Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Construction Management with Placement Year University of East London - Docklands Campus, UK

Ensuring that a building project runs smoothly, with enough materials, equipment, workers and money to deliver it, is a huge task. So, too, is monitoring construction quality and progress.

This course will give you the knowledge and contacts to take on that kind of responsibility.

You'll learn a broad range of skills in your first year, sharing modules with Civil Engineering and Surveying. Later you can choose to specialise in specific construction management disciplines.

There are so many aspects to construction management – sorting out resources, materials and labour, planning transport routes. It's all about what we call 'supply chain management'. You have to make sure everything runs efficiently - and that means a lot of work in many different areas.

You need to have good inter-personal skills and be comfortable working as part of a large team. And you have to keep in mind your client's requirements at all times. This course will help you learn how to juggle all these responsibilities successfully.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Key areas you'll study include the planning and financing of projects, required contract law and of course health and safety knowledge - both for yourself and others.

Building without proper planning can be a dangerous business when it comes to working at heights, excavating and shifting materials. You'll learn how to manage it and make it safe.

You'll also learn about sustainable design. Plus, you'll look at the contractual side of things, and how to ensure sub-contractors work to the required standards.

Among the modules you'll study on the course are: Building Technology and Materials: Advanced Technology, Planning and Production; Legal and Regulatory Framework; Contract Law in Construction; Tendering, Estimating and Cost Control; Sustainable Building Technology; and Project Management Studies.

Think of a triangle with three points - time, cost and quality. Time planning and logistics, cost control and management, and quality control are vital skills for a construction manager, and they're skills employers will be looking for when you graduate.