Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management with foundation year

Quantity surveying and commercial management is the discipline that keeps construction projects financially viable, legally sound, and commercially controlled. Quantity surveyors manage costs across the full life cycle of a project, from early feasibility estimates through procurement, contract negotiation, and final account, ensuring that clients, contractors, and the supply chain are all working within a framework that is fair, transparent, and financially disciplined. Commercial managers bring a broader strategic lens to the same environment, overseeing the contractual and financial performance of programmes and portfolios rather than individual projects.

At Coventry University, this four-year, full-time degree prepares you for both roles, combining technical training with the commercial awareness and professional skills the industry demands.

The programme includes a foundation year, providing a supported entry into the discipline for students who are building towards degree-level study, before moving into the main degree content covering cost management, procurement strategy, contract law, building technology, and commercial risk. Coventry's strong connections with the construction and built environment sector are reflected in the programme's applied focus and in the opportunities embedded throughout. A sandwich placement year gives you the chance to gain substantial professional experience in a quantity surveying or commercial management role, and a year abroad and work placement opportunities provide further breadth and depth of professional exposure.

Graduates are well prepared for careers as quantity surveyors, commercial managers, project managers, and cost consultants across the construction, infrastructure, utilities, and real estate sectors. Many also pursue professional qualifications with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors or equivalent bodies, and the degree provides a recognised pathway towards chartered status. For those who want to combine technical knowledge with commercial and contractual expertise in a sector that shapes the built environment, this programme offers a comprehensive and professionally connected route.