Construction Management with Foundation BSc Honours

Course summary

Our degree courses with Foundation year offer the opportunity to prepare you for advanced study before you progress on to a full honours degree at the University of Westminster.

Whether you do not feel ready for degree-level study, don’t have the right qualifications, want to change your subject specialism or return to study after an absence from education, we aim to encourage a broad range of students to undertake our Foundation year in order to progress onto their full honours degree with us. 

The Foundation year is designed to give you the opportunity to explore new ideas, opening up new perspectives on the key debates within your chosen field. Core modules accelerate your academic and professional development, bringing together like-minded students to think about the ‘big ideas’ within your discipline. You will also take modules from areas closely related to your chosen field, giving you the chance to develop a cross-disciplinary perspective on your course. 

On successful completion of the Foundation year, you will be able to move on to study for the Construction Management BSc Honours degree over a further three years study.

Whether tackling the housing crisis, improving the world’s infrastructure or adding to the city skyline, a career in construction management means you will be building the places we work, homes we live in, venues we relax at, the roads we commute on and much more. Taught by qualified professionals with industry experience, our professionally oriented degree is your first step to shaping our world and leaving a lasting legacy.

Construction management is integral to the success and smooth running of a construction project, from effectively tracking development and staying on budget, to improving communication across all levels of the project. Fully accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE), our degree incorporates real-life professional practice from the outset with the opportunity to learn direct from industry professionals and experience projects first-hand.

Our central London location and numerous industry contacts, which include Great Portland Estates, Mace, Lendlease, The Portman Estate and The Crown Estate, enable us to invite practising professionals to give guest lectures and regularly contribute to the course. They provide buildings as case studies for coursework, learning materials (drawings, reports, client briefs etc.) and come into the University to give face-to-face formative feedback on students’ work. We aim to create authentic learning activities to ensure you are business-ready for employment.

You will learn about the technologies of domestic, industrial and commercial building, construction processes, planning and programming, construction health and safety, and project life cycle assessment. Our rounded curriculum means that you will also gain the knowledge of people management, leadership and the business management of construction that organisations need to succeed in this dynamic profession.

Our construction courses share a common first year, allowing you to gain knowledge of the different professional roles and the interdisciplinary nature of the modern construction industry. At the end of the first year, should your interests change, it is possible to switch pathway. You will mix with students from across the various pathways, broadening your social circles and networks, and be taught by our professionally qualified lecturers, who will share their experience of working in the property, construction and surveying sectors prior to joining academia.

The course also offers practical experience opportunities, with the option to spend a year in industry between Year 2 and Year 3. Alternatively, you'll have the chance to explore international perspectives through a year abroad, providing you with valuable real-world experience.

While this degree equips you with the professional and technical skills to work in construction management, you may also follow a career in project management, financial management or property development.

Top reasons to study with us

• Fully accredited by CIOB and CABE
• Courses are professionally oriented, producing graduates capable of dealing with the technological and managerial processes associated with the production and post-construction life of buildings
• Put theory into practice on a year-long work placement or gain international experience studying abroad
• Programmes are delivered by a multicultural and international teaching body, who come from professional practice and/or regularly publish in top international journals
• Opportunities for internships and/or a placement year. For example, one student recently worked at Barratt Homes
• Take part in site visits to major construction sites and infrastructure projects, in UK and abroad – 45 final-year students visited Kuala Lumpur in partnership with Landlease and CIOB in 2020
• Street walks and talks – a series of guided walks around Marylebone, Fitzrovia and Kings Cross, which have a wealth of historic buildings, modern buildings, examples of regeneration and the adaptation and reuse of buildings, such as Coal Drop Yard in Kings Cross
• Outstanding facilities include the Fab Lab, which is used to build models, test construction materials,  3-D and laser printing, photographic facilities, and robotic arms etc

Course structure

The principles of construction technology, professional practice, ethics, health and safety, and the Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM) are fundamental to the delivery of the built environment and are covered at each level in the programme. You will also gain knowledge of the professional, managerial and legal aspects of construction and digital practice, which is increasing in construction and will affect working practices, decision-making and efficiency in project delivery, and sustainability.

The following subjects are indicative of what you will study on this course.

• Foundation
• Year 1
• Year 2
• Placement year
• Year 3

Professional recognition

This course is fully accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), the world's largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership, which has granted Westminster Business School ‘Accredited Centre Status’. Construction Management graduates from Westminster can apply, with appropriate experience, for membership of CIOB and the designation MCIOB. The course is additionally accredited by the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE), an internationally recognised awarding professional body for building engineering in the UK and overseas.