Key information
Ranked 1st (Complete University Guide 2021) and 2nd (The Times / The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021) in the UK for Building.
- Level
- Postgraduate Taught
- Delivery type
- Full Time
- Degree qualification
- MSc
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 1 year 9 months
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Start date
- September, January
MSc Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying with Industry Placement is two years in duration and will equip you with the knowledge, skills and hands on practical experience necessary to meet the needs of the cost management and quantity surveying sectors of the building and infrastructure industries.
You’ll gain a solid theoretical and technical base knowledge combined with a strong focus on relevance of theory to industry alongside practical work experience 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
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 with Industry Placement 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.
Go Global
With Go Global, Heriot-Watt's global student programme, you can carry your studies to new places and experience new cultures, expanding your horizons on the way. You'll discover what it means to be a true global citizen and emerge prepared for wherever your career journey will take you.
Inter-Campus Transfer
Course content
September Intake - Edinburgh
Students study 7 mandatory courses and choose 1 optional course from a choice of electives. Semester 1 and Semester 2 of year 1 are the same as the standard one year Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying degree.
Mandatory September
- Advanced Construction Technology
- Strategic Commercial Management
- Value and Risk Management
Optional September
- Sustainability for Construction Professionals
- Quantity Surveying Practice
- Urban Economy and Property Markets
- Real Estate Appraisal and Finance
Mandatory January
- Quantity Surveying Financial Management
- Information and Innovation Technologies in Construction Practice
- Construction Financial Management
- People and Organisation Management in the Built Environment
January Intake - Edinburgh
Students study 7 mandatory courses and choose 1 optional course from a choice of electives. Semester 1 and Semester 2 of year 1 are the same as the standard one year Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying degree.
Mandatory January
- Quantity Surveying Financial Management
- People and Organisation Management in the Built Environment
- Construction Financial Management
- Information and Innovation Technologies in Construction Practice
Mandatory September
- Advanced Construction Technology
- Strategic Commercial Management
- Value and Risk Management
Optional September
- Sustainability for Construction Professionals
- Quantity Surveying Practice
- Real Estate Appraisal and Finance
- Urban Economy and Property Markets
Programme Video
MSc Commercial Management & Quantity Surveying – Colleen McGhee
Heriot-Watt graduate Colleen McGhee talks about why she chose the MSc Commercial Management & Quantity Surveying.
Fees and funding
| Status | Full Time |
|---|---|
| UK | £10,528 |
| International | £19,816 |
- Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
- International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).
Additional information
Fees are payable for each year of this degree.
Year 2 (Industry placement)
| Status | Full Time |
|---|---|
| UK and International | £3,000 |
Scholarships and bursaries
Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries
We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or its non-UK equivalent, in a relevant or non-relevant subject provided that it includes evidence of essay writing and a personal statement demonstrating an interest in the subject. Applicants must have graduated within 6 years for the placement programme.
We welcome applications from international students and accept qualifications from around the world. Please refer to the entry requirements for your country for more details.
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
Student life
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