Quantity Surveying qualifications

Card_Sharp

I wonder if there are any QS's on here who can clear up some confusion about QS qualifications for me.

I have many years experience working in the construction sector in materials buying/procurement roles. Whilst I enjoyed this work I always had secret ambitions to become a Quantity Surveyor, but age and career progression caused me to follow the direction of procurement.

Due to the downturn in the industry, I was made redundant a couple of years ago and went into self employment in an unrelated field.

I'm doing OK - but miss the construction industry in a way - even though it did have it's hassles (as anybody working in the industry knows). I have a keen interest in construction - hence the interest in Quantity Surveying. One problem with procurement related roles, particularly in plc's is that they seemed to be moving further away from the heart of construction and more towards group agreement facilitation which is a totally different line of work to being a QS which is heavily involved in the construction project itself.

A materials buyer/procurement opportunity has recently arisen and I have been invited to apply. I was considering being interviewed for the position and attempting to show an interest in development towards being a QS.

This would obviously mean taking on study - and this is the part I am confused about. When I look up Bsc degrees in quantity surveying - they appear to be 3 - 4 years full time study. However, all the trainee surveyors I have ever seen always did 4 days at work and one day at college.

What course would they have been studying?

joolsybools

Maybe they did an HNC or an NVQ?

saintjammyswine

You can go to college and study up to Level 4 (sometimes 5 which is lower) degree level and means you can then attend Uni and upgrade to HND. If you contact your local FE College and speak to the Professional Building Services faculty (or similarly named department) about it, they should be able to help. It is usually cheaper and more flexible to attend a college than a Uni for these.

phill99

There are a number of BSc courses in QS that are what is known as as day release, ie 4 days at work and one day at university.

Call the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. They will be able to give you a list of universities that offer day release (part time) courses in QS.

Or just type in 'part time BSc in quantity surveying' in google and a whole range of places come up - Salford, Anglian Ruskin, etc