BSc (Hons) Construction Management (with Foundation Year)
Course overview
Start date
September 2021
Subject area
Built Environment and Construction
Attendance
Full-time, 4 years
Full-time, 5 years
Part-time
Learning
On campus, dual delivery
Course summary
Ensuring that a building project runs smoothly, with enough materials, equipment, workers and money to deliver it, is a huge task. So, too, is monitoring construction quality and progress.
This course will give you the knowledge and contacts to take on that kind of responsibility.
You’ll learn a broad range of skills in your first year, sharing modules with Civil Engineering and Surveying. Later you can choose to specialise in specific construction management disciplines.
There are so many aspects to construction management – sorting out resources, materials and labour, planning transport routes. It’s all about what we call ‘supply chain management’. You have to make sure everything runs efficiently – and that means a lot of work in many different areas.
You need to have good inter-personal skills and be comfortable working as part of a large team. And you have to keep in mind your client’s requirements at all times. This course will help you learn how to juggle all these responsibilities successfully.
Return to campus: dual delivery
In a Covid-secure environment, enjoy learning on our state-of-the-art campuses and flex between online delivery
Find out moreMany of the world’s most prestigious construction projects are on our doorstep. Recent site visits have included the Tate Modern Phase 2 Extension, the Canary Wharf Crossrail station and the London City Island development. These visits are great for networking with professionals, many of whom are UEL graduates.
This course offers you the option of a year-long work placement between years two and three. It’s not compulsory but will give you extra credits – and it’ll look good on your CV. We have excellent links within the industry, with employers visiting the campus regularly to offer advice, work placements and jobs.
Students have the opportunity to attend the prestigious Constructionarium field trip where they plan and partner with a major contractor - in recent years P.J.Careys - to build a real building or facility. You’ll be working on real-life challenges in a real-life environment.
Vladut Volonga
Construction Management, BSc (Hons)
I’ve had a unique and life-changing experience at UEL. After years of working as a painter-decorator, I made the decision to boost my academic skills to try to pursue a more fulfilling career.
Within weeks of graduating, I was able to find a job as a manager on a major construction project. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.
Fees and funding
- September 2021
-
2021-22UK: Full-time
-
2021-22EU: Full-time
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees, which will be paid directly to UEL. There are no up-front fees required. Repayment only starts after you finish your course and are earning over £25,000. If you haven’t finished repaying your loan after 30 years it will be automatically cancelled.
To apply visit gov.uk/student-finance
Maintenance Loan
You can apply for a loan to help with living costs such as food, travel and accommodation. How much you can borrow depends on where you live and study, and whether you are currently on welfare benefits. The maximum loan you can apply for is £12,382.
To apply visit gov.uk/student-finance
Supplementary Grants
The government also offer the following additional support:
- Parent’s Learning Allowance
- Adult Dependants' Grant
- Childcare Grant
- Disabled Students’ Allowance
For further information visit gov.uk/student-finance
All students will receive:
Bursaries Schemes for which you can apply
- Care Leaver and Foyer Bursary - up to £1,500
- Progression Bursary - up to £2,000
- Engagement Bursary - up to £2,000
- Hardship Bursary - up to £2,000
- Helena Kennedy Foundation - £1,500
- Going Global – awards range from £300 - £700
Scholarships Schemes for which you can apply
- Vice Chancellor Scholarship - up to £27,750 over three years
- Dean Scholarship - up to £13,500 over three years
- Civic Engagement Scholarship - £1,000
- EU Scholarship (EU Only) - £1,000
- ELSEF Scholarship - £1,000
- UTC Scholarship - £1,500
- Sports Scholarships - up to £6,000
There are a number of external organisations that offer financial help to
students. Please see the below list to view additional support options.
Alternatively, you can visit the Scholarship Search website.
Please note that the University of East London is not responsible for
the content of these external sites and is not associated in any way
with the funding schemes and their application processes.
Bank Of England Scholarship Programme
European Funding GuideThe Student Disability Association Fund
Some courses offer the option of a placement year, giving you the chance to gain valuable work experience in a relevant industry between your second and third years. If you are an international student on a Tier 4 visa, you are able to undertake a placement if it is an integral and assessed part of your course.
In 2018/19 placement year tuition fees are set at £1,060.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are here to help you navigate your finances while you're a student at the University of East London.
We can give you advice, information and guidance on government and university funds so that you receive your full funding entitlement.
Email: study@uel.ac.uk
Phone: 020 8223 4444
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees, which will be paid directly to UEL. There are no up-front fees required. Repayment only starts after you finish your course and are earning over £25,000. If you haven’t finished repaying your loan after 30 years it will automatically be cancelled.
For information visit gov.uk/student-finance
Please note EU students can only apply for their funding using a paper application form.
To download a form visit www.gov.uk/student-finance-forms
All students will receive:
Bursaries Schemes for which you can apply
- Care Leaver and Foyer Bursary - up to £1,500
- Progression Bursary - up to £2,000
- Engagement Bursary - up to £2,000
- Hardship Bursary - up to £2,000
- Helena Kennedy Foundation - £1,500
- Going Global – awards range from £300 - £700
Scholarships Schemes for which you can apply
- Vice Chancellor Scholarship - up to £27,750 over three years
- Dean Scholarship - up to £13,500 over three years
- Civic Engagement Scholarship - £1,000
- EU Scholarship (EU Only) - £1,000
- ELSEF Scholarship - £1,000
- UTC Scholarship - £1,500
- Sports Scholarships - up to £6,000
There are a number of external organisations that offer financial help to
students. Please see the below list to view additional support options.
Alternatively, you can visit the Scholarship Search website.
Please note that the University of East London is not responsible for
the content of these external sites and is not associated in any way
with the funding schemes and their application processes.
Bank Of England Scholarship Programme
European Funding GuideThe Student Disability Association Fund
Some courses offer the option of a placement year, giving you the chance to gain valuable work experience in a relevant industry between your second and third years. If you are an international student on a Tier 4 visa, you are able to undertake a placement if it is an integral and assessed part of your course.
In 2018/19 placement year tuition fees are set at £1,060.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are here to help you navigate your finances while you're a student at the University of East London.
We can give you advice, information and guidance on government and university funds so that you receive your full funding entitlement.
Email: study@uel.ac.uk
Phone: 020 8223 4444
Entry requirements
- September 2021
-
Degree with Foundation Year
64
New UCAS Points
Access to HE Diploma (QAA approved) with 60 credits overall and 45 credits at Level 3
We will also consider the UEL New Beginnings pre-entry course
Overall IELTS score of 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking (or recognised equivalent).
If you do not meet the academic English language requirements for your course, you may be eligible to enrol onto a pre-sessional English programme. The length of the course will depend on your current level of English and the requirements for your degree programme. We offer a 5-week and an 11-week pre-sessional course. Find out more here.
Level 2 equivalences such as Level 2 Functional Skills in English / Maths, Level 2 Key Skills in Communication / Application of Number and Level 2 Adult Literacy / Adult Numeracy
Please note that some courses require applicants to meet the entry requirements outlined on the course page. Our pre-entry Information Advice and Guidance Team are able to provide further advice on entry requirements and suitability for study.
What you'll learn
Key areas you’ll study include the planning and financing of projects, required contract law and of course health and safety knowledge – both for yourself and others.
Building without proper planning can be a dangerous business when it comes to working at heights, excavating and shifting materials. You’ll learn how to manage it and make it safe.
You’ll also learn about sustainable design. Plus, you’ll look at the contractual side of things, and how to ensure sub-contractors work to the required standards.
Among the modules you’ll study on the course are: Building Technology and Materials: Advanced Technology, Planning and Production; Legal and Regulatory Framework; Contract Law in Construction; Tendering, Estimating and Cost Control; Sustainable Building Technology; and Project Management Studies.
Think of a triangle with three points – time, cost and quality. Time planning and logistics, cost control and management, and quality control are vital skills for a construction manager, and they’re skills employers will be looking for when you graduate.
What you'll study and when
We consistently review our courses to ensure we are up-to-date with industry changes and requirements from our graduates. As a result, our modules are subject to change.
- Mental Wealth; Professional Life
- Introduction to Computing
- Mathematical Applications
- Construction Technical Studies
- Spatial Communication & Visualisation
- Fundamentals of Construction Management
- Mental Wealth; Professional Life 1
- The Built Environment
- Construction Technology
- Land and Construction Surveying
- Analytical Skills in Built Environment
- Building Science and Materials
- Mental Wealth; Professional Life 2
- Contract Procedures
- Construction Planning and Production
- Measurement
- Advanced Sustainable Technology
- Tendering, Estimating, and Cost Control
The extra placement year means it will take four years to complete your studies, instead of three.
- Mental Wealth; Professional Life 3
- Capstone Project
- Project Management
- Advanced Construction Technology and Innovation
- Quantity Surveying Practice
How you'll be assessed
How you'll learn
Our Docklands site offers outstanding laboratories and workshops where we’ll support you in your studies.
You’ll learn through a mixture of lectures, tutorials, workshops and practical classes.
You’ll have access to sophisticated software, including the BIM (Building Information Modelling) digital system. This has a huge database of information about components –where they can be found, how much they cost and what the best maintenance regime for them is.
Each term we’re visited by around 20 local industry professionals – known as the Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) – to update us on changing requirements for graduates. They also supervise final-year projects, when they’ll be looking out for likely candidates to recruit for jobs.
Every year, our Civil Engineering and Construction Management students visit the Constructionarium site in Norfolk. There you’ll work as a team with a sponsoring contractor, such as Atkins, and professional consulting engineers to build scaled-down versions of famous bridges or buildings.
We organise weekly site visits to one of the hundreds of projects underway in and around east London. A recent trip involved checking how the Olympic Stadium was being reconfigured to meet the new demands of a football stadium and a major events venue.
We also have a programme of guest speakers. One of our regulars is Mark Shearon, a former UEL student who's now a senior Health and Safety Executive inspector.
Who will teach on this course
The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.
Learning by doing
Final-year student Arif Ahmed is undertaking research work with Prater, one of the UK’s leading specialist contractors, who are building the façade elements of the new International Quarter in Stratford.
Arif’s research involves quantifying the benefits of using mobile digital documents to speed up installation processes and improve quality so that it can be rolled out to similar projects.
This has involved Arif in learning about the company’s systems and the use of new digital apps as well employing his knowledge of modern methods of construction such as rain screen cladding systems.
It’s typical of the kind of hands-on learning that’s open to you on this course.
Your future career
Thanks to our excellent links with industry, graduates from this course have gone on to work on projects all over the world.
Some have been involved with UK construction projects such as the Shard and the Olympic Athletes’ Village in Stratford. Others have travelled internationally to areas of dynamic regeneration such as Dubai or Qatar.
Many of our overseas students go back to work in countries such as Nigeria and Malaysia
Your most likely job on graduation will be an assistant site manager, working in a role where you have responsibility for a broad range of activities. If you perform impressively on site, and deal well with people, you could soon find yourself taking responsibility for really large projects.
A typical project will take 18 months or two years, during which time you’ll be working very closely with a wide variety of people performing different jobs.
Say you’re working on a rail project, or on the London Underground. Work often needs to be scheduled for weekends and Bank Holidays.
You might spend six months planning for one Bank Holiday weekend, booking in equipment, materials and labour. Imagine the satisfaction you’ll feel when everything you have planned for comes together.
It’s a hugely challenging but hugely rewarding area of employment.
Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.
