Building Surveying

Building surveying is the professional discipline concerned with the inspection, assessment, repair, maintenance, conversion and project management of buildings and the built environment. Building surveyors advise clients on the condition and value of properties, manage construction and refurbishment projects, assess the causes of defects and recommend remedies, ensure compliance with planning and building regulations, and manage disputes and contracts in the construction industry. The profession combines technical knowledge of construction and materials with legal, financial and management expertise.

At Northumbria University, this extended four-year full-time programme is particularly rich in practical and international experience. It includes a sandwich year for extended professional placement, a year abroad at a partner institution overseas, and work placement experience built into the degree. This means you graduate with both academic knowledge and substantial demonstrated professional experience in real surveying and construction environments.

You will study building technology, construction law, project management, building pathology, valuation, property management and the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the built environment.

Graduates typically seek to join the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which is the principal professional body for building surveyors in the UK, and many employers offer structured routes toward RICS membership alongside graduate employment. Career routes include building surveying practices, property consultancies, housing associations, local authorities, NHS estates teams, insurance companies, construction companies and commercial property owners. The sandwich placement experience is particularly valued by employers, many of whom recruit directly from placement cohorts.

Postgraduate study in building surveying, construction project management or real estate provides a route for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.