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 he/she has completed 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

• Important information for all prospective students for 2023
  • The admission requirements below apply to all who apply for admission to the University of Pretoria with a National Senior Certificate (NSC) and Independent Examination Board (IEB) qualifications.
• Minimum requirements
  • Achievement level
    • English Home Language or English First Additional Language: NSC/IEB 5
    • Mathematics: NSC/IEB 5
    • Physical Sciences or Accounting: NSC/IEB 4
    • APS: 30
• The suggested second-choice programmes for BSc (Quantity Surveying) are BSc (Construction Management) and BSc (Real Estate).
• Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS.
• You will be considered for final admission to degree studies if space allows, and if you have a National Senior Certificate (NSC) or equivalent qualification with admission to bachelor's degree studies, and comply with the minimum subject requirements as well as the APS requirements of your chosen programme.
• Applicants with qualifications other than the abovementioned should refer to the Brochure: Undergraduate Programme Information 2023: Qualifications other than the NSC and IEB.

Programme Structure

• Minimum duration of study: 3 years
• Total credits: 371
• NQF level: 07

Curriculum

Year 1

• 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
• 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

• 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

• 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

Promotion to Next Study Year

• Refer also to G5.
• 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.

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% (not rounded) 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.