Quantity Surveying

Quantity surveying is the professional discipline concerned with the management of costs, contracts, and commercial risk in construction and infrastructure projects. Quantity surveyors advise clients and construction teams on the financial aspects of building, from initial feasibility assessments and cost planning through contract preparation, procurement, and tendering, to the management of costs during construction and the settlement of final accounts. The role requires both technical knowledge of construction methods and materials and the commercial, legal, and management skills needed to navigate complex contract environments.

As the construction industry faces pressures around sustainability, digitalisation, and rising material costs, quantity surveyors who can bring rigour and judgement to financial management of the built environment are consistently in demand.

At Roehampton University, this three-year full-time degree with a foundation year and a sandwich year with work placement provides a comprehensive education in quantity surveying for students from a wide range of prior educational backgrounds. The foundation year builds the professional and academic foundations needed for the degree, introducing key roles and processes in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry alongside the study skills needed for successful degree-level study. Across the programme you will develop expertise in construction economics, contract law, procurement, project management, building technology, and the practical and professional aspects of quantity surveying practice.

The sandwich year with work placement provides a substantial period of professional experience in the industry, giving you direct exposure to the work of quantity surveyors and building the professional competence and networks that employers value.

Graduates are well placed for careers as quantity surveyors in private practice, contracting companies, client organisations, and the public sector. The professional pathway leads to Chartered Surveyor status with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which is the mark of professional qualification in the field. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study or professional development training to complete the requirements for RICS membership, while others build experience in practice before pursuing chartership.

Roles in project management, commercial management, and contract administration are also common destinations.