Commercial Management

Commercial management and quantity surveying sits at the heart of the construction and property industry, responsible for the financial and contractual management of projects from initial cost planning through to final account. Quantity surveyors and commercial managers ensure that construction projects are delivered within budget, that contracts are properly administered, that costs are controlled, and that the commercial risks of complex projects are identified and managed. In an industry where projects regularly run into tens or hundreds of millions of pounds, this expertise is essential.

At London South Bank University, this four-year full-time programme includes both a foundation year for students whose prior qualifications may not meet standard degree entry requirements and a sandwich year in which you gain substantial industry experience before your final year. Work placement provision is also built in. The foundation year provides a genuine academic pathway into the profession for students who have the aptitude and determination to succeed in a technical and commercially demanding discipline.

The main programme covers the core competencies of quantity surveying and commercial management: cost estimation, contract law, project finance, procurement, and the commercial management of construction projects. The typical entry tariff for the foundation route is 88 UCAS points.

Graduates work in construction companies, professional quantity surveying practices, property developers, infrastructure organisations, and government agencies managing capital programmes. The professional qualification pathway leads to membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which is the standard professional body for the discipline. Many graduates go on to become chartered surveyors and to take senior commercial and project management roles in the construction and property sector.