Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management with Foundation Year

Quantity surveyors are highly sought after because they combine financial and business acumen with first-rate technical skills. Featuring a foundation year to give you a strong platform for success, this degree will put you on the path to senior positions in the construction industry.

• Once you have completed your Foundation Year, you'll join a course accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), and the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES)
• Gain the ideal preparation for a demanding, responsible and rewarding career as a chartered quantity surveyor
• Develop a broad and sound understanding of the scientific, technological, professional, legal and management skills related to key areas of quantity surveying
• Choose a course designed in close collaboration with employers and aligned to professional practice in the industry
• Take an optional work placement between stages two and three – you will gain valuable experience in developing the skills and knowledge employers are looking for

Built Environments - your questions answered

In the below video, Programme Leader for Civil Engineering, Derek Spalton, answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Built Environments at the University of Derby. 

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

If you are looking for a varied and challenging career, our BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management is a smart choice. We will equip you with all the skills you need to provide clients with value for money while meeting the strict regulations which govern the construction industry.

A dynamic profession

Quantity surveying entails essential skills related to the planning and procurement of construction activity, including involvement in various parts of the design and construction process. It could be advising a client about this month’s valuation or speaking with an engineer to assess the cost implications of a design solution.

Our new BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management programme will help you to develop, enhance and deepen those skills in accordance with latest industry thinking.

Important industry partnerships

Developed in close collaboration with employers, this course is aligned to professional practice in the construction industry. Our strong industrial links will ensure that your studies are technologically relevant and that you acquire all the knowledge and abilities you need to practise as a quantity surveyor.

Our teaching team are also recognised in the field for example, our Head of Discipline for Built Environments, Dr Joanna Poon, has been ranked in the Top 100 for Most Influential Women in Construction 2024 by the National Federation of Builders.

A rich learning experience

You will learn through group work, individual assignments, lectures, seminars, site visits, field studies and site/building surveys. All these serve a variety of functions essential to the education of built environment professionals.

Assessment of your project work will be undertaken on a continuous basis, involving either individual or group assessment. Assessment of group work may entail an element of peer group review which will contribute to your overall performance.

You can also get involved with local projects, for example Down to Earth Derby's 'New Commons'. For the last several years we have been working with Down to Earth Derby, on nature-based regeneration and connecting communities with nature and growing food. A major project we are working on at the moment, with the Eden Project, is a community garden on part of Sturgess Fields, a site owned by the University between Kedleston Road and Markeaton Street sites. The plan is to create a New Commons that will be managed with the community. There are opportunities for you to work on this project, designing sustainable buildings and structures.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Real world learning

You will learn through a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials, site visits and visits to companies.

How you are assessed

You will be assessed through computer workshops, surveying field work, group work and individual assignments and examinations.

Highly sought after due to their financial and business acumen, quantity surveyors often hold very senior positions in industry, local government and central government. You will find that career opportunities also exist in a number of related fields, including the built environment, civil and heavy engineering and the offshore and petrochemical industries.

Quantity surveyors are responsible for the cost of any building project - from initial estimates right through to the final acquisition of materials. Surveying jobs and their associated roles are varied, but generally focussed on providing clients with value for money while adhering to the strict regulations which govern every aspect of the construction industry.

Day-to-day responsibilities include roles inside the office, on the construction site or in meetings with clients and other project personnel. While the very nature of construction work ensures that no two projects are ever the same, a typical work day might involve:

• preparation of contracts, including details regarding the quantities of required materials
• on-going cost analysis of maintenance and repair work
• feasibility studies of client requests
• analysing completed work and arranging payment to contractors
• allocating upcoming work to contractors
• site visits, assessments and projections for future work

Quantity surveyors may choose to specialise in a specific area of the construction industry and concentrate on areas like property taxation, costing advice, maintenance of existing buildings and application to funding sources.

2025 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

2025/26

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Other courses you might like

• Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management BSc (Hons)

Contact us

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