Program Overview

Programme: BSc Quantity Surveying

Programme Information

Quantity surveying is the science that delivers specialised financial and contractual services and advice to clients in the building and construction industry, as well as in related industries. The quantity surveyor is an independent and professional consultant who works with architects, consulting engineers, and the building contractor, in order to protect the interests of the client, while at the same time also looking after the interests of the contractor and subcontractors.

The student could enter the building or construction industry as a candidate quantity surveyor after completing the three-year degree. Such qualification, however, would not allow the person to register as a professional quantity surveyor without acquiring additional qualifications. After completing the honours programme, the opportunities become far wider, and application can be made for registration as a professional quantity surveyor with the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession, after further assessment and furnishing of evidence, in compliance with the prescribed competencies. Employment opportunities in the building and construction sector, government departments, in the property sector, banks, and manufacturing industry exist for such registered quantity surveyors. Most, however, work in the private sector where they become employees/partners/directors of quantity surveying practices, or open their own practices.

Admission Requirements

• The closing date is an administrative admission guideline for non-selection programmes. Once a non-selection programme is full and has reached the institutional targets, then that programme will be closed for further admissions, irrespective of the closing date. However, if the institutional targets have not been met by the closing date, then that programme will remain open for admissions until the institutional targets are met.
• The following persons will be considered for admission: Candidates who are in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required National Senior Certificate (NSC) with university endorsement; candidates who are graduates from another tertiary institution or have been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution, and candidates who are graduates of another faculty at the University of Pretoria.
• Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS.
• Grade 11 results are used for the conditional admission of prospective students.
• A valid qualification with admission to degree studies is required.
• Minimum subject and achievement requirements, as set out below, are required.
• All lectures at the University of Pretoria are presented in English only.

Minimum Requirements

• Achievement level: English Home Language or English First Additional Language | Mathematics | Physical Sciences or Accounting | APS
• NSC/IEB | AS Level | NSC/IEB | AS Level | NSC/IEB | AS Level
• 5 | C | 5 | C | 4 | D | 30

Other Programme-Specific Information

• Students with Maths 4, should take STK 113 and STK 123 (instead of STK 110) during their first year of study and STK 120 during their second year of study.
• The degree is awarded if all the prescribed modules have been passed.

Promotion to Next Study Year

Promotion to the Second Semester of the First Year and to the Second Year of Study

1. A newly registered first-year student who failed all the prescribed modules for the programme at the end of the first semester shall not be readmitted to the School for the Built Environment in the second semester.
2. A student who complies with all the requirements of the first year of study, or has at least obtained 110 credits, is promoted to the second year of study.
3. A student who has not obtained at least 70% of the credits of the first year of study after the November examinations must reapply for admission should he/she intend to continue with his/her studies. Written application must be submitted to the student administration of the School for the Built Environment no later than 12 January. Late applications will be accepted only in exceptional circumstances after approval by the Dean and conditions of readmission as determined by the admissions committee shall apply should first-year students be readmitted.
4. Students who have not passed all the prescribed modules of the first year of study, as well as students who are readmitted in terms of (c) must register for the outstanding modules of the first year.
5. A student who is repeating his/her first year, may, on recommendation of the relevant head of department and with the approval of the Dean, be permitted to enrol for modules of the second year of study in addition to the first-year modules which he or she failed, providing that he or she complies with the prerequisites for the second-year modules and that no timetable clashes occur. The number of credits per semester for which a student registers may not exceed the prescribed number of credits per semester by more than 16 credits.

Promotion to the Third Year of Study

1. A student who complies with all the requirements of the second year of study, or has at least obtained 230 credits, is promoted to the third year of study provided that no first-year module(s) are outstanding.
2. The Dean may, on the recommendation of the Head of Department, allow a student, who qualifies for promotion to a subsequent year of study, but who has not passed all the modules of that year, to carry over those modules to the next or a later year.
3. The number of credits per semester for which a student registers may not exceed the prescribed number of credits per semester by more than 16 credits and the prerequisites must be met.
4. A student who complies with all the requirements for the degree with the exception of one year module or two semester modules, in which a final mark of at least 40% has been obtained, may be admitted to a special examination in the module(s) concerned, at the start of the ensuing semester.
5. On the recommendation of the Head of Department, in exceptional circumstances deviation from the abovementioned stipulations, may be approved by the Faculty Executive Committee, provided that no timetable clashes occur.

Pass with Distinction

The degree is conferred with distinction on a student:

1. if no module of the second and third study year was repeated and a weighted average of at least 75% was obtained in one year in all the modules, of the final study year;
2. the degree programme was completed within the prescribed three study years, and the final study year modules were passed on first registration without any supplementary or special examinations.

Curriculum

Year 1

• Minimum credits: 126

Fundamental Modules

• AIM 111: Academic information management 111
• AIM 121: Academic information management 121
• ALL 122: Academic literacy for Construction Economics 122
• UPO 112: Academic orientation 112

Core Modules

• BGG 121: Building organisation 121
• BOU 111: Building drawings 111
• BWT 110: Building science 110
• BWT 120: Building science 120
• EKN 110: Economics 110
• EKN 120: Economics 120
• GBD 112: Building services 112
• GBD 122: Building services 122
• HVH 101: Quantities 101
• SKE 110: Introduction to structures 110
• SKE 120: Structures 120
• WTW 134: Mathematics 134

Year 2

• Minimum credits: 121

Core Modules

• BWT 210: Building science 210
• BWT 220: Building science 220
• EOW 222: Property law 222
• FBS 110: Financial management 110
• GBD 211: Building services 211
• GBD 221: Building services 221
• HVH 200: Quantities 200
• JCP 201: Community-based project 201
• SKE 220: Civil engineering services 220
• STK 110: Statistics 110
• STK 161: Statistics 161
• TRN 213: Site surveying 213

Year 3

• Minimum credits: 124

Core Modules

• BER 310: Business law 310
• BHU 320: Housing 320
• BRK 300: Quantity surveying practice 300
• BWT 310: Building science 310
• BWT 320: Building science 320
• FBS 210: Financial management 210
• FBS 361: Financial management 361
• GBD 311: Building services 311
• HVH 300: Quantities 300
• KKR 322: Introduction to construction contract law 322
• VKN 320: Sustainable construction 320