Business and Construction Management Degree

A Building and Construction degree is a degree that has increased in popularity over the years. More and more students want to enter the world of construction and the world of management, so combining these two gives students the opportunity to learn more about the difficulties that can face general project management.

What is a Building and Construction Management degree?

A Building and Construction Management degree combines a Business degree with a Construction degree and teaches the more theoretical approaches to both elements.

This degree goes into the rules and regulations that govern the industry but also into the ethics that are required to become successful in this sector. Most Building and Construction Management degrees give students the ability to meet the academic requirements for membership in the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB) or the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

A degree of this type is usually recognised by a number of different accrediting bodies and stands you in very good stead to build up a wide web of contacts in later life, especially if your courses include a work placement.

With this degree, you will learn about planning, creativity and also about the practical sides of construction. Though you may not necessarily need to get involved with the design of the structure or even with the blueprints etc, you will still need to have an understanding of how they work and how they are implemented into designs, and this course will give you a unique understanding of just that.

What can I do with a Building and Construction Management degree?

There are plenty of jobs that are open to people with a Building and Construction Management degree, and not all of them are necessarily in the business or construction industry.

The most common job to find with a Building and Construction Management degree, is a Quantity Surveyor. A Quantity Surveyor is someone who manages the costs related to civil engineering structures and buildings. They look to save money where possible and to manage the budget of the project without it affecting the quality of the project.

Another common career path to follow is that of a Project Manager. A Project Manager is someone who handles the logistics and operations on any project. Any matter, no matter how big or small, has to go via the Project Manager. A Project Manager also deals with the financial aspect of the project and monitors both efficiency and general planning and will oversee aspects of design as well.

Another good career to look into is as an Estates Manager. An Estates Manager is someone who manages historical heritage sites and who ensures that the financial estate of the property is up to date and well managed. An Estate Manager handles the coordination of the property, oversees certain management tasks and also the maintenance of the estate’s grounds.

Not all of your jobs need to be in the Construction industry. Many students have looked at work as an Arbitrator. An Arbitrator is someone who acts as an impartial third-party during conflict resolution, for both professional and personal disputes.

A Building and Construction Management degree gives you a good scope to build on negotiation skills and this is essential in this line of work.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment for a Building and Construction Management degree varies depending on the university you go to, but for the most part, this is a theory-based course.

This means you will need to provide detailed reports, research, work assignments, coursework and a dissertation. The dissertation will come at the end of the course and will be supplemented with one-on-one discussions with your course tutor too.

If your course is accredited by an awarding body, then you will need to sit examinations as well, which will count towards possible Chartered status.

What skills will I learn?

All degrees will give you a good skillset for later in life, and a Building and Construction Management degree will give you a fantastic foundation to build off (pun intended).

Your logical thinking skills should see a marked improvement as a result of studying this course. Almost all problems that arise on set will be related to finances or issues that can be solved with clear and reasoned thought.

You will need to be able to solve these issues with logic and with a keen eye for mathematics. Any issues arise with design or creation, you will need to be responsible for these as well.

Your communication skills need to be tip-top too. Communication is the cornerstone of any relationship, and while that may be true of romantic relationships, it’s the same for business discussions too.

A business needs to be able to run smoothly and communication is key in that. This means that you will need to be able to effectively communicate your ideas, the problems that you are facing and will need to give clear and concise instructions as to what you need done.

Research skills are important as well. The better your research skills, the easier you will find your job. On a Building and Construction Management degree, you will be required to research a lot of your findings and will be required to learn about the different rules and regulations that will govern any job that you apply for in this area.

Your written skills will be a good thing to improve as well. As this course is almost entirely theoretical-based, you will be doing a lot of writing and almost all jobs in this sector will require a good handling of language and effective written communication. This skill is so important in all walks of life, not just in the Building and Construction sector.

Will a Building and Construction Management degree get me a job?

As with all degrees, a Building and Construction Management degree will not necessarily guarantee you a job, but it will give you a very good chance of finding a job, especially since this is a job that leads to jobs in other sectors as well.

Many students often end up having to do work experience or unpaid internships after university.

This is not always the case, but it is mainly because entry-level jobs are not always the easiest to come by. If your course had the aforementioned work placement year, then you may find that you already have some connections to build from, and you should take advantage of these.