collageConstruction is an important part of our lives. It’s all around us, we come into contact with it every day, and we see it everywhere we go.
But the construction industry isn’t just important because of the buildings and other structures themselves. It’s also vital to invest in building and engineering construction efficiency—because that means better results for everyone involved.
That’s where [program name] comes in. We believe in a future where students trained in construction expertise go on to help shape the world with their knowledge, skill, and determination—and we want to train you to be a part of that future.
Graduates of this program are ready for careers in the construction industry: positions in construction cost modelling, cost consultancy, and quantity surveying; project management; dispute resolution; and more. They can work for government ministries and agencies; consulting firms; local authorities; financial institutions; insurance companies; or even start their own businesses!
What will you do with your training as a [program name] graduate? We’re excited to find out—and we’re looking forward to seeing you on campus!
Master’s in Quantity Surveying Engineering in the US
Who doesn’t enjoy building things? Your career in quantity surveying engineering likely got its roots from your earliest days of building structures with blocks and tinker toys. As you got older, the size of your creations likely grew. Now that you are ready to embark upon your career, you have the chance to manage project that can produce towering skyscrapers or expansive business and commercial buildings. However, the knowledge needed to succeed in such a job goes far beyond stacking blocks on top of each other.
As building and construction projects get ever bigger, the skills required to oversee such undertakings is getting more and more advanced. Earning a Master’s degree in quantity surveying engineering may just provide you with the skill set needed to handle such responsibilities. As one of the world’s most well-developed nations, the United States offers plenty of opportunities to continue your education in this area with the support of some of the most advanced technologies available. You’ll find several American graduate programs that are more than adequate at preparing you to work as a quantity surveying engineer anywhere in the world.
What is a Master’s Degree in Quantity Surveying Engineering?
Run an Internet search on “quantity surveying graduate programs in the US,” and you are likely to come up with few results. That is because, in America, quantity surveying engineers are referred to by a different title: construction managers. Yet while actual job titles may differ between those used in the US as opposed to other countries, many of the principles and philosophies stressed in construction management and quantitative surveying engineering graduate programs are the same.
Most of these Master’s degree programs in the US focus on the high-level aspects of construction management. Those who hold Bachelor’s degrees in this field are typically hired as crew chiefs or ground supervisors. It is only through a Master’s program in construction management that you begin to develop the skills equated with quantitative surveying engineers, such as:
- Estimating and cost controls
- Risk management
- Contract negotiation
- Utilising new technologies in project planning
- Asset capitalization
- Labour relations
Your introductory coursework in your quantity surveying engineering Master’s degree program in the US will usually encompass studies in cost estimating and control, project management and contracting and dispute resolution. The elective courses focus on specialised topics such as green technologies and sustainable development, planning and design issues, infrastructure and urban planning and advanced accounting, taxation and commercial lease analysis. Most graduate programs in the US will also incorporate some form of a capstone project. This allows you to use actual industry data and resources to produce a professional-level project analysis. Such a project will help bolster your resume.
Why Get a Master’s Degree in Quantity Surveying Engineering?
As was mentioned earlier, a Master’s degree in quantity surveying engineering is usually a minimum requirement in order to progress beyond ground-level operations. The understanding of cost and risk analysis as well as advanced planning and development methods that you acquire through your graduate studies may allow you to bypass the job site and go straight to the corporate offices.
Why pursue your graduate degree in the US? For starters, America is the top destination for international students. This means that you be surrounded by a culturally diverse mix of both faculty and students. This exposure may help in creating networking relationships that could assist you down the road in your career. Plus, the robust American economy may mean that there will plenty of jobs waiting for you in the very cities where you are studying.
What Sort of Career Can You Expect with a Master’s Degree in Quantity Surveying Engineering?
This leads to the inevitable question of what to expect with a career in quantity surveying engineering or construction management. Much of what you do will involve work with both clients and contractors, as you offer advice and analysis on project planning and management. Plus, you may be called upon to inspect and supervise job sites, fulfilling your desire to occasionally get your hands dirty. US News and World Report ranks this profession as the top job in the construction industry, with above average prospects for upward mobility.
As cities and communities continue to grow both in the US and across the world, the services of qualified quantity surveying engineers will no doubt remain in high demand. Having earned your Master’s degree in quantity surveying engineering in the US, you will be ready to fill any of those roles. Your choice to make this mover towards your own professional development right now may not only land you the job of your dreams, but also reward you with cultural experiences that you are sure to treasure.
Surveying challenges in the USA
The USA has a booming construction market, and there’s no sign of that slowing down anytime soon. This means great opportunity for those in the quantity surveying field.
With opportunity, however, comes challenge. The challenge to the quantity surveyor working in the USA is knowing how best to demonstrate their value, especially as they are often working with parties that don’t completely understand what the quantity surveyor role involves. Some think of quantity surveyors as invoice clerks or project executives and mistake their tasks as, for example, paying vendors or approving change orders – known as contract variations in the UK.
So how does a quantity surveyor working in the US show their worth?
We recently spoke with Jennifer Lattimore about this exact topic. Jennifer has been a quantity surveyor on both sides of the Atlantic and currently works as a Senior Quantity Surveyor at Aecom where she is responsible for contract administration and claims management on various projects throughout New York City including work on the new Moynihan Train Hall and LaGuardia Airports.
The biggest issues on US construction projects seem to arise when a client budget does not include allowances for items such as provisional sums. This needs to change. Construction value engineering, constant cost monitoring and general contractor management – a term used more regularly in the USA – are essential for a project to make financial sense. Allowing a quantity surveyor to begin work on the project at an early stage and incorporating more provisional sums means that the budget is more accurate and the project has a better chance of making savings and completing on schedule.
The fact that many UK firms with quantity surveying expertise are opening offices in the USA is, however, encouraging recognition of the quantity surveying role in the country: many bidding packages now include allowances – or provisional sums – for a quantity surveyor, citing that this is the ‘way it is done internationally’. These allowances cover the key tasks of a quantity surveyor, including setting up a project, identifying the client budget, selecting procurement and contract strategies, identifying cost control measures and closing the final account.
Firms that operate internationally and require property to do so are also well placed to contribute to the growth of the profession in the USA. For example, Dutch hotelier citizenM recently opened branches in the USA and currently has 2 hotels in Manhattan, New York, 1 of which was constructed using a special pod design system, where the parts were made in Poland and assembled by a specialist crane on site in New York.
As citizenM had just completed a similar project in London, it recognised the value of quantity surveying services. My employer at the time was awarded this role and we were able to perform a full scope of services, including determining the budget with the client, advising on costs and the local market, and appointing the general contractor. We oversaw all monthly valuations, change orders or variations and the chosen contract – a guaranteed maximum price contract – worked well. We were also a key part of determining the answer to a key pre-construction question relevant only to the USA: would the project operate to a union or non-union structure?
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