Building Surveying

Building surveying is the construction and property profession concerned with the condition, performance and management of existing buildings. Where architectural practice focuses on new design, building surveyors specialise in understanding how buildings work and age: identifying defects and their causes, advising on repair and maintenance strategies, managing refurbishment and conversion projects, and ensuring that existing stock is maintained, adapted and where necessary restored to a usable and compliant condition. It is a discipline that draws on construction technology, law, contract management and property knowledge, and applies them to the complex realities of the built environment as it stands.

At the University of Salford you will study building surveying over three years of full-time study, developing a knowledge base and skill set across building pathology, construction technology, project management, contract administration, planning and heritage. A sandwich year and integrated work placement provide substantial professional experience, connecting your academic learning to real projects and professional environments and giving you direct exposure to how building surveyors work in practice. The typical tariff of 120 reflects a programme that welcomes motivated students from a range of educational backgrounds, and Salford's location in the urban North West provides direct access to a rich and varied built environment for study and fieldwork.

Graduates work in private practice surveying firms, construction companies, housing associations, local authorities, the NHS, historic building organisations and property consultancies. Many pursue professional qualification as chartered surveyors through the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, specialising in the building surveying pathway. Career destinations include project management, contract administration, property development, facilities management, conservation and building control.

The degree offers genuinely varied career directions across the UK and internationally, reflecting the breadth of roles in which building surveyors contribute to the management and improvement of the built environment.