Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying) or (Site Management)

Take a leading role in the construction industry with a Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying) or (Site Management).

You'll be in high demand as a construction professional and have the technical, work-ready skills to price and manage construction projects and challenge the status quo to improve processes and drive efficiencies.

What you'll learn

• Budgeting and financial administration of construction projects, including whole life-cycle costing
• Law, contracts and contractual risk analysis
• Planning and managing of construction projects
• Site logistics and project management (managing time, costs, quality and client satisfaction)
• People management and negotiation skills, and
• Construction business management.  

Your career options

You'll have excellent career opportunities as a construction professional. You can work as a project manager, quantity surveyor, site manager, estimator, or contract administrator. Graduates of the Quantity Surveying strand can also join the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveying (NZIOB) and work as a consultant QS.  

With experience, you may become a senior project manager, site manager or quantity surveyor, a commercial or divisional manager, or operate your own consultancy. With further study, you could specialise in the field of construction law and dispute resolution. 

Got a diploma and already working in the industry?

If you already hold a diploma in Quantity Surveying or Construction Management, you could get credit recognition toward the third year of this degree and study part-time to complete it alongside your employment from anywhere in New Zealand. 

The remaining degree courses can be studied through a combination of online learning and by attending contact courses in Dunedin over a two-to-three year duration. 

For Site Management, it's recommended that you first complete the New Zealand Diploma in Construction (Construction Management) part-time as this provides advanced standing entry to the third-year of the Site Management degree.

Recognised diplomas

• Otago Polytechnic New Zealand Diploma in Construction (Quantity Surveying): you can get direct entry to Year 3 of the Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying) or (Site Management).
• Diploma in Quantity Surveying or Construction Management from any other NZ institution: you can enter Year 3 of the Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying) or (Site Management), but you'll have to do up to four Year 1 and 2 courses.  

This degree is accredited by the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors and will make you eligible for Graduate Membership status.

Want your existing skills recognised?

If you have already got extensive knowledge and skills gained from practical experience in this area, you can enquire about our recognition of prior learning process at Capable NZ (www.capablenz.ac.nz or 0800 762 786). You may have already gained credits towards this qualification in the course of your life. Knowledge and skills can also be recognised towards individual courses on our taught programme. 

You will study 

If you're studying the Quantity Surveying strand, you will focus on financial feasibility studies, budgets and cost planning. Those studying Site Management will focus more on detailed site logistics planning and managing onsite construction work. All learners will graduate with the ability to price and manage construction projects. 

Entry requirements 

Quantity Surveying strand

For those under 20

• NCEA Level 3 including:
  • 14 credits at Level 3 or above in each of three NZQA approved university entrance subjects, and
  • 10 literacy credits at Level 2 or above, made up of: 
    • 5 credits in reading, and
    • 5 credits in writing, and 
  • 12 numeracy credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:
    • specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects OR
    • package of three numeracy unit standards (26623, 26626, 26627- all three required).

For those over 20

• You must supply evidence of industry experience and/or alternative relevant qualifications.  
• Provisional entry is possible. 

• If English is not your first language, you must provide:
  • New Zealand University Entrance OR
  • Overall Academic IELTS 6.0 with no individual band score lower than 5.5 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
  • Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests).

If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.

Site Management strand 

• You must be working in the New Zealand construction industry in a supervisory role or have the opportunity to move into a supervisory role during your study.
• You must hold a New Zealand construction-related trade qualification at Level 4, or similar. 
• You'll need to have an interview to check that you're suitable for the major and to agree a path of study.   

• If English is not your first language, you must provide:
  • New Zealand University Entrance OR
  • Overall Academic IELTS 6.0 with no individual band score lower than 5.5 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
  • Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests).

If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.

Please note: Graduates of the New Zealand Diploma in Construction (Level 6) (Construction Management) (Quantity Surveying) will be credited the courses they have completed up to a maximum of 240 credits.    

Pathways into this programme

If you don't meet the requirements to enter this programme, our bridging programme is the perfect option (this is advertised as the bridging option into our engineering diploma but is a highly suitable pathway into this degree as well). Alternatively, you could complete the New Zealand Certificate in Construction Trade Skills (Level 3) (Carpentry). 

Further study options

Upon successful completion of this programme, you will be able to gain entry into relevant postgraduate qualifications. Possible programmes include the Graduate Diploma in Construction Project Management (at Unitec) or the Postgraduate Diploma in Construction - Building Technology, Construction Law, Construction Project Management, Facilities Management, Quantity Surveying - (at Massey).   

Additional information and programme costs

• Programme orientation and additional information
• Programme equipment
• Year one and two semester timetables (draft copy)
• Timetable for 2022 third year students (draft copy)

Your workload 

If studying at our Dunedin Campus

Full-time

If studying full-time, you will need to be able to commit to 37.5 hours of study per week.

Part-time 

You can study this programme part-time over two to three years. Part-time paths of study are planned with each learner individually so you can fit your studies around work. 

If studying at our Auckland International Campus 

You will be expected to spend about 38 hours per week (or 300 hours per Study Block) on your course work. This includes both scheduled class time and self-directed study.

At our Auckland International Campus, this programme is offered by Future Skills Academy due to a sub-contract arrangement with Otago Polytechnic. Auckland study block dates > 

Contact us

For more information on this programme, please email [email protected] or [email protected].

Student loans and allowances 

Student loans and allowances are for domestic students only. For information about student loans and allowances please visit the Studylink website. It is important to apply for your student loan/allowance at the same time as you apply for this programme, due to the length of time Studylink take to process. Loan/allowance applications can be cancelled at any time if you decide to withdraw your programme application or if it is unsuccessful.