Course overview

Coventry University has been educating construction professionals for over half a century.

In this course you will be introduced to the fundamental topics of resource management, economics, design and production processes, which are essential to practitioners in all construction professions.

We provide you with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the professional duties of a construction manager working in a multi-disciplinary team setting to emulate industry practices.

The course content has evolved over several years, in development with our current industry partners. We have developed a course structure providing a mix of technical skills and digital/technological knowledge, to equip you for working in this growing sector and help prepare you for future developments in this fast-moving industry.

Covering a broad range of subject areas, the core themes include construction technology, building science and structures, the legal and regulatory framework of building, engineering surveying and construction processes, construction management, contractual procedures and construction finance.

Why you should study this course

You will be taught by with academic and professional experience in project management, operations management, quantity surveying and commercial management, architectural practice, civil engineering; having worked in roles for a variety of both contracting and consultant organisations (please note staff may be subject to change).

What you'll study

In this course you will be introduced to the fundamental topics of resource management, economics, design and production processes, which are essential to practitioners in all construction professions. You will have the chance to be taught alongside architectural technology, building surveying, quantity surveying and commercial management students, providing you with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the professional duties of a construction manager working in a multi-disciplinary team setting to emulate industry practices.

Modules

Project Design Skills

The aim of this module is to develop and understanding and awareness of the design process as relevant to all professions within the industry. Through introduction to the various techniques used to design and develop projects in a fast growing and changing environment, the purpose is to explore the reason for current practices in design while considering innovative practices of the future.

Compulsory

Domestic Building Science and Services

The module will enable students to develop an understanding of the physical behaviour of the domestic building as a system, services design, durability, comfort and indoor air quality is essential to produce high-performance low-rise buildings, providing knowledge that focuses on the analysis of the physical phenomena and modern methods of energy control and how this impacts energy efficiency.

Compulsory

Domestic Construction Technology

This module seeks to inspire students to develop full understanding of the principles of construction in relation to low-rise domestic building besides an appreciation of the various aspects of the design and construction technology required for constructing a sustainable and comfortable low-rise domestic building.

Compulsory

Construction Materials

Land and Building Surveying

The aim of the module is to give the student a knowledge of how vertical and horizontal control is established on site through levelling and traversing and how this is applied to construction site activities. It will also give the student the necessary fieldwork skills to do this using appropriate surveying instrumentation.

Compulsory

Building Project 1

Cost Management Practices

Group Project 1

The module aims to provide students with an understanding of the role of the construction professional within the multi-disciplinary construction industry and develop personal and team-working skills and attributes that are needed for a successful career within their chosen discipline and profession.

Compulsory

Construction Management Practice

This module is designed to provide an insight into management aspects within the construction industry with an exploration of the theory behind management practices and motivation. The module will explore management in a general sense but focus on site and project management to provide all professionals with an insight into the complexities and legalities surrounding the management of a site including Resource management and human Resource management.

Compulsory

The second year is where you explore the construction management professions in more detail and move from traditional industry practices into the more modern practices associated with building and infrastructure production today, including building information modelling, virtual reality and other advancing technologies. You will expand on the knowledge from Year 1 and discover new ways of working in a multi-disciplinary team in Group Project 2.

Modules

Law for Construction Professionals

This module will introduce general principles and concepts of law related to the construction industry. The module's aim is to develop an ability to understand and apply these legal principles to particular legal problems that may arise in the course of construction activities.

Compulsory

Commercial Construction Technology

Commercial Building Science and Services

This module focuses on the Building services and systems for commercial and high-rise buildings. This includes the electrical, mechanical and public health systems. It also includes some fundamental aspects of building science such as building physics, building materials, thermal comfort, thermal efficiency and indoor environmental quality.

Compulsory

Project Administration

Construction Project Management 1

This module is intended to enable students to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the practical principles which will need to be applied for the successful completion of construction projects in terms of time, cost, quality and stakeholder expectations to be achieved within the constraints of a changeable economic and legislative environment.

Compulsory

Building Project 2

This module will focus on further integrating your understanding and appreciation of construction management, quantity surveying, building services engineering, building surveying, architecture technology or real estate management with the process of project development in Commercial projects.

Compulsory

Group Project 2

Legal principles

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the broad aspects of English law with a particular focus on the laws of Tort, Contract and Land law. Through detailed discussion of case law and reference to key pieces of legislation, you should develop knowledge and skills to enable understanding of a range of legal matters that may arise in the industry while carrying out a professional role.

Compulsory

In your final year, you will have the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of contract management, including procurement methods, tendering procedures, the contractual relationship among project participants and an awareness of all of the main standard forms of contract available in the UK construction industry.

We also focus on post-contract management practices and procedures, including construction finance. You will have the chance to gain a solid understanding of basic accounting and financial principles, preparing you to apply spreadsheet techniques to analyse financial problems and better understand financial and cost control issues from a corporate management perspective.

You have the opportunity to apply your knowledge to a 'real-life' project that will reflect the skills required in professional practice. Past students have used a variety of actual projects both in Coventry and further afield to apply their learning. You will also be expected to perform a detailed research study with the help of an experienced supervisor. You can choose a topic to suit your interests or to assist your career aspirations, with previous dissertation topics covering the use of drones in construction, the use of mobile technology to monitor construction work, and the effects of the planning software on project success.

Modules

Contract Management

This module aims to develop your understanding and critical awareness of the selection, use and interpretation of standard forms of contracts within the construction industry in the UK. The module is specifically useful to those intending to be involved in contract practice and administration of construction projects.

Compulsory

Construction Project Management 2

Sustainability and Innovation in Construction

Group Project 3

The aim of this module is that students will accrue a detailed understanding of some of the key stages involved in a construction projects through the operations of a simulated design and construction team. Students will, working in groups, learn how to manage, through Building Information Modelling, aspects of a project through a feasibility study.

Compulsory

Research dissertation

The aim of this module is to enable students to develop their research skills by conducting primary or secondary research focused on a specific problem of relevance to their discipline. Students would use different methods and research skills to effectively communicate research novelties and ideas to the academic and non-academic communities.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

Actual teaching contact hours will vary depending on the level of study and the requirements of a particular semester. In a typical week your contact hours will be divided amongst:

Personal tutorials and small group teaching
Medium group teaching (seminars, tutorial sessions, lab sessions and workshops)
Large group teaching (lectures)

In addition, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study each week depending on the demands of individual modules. The number of contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 14-15 contact hours per week in the first and second year dropping to around 12 contact hours per week in the final year as you become a more independent learner.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include practical or project work, coursework, essays, group work and presentations, posters etc.

The Coventry University assessment strategy aims to ensure that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Job ready

On successful completion, you will have knowledge of:

Building technology and construction processes; management processes and systems associated with construction.
Building science with respect to materials, structure, services and internal environment.
The legal and regulatory framework within which buildings are constructed.
Economics of construction, procurement and contract administration procedures.
Design processes used in construction and current innovations relating to the construction of buildings,
How quality is achieved in construction processes and products.
Health and safety in building design and construction.
Land surveying.
The management of building projects, including the planning, budgeting and control of costs in all aspects of the construction process.

On successful completion, you will be able to:

Identify the aims and objectives of research.
Analyse, interpolate, and present information.
Analyse and solve construction problems of a technical and managerial nature.
Reflect on the interdisciplinary and team working nature of the construction industry in order to undertake and manage construction design and the construction process.
Analyse data and information sources in construction.
Apply techniques used for the analysis and surveying of existing buildings.
Apply CAD and manual drawing techniques, and other tools to construction design.
Undertake full-measured, dilapidation and condition surveys.
Write different types of property survey reports.

Entry requirements

Contact PSB Academy

Fees and funding

Student	Full-time	Part-time
International	Contact PSB for fees per year	Not available

Careers and opportunities

The complexity and scale of modern construction projects requires construction professionals with expertise in construction management, who can work either on site or within an office to ensure they are delivered safely, within budget, on deadline and to the highest possible quality.

This course is designed to prepare you for employment managing the construction of building projects at home and abroad, for large multinational companies or regional businesses. You could find yourself working as a Contracts Manager, Project Manager, Site Manager or Engineer. Construction managers have the option of aiming for self-employment, or Working for large or small, regional, National or international firms that can range in work from domestic housing up to multi-million pound internationally renowned projects and ranging from new build to refurbishment; the world of Construction Manager is varied, interesting and exciting.

Where our graduates work

Our graduates have found employment in private practices, contracting organisations, commercial organisations and local/central government, regionally, nationally and internationally. They work with companies such as Mace, Galliford Try, Balfour Beatty plc, Lain O’ Rourke, Barrett Home Ltd, Watts Construction Ltd, and BAM Construction.

Construction Management BSc (Hons)

Course overview

Why you should study this course

What you'll study

Modules

Modules

Modules

How you'll learn

Assessment

Job ready

Entry requirements

Fees and funding

Careers and opportunities

Where our graduates work