Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying Heriot-Watt University

Overview

You’ll gain a solid theoretical and technical base knowledge combined with a strong focus on industrial relevance, meaning that you’ll quickly be able to make a positive contribution to the workplace. The programme will interest you if you are looking to commence or progress within the cost management profession in construction, with conversion training in the field of quantity surveying and the opportunity to achieve Chartership status following graduation. 

During the master’s programme, you’ll understand quantity surveying practices, including building cost control and measurement, gain contract and procurement skills, understand construction technologies, and develop necessary transferable management skills. This industry-focused master’s programme will ensure you have the skills necessary to make a positive and effective contribution to your future working environment. 

Your student experience

Our Expertise

Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active construction professionals, construction managers, chartered surveyors, industry-leaders, and academics. You’ll hear from several guest speakers from industry during the degree to engage further and build your professional network.  

96% of Heriot-Watt University’s engineering research was classed as world-leading in the REF 2021 review, which ranked us 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for engineering research through a joint submission with the University of Edinburgh. 

Our MSc Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying programme is directly informed by the world class research carried out by Heriot-Watt’s Institute of Sustainable Built Environment (ISBE) which sits within the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS). EGIS is one of the United Kingdom’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. The institute’s academic team conduct high-value and high-impact research on fields covering sustainability, digital innovation, design, and management of the built environment. The research relevance of this postgraduate programme ensures your studies remain innovative and industry focused. 

This School is also part of the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Design, a leading body recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The Centre is one of only four such centres established at United Kingdom universities that jointly form a national network to demonstrate and exchange best practice in teaching and research for the sustainable built environment. 

Your Learning Environment

The MSc Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying programme is taught though a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials, allowing you to get to know and build relationships with your teaching staff, academics, and peers. Teaching by the academic staff team is supplemented by guest lectures and input from practitioners to help understand current industry issues. You will be assessed by coursework, exams, your dissertation or project work, and will receive support and feedback throughout the programme.  

During your studies, you’ll benefit from and have access to our specialist equipment, computing software, and laboratories as appropriate. 

Outside of the classroom, you can get involved with the Heriot-Watt Student Union and there are lots of ways to do so including participating in student groups, becoming a student representative or a school officer, and joining student societies.  

Societies provide a great opportunity to meet likeminded people, get involved in regular social and networking events, and gain insights into career prospects. 

Customise Your Learning

You’ll take seven mandatory courses and can customise your degree to match your specific interests by choosing one course in semester one from a list of four options including quantity surveying practice, urban economy and property markets, real estate appraisal and finance, or a sustainability course for construction professionals.  

In semester three, you can further customise learning by choosing to undertake either a research dissertation or integrated project.  If you choose to do a dissertation, you’ll be required to research and report in depth on a subject of relevance to your professional career aspirations. An integrated project would provide you with the opportunity to develop and manage appraisal plans for a construction project during the precontract stage and deliver a project execution plan post contract stage.  

You can choose whether to study the programme full time or part time. This flexibility allows you to fit your postgraduate studies around your career and lifestyle. You can begin the programme either in January or September, based on your availability, and the full-time course will last 12 months or 24 months part time. 

Accreditation

MSc Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for the purpose of graduate membership.