Construction Management with Foundation Year

Construction Management is the discipline concerned with the planning, coordination and delivery of construction projects, combining technical knowledge of building and infrastructure with the management skills needed to bring complex schemes to completion on time, within budget, and to the required standard. It is a profession that operates at the intersection of engineering, business, law and logistics, and it plays a central role in delivering the housing, infrastructure and commercial buildings that society depends on.

At the University of Derby, this four-year full-time programme with a foundation year is designed to widen access to the discipline by providing additional academic preparation before you engage with the main degree curriculum. The foundation year builds the mathematical, scientific and academic foundations needed for construction management study, and the programme then develops your technical knowledge of construction technology, structural principles, project planning, cost management, contract law, health and safety, and sustainable construction. A sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities are all available, giving you an unusually comprehensive range of professional and international experience alongside the academic curriculum.

The UK construction industry is consistently one of the strongest graduate recruiters, supported by sustained demand for housing, infrastructure renewal, and the decarbonisation of the built environment. Graduates work in contracting, project management, site management, development management, the public sector, and consultancy. Many pursue professional membership of bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Building, which supports long-term career progression into senior management and leadership roles.

The combination of technical knowledge, management skills and professional experience this degree provides is a strong foundation for a career in the built environment.