and safety issues within the construction industry and their integration throughout the processes of design, tender award and construction. You will explore the roles of all parties involved, from both moral and legal viewpoints, as well as past and current attitudes. You will consider the safety record within the construction industry and identify health and safety legislation aimed at reducing accident rates. You will also focus on the process of hazard identification and risk assessment and learn to produce method statements following on from risk assessments. Finally, you will identify safe systems of work and relate theory to practice.

• The Built Environment Work Sector

  Investigate the environments in which the work sector operates, its performance within these contexts and factors that influence the operation of organisations. You will focus on the role of the professions in the built environment sector and opportunities for employment and career progression. You will then examine people in the environment and their attempts to control the development of society politically, socially and economically through land use in both organic and planned terms from earliest civilisation to the present day. You will discuss multicultural perspectives and issues within built environment and the complications of the present day structure of the building and development industry.

• Construction Economics

  You will gain an understanding of basic microeconomic and macroeconomic principles and how they impact on firms in the built environment. This allows you to develop an appreciation of the importance of the economy on the industry you choose to go into at the end of your studies. The learning experience combines formal lectures with workshops and tutorial discussion to provide a foundation of understanding.

• IT and Communications

  Students entering Higher Education will need specific study skills to enable them to maximise their learning potential and take advantage of opportunities available both in the academic setting and workplace. This module is intended to be both preparatory and supportive, building a strong foundation for learning and later development. You will gain Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills for information management and presentation purposes and will be encouraged to use contemporary ICT methods for research and for the production and presentation of reports, in a style suitable both for university coursework requirements and the commercial environment.

• Elements of Construction Design

  This module is designed for students of construction, surveying and architecture to introduce them to some of the basic analytical concepts and processes involved in the design of structures. Students will develop analytical skills which will allow them to carry out basic structural calculations. Students will also be introduced to basic 2D drafting techniques using industry standard software. This will allow them to effectively interpret technical drawing and give them the skills which can be applied to their specialist discipline area in later modules. Skills in this medium are highly sought after in the construction industry. BIM will be introduced to the student and students will gain an appreciation of technology and the role of the designer in the construction process and have an understanding of the design process. The assessment for this module will take the form of a portfolio which will include CAD drawings and basic structural analysis such as bending moments, shear forces and reactions. It is important that sketches are used in the portfolio as a means of communicating the concepts.

• Building Technology

  This module is designed for students of construction, surveying and architecture with little and/or no prior knowledge of building construction, services and material properties. You will learn the common materials and methods of construction of both new and traditional housing, by considering in turn each of the main elements of a building's structure. You'll also study the requirements of the internal environment, so as to understand how services installations contribute to user comfort. Other basic aspects such as the personnel involved, health and safety requirements and specialised terminology will be illustrated as appropriate to support this. You'll acquire knowledge related to domestic construction and be able to justify why different materials are used in the built environment.

• Elementary Survey Skills

  Develop the necessary site related survey skills for students entering the construction industry. You will gain a theoretical understanding as well as hands-on practice in the use of both traditional and contemporary instruments used to set-up and control the most common elements of construction. You will also learn the basic off-site calculations necessary to prepare the site, quality and/or survey documentation to meet specified tolerances and employer requirements. The skills you will gain here are expected from the most junior of site engineers and managers, so will be valuable for your future career.

Year two, core modules

• Advanced Construction Technology

  You will develop a broad understanding of the way we build our commercial and industrial buildings. Leading on from the study of domestic construction, you will consider the functional requirements of single-storey industrial sheds and multi-storey framed structures in concrete and steel. In addition, you will examine the affects on the construction process of the latest legislation in relation to fire and health and safety. You will receive a great deal of guidance to help develop your skills.

• Procurement and Costing

  This module intends to introduce an understanding and appreciation of the commercial aspects of construction work for construction managers. The importance of the selection and application of various procurement routes will be considered, alongside the factors required to be considered at tender adjudication. The way costs are subsequently managed on an ongoing basis throughout the construction phase of the project will be explored, with emphasis on the role of the construction project manager within this process. Practical skills in interpreting drawn and written information will be developed, enabling the quantification and measurement of a range of construction and civil engineering activities. Students will develop the analytical processes necessary for accurately assessing the cost of such works in accordance with the relevant standard forms of measurement (with a focus on the RICS New Rules of Measurement), throughout the project life-cycle, enabling the computation of accurate costs (both direct and indirect), including relevant commercial factors and risk etc.

• Construction Planning and Programming

  Examine the process of production planning for construction works, analyse the use of production planning techniques and how they may aid the construction process. We will investigate production planning techniques such as programming of the works using bar charts, method statements and resource scheduling. You will also prepare cash flow forecasts based on your production programmes and the effect that such forecasts may have on the project. This module is project based and of a practical nature, giving you the practical experience of using the above project planning techniques in a 'live situation'. You will be given the opportunity to react to simulated events during the project life cycle such as delays and disruptions to the works.

• Environmental Building Performance

  The main approach for this module is a scientific one, focusing on the analysis of a problem or set of problems, followed by the synthesis of a solution. Considerable emphasis is placed on the use of environmental criteria to assess a building’s thermal, visual and aural performance. You will explore a number of scientific methods, with a limited amount of practical experiment-based work; technical solutions for lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning a building; and the passive design features of a building.

• Project Administration

  Learn how to manage and administer a building contract from a legal and economic standpoint. You will learn how contracts are constructed, interpret their contents and manage the more routine legal and financial aspects through the completion of a contract and its final account. Learn through problem solving and case study activity that simulates a live project and the likely circumstances that arise. We ensure what you learn has direct application to practice and will give you valuable employability skills.

• Construction Resource Management

  In this module you will learn the theories, skills and competencies needed to identify and manage the resources to operate a construction organisation and in particular the development process. You will develop a number of key management skills which enable efficient project and organisational situations to be changed. We will investigate how the macro-economic environment affects the way managers design micro-economic systems and from this manage resources, and use systems theory to help you understand how organisations function. You will examine supply chain management in detail, with case studies from other industries used as a focus for improving approaches adopted in construction. The way in which financial resources are measured, administered and reconciled in a systematic fashion is studied. You will also be given the opportunity to evaluate the significance of how the human resource is procured, retained and motivated.

• Ethics and Professional Practice

  This module seeks to explore the growing consideration of ethics and professionalism within the construction industry context. Fundamental to good construction business is the need to recognise the moral and ethical issues that sit alongside the planning, creation, and endurance of a built environment that recognises the diversity of user needs and is able to ensure inclusivity for all. The module will explore contemporary ethical issues in construction industry, with specialist guest speakers included within the programme where beneficial. Framed by the Chartered Institute of Building’s Code of Conduct, professional practice will also be examined, and used to enable students to reflect on both their own practices and those which they find within the wider construction industry. This process will result in the production of a personal development plan, an ‘exit plan’ from the degree course, which will support students as they progress towards chartered status.

Work placement (optional placement year)

Year three, core modules

• Major Project (Construction Management)

  You will undertake a substantial original study to investigate a subject, issue, or problem and produce a usable outcome. Your project will be undertaken under the supervision of an academic member of staff, supported by taught classroom sessions at the beginning of the module. These taught sessions enable students to develop research and study skills such as reviewing and analysing literature, developing a research question, collecting, presenting and analysing data, and managing the research process.

• Project Management

  Develop your knowledge of basic management theories, and demonstrate your relevance and application in the planning, organisation and control of construction projects. You will research appropriate theories, skills and competencies related to the life cycle of a project from the client's conceptual vision, through the project identification and definition stages, applying appropriate project implementation, execution and control processes to effect successful closure of a project. You will also research and develop operational techniques used in the planning, scheduling and control of projects. You will consider the holistic integrated nature of the project management role on a construction project develop the specialist techniques which question the usual functional and organisational boundaries. This will help you appreciate the strategic relevance of project management, and the unique features of project management which distinguish it from other forms of management.

• Running a Construction Business

  This module enables you to acquire the knowledge and competencies to run a contracting organisation in a highly volatile economic environment. You will use a computer simulation package, which allows you to run a construction business using real world data. You will work in teams when running the simulation, and will analyse organisational data, with each student required to produce an individual report. By the end of this module you will understand how to make changes and decisions in a business strategy to meet tactical organisational objectives.

• Environmental Management for the Construction Industry

  The growth in environmental awareness, at all levels from local to international, over recent decades is introduced and considered in the context of the construction industry. Explore the legislation and other pressures for the protection of the environment, including pollution control and environmental impact assessment, the advantages and disadvantages of formal and informal environmental management systems are examined. You’ll also consider the design implications of concepts such as life cycle analysis. By the end of the module, you should be able to look at environmental management, not as a burden, but as a fundamental part of the efficient management of the construction industry, enabling you to guide present or future employers towards a sustainable future.

• Construction Technology and Innovation

  This module focuses on current construction issues and trends of a technological nature, including the critical review of methods of special construction. We will assess your learning through a formal presentation, during which you are encouraged to use a variety of illustrative methods to support your work. This is backed up by written proposals containing elements of both group and individual work.

• The Strategic Construction Entrepreneur

  This module will develop your entrepreneurial skills within the context of the contemporary construction industry. You will develop their knowledge and understanding of current industry contexts (e.g. relating to local and global markets, and wider political and economic climates), industry initiatives (e.g. Lean, BIM, digital construction, AI, collaborative cultures, ethics), and industry practices (e.g. H&S strategy, zero harm, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, supply chain integration).

• Project Evaluation and Development

  The module provides the student with the opportunity to explore the various issues that need to be evaluated when considering a building development from inception until final completion and retention and/or disposal of the building. The context and content of this module integrates knowledge and skills obtained from previous management and design modules. It examines them in a holistic manner and explores their complex inter-relationships. Issues related to the client, the site, planning, financial appraisal, design technology, legal, health and safety and environment will all be examined within a theoretical and practical framework. The module develops the student's ability to comprehend the totality and implications of the development process and to make reasoned value judgements as to its potential feasibility. This is achieved by a detailed examination of local planning policies for the site coupled with a financial analysis of the proposed scheme by use of traditional and modern forms of valuation techniques. The module also focuses on project appraisal, pre construction processes, construction and post construction processes, marketing disposal and evaluation. The module is project based with studio teaching which is undertaken by various strategies such as formal group lectures, group seminars and individual tutorials. Site visits are arranged where appropriate to underpin student knowledge and understanding of practical issues. Joint staff and student criticisms and presentations occur throughout the delivery. Employability skills Students will assess a site for future development opportunities in a manner that satisfies a potential client's need in terms of financial reward, design, procurement, management and cost in use or final disposal of the completed project. Students will improve their communication skills both in terms of report writing and oral presentations to their peers and tutors. Analytical skills will be developed through employment of financial appraisal and risk management strategies.