Oxford Brookes University, MSc, Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management

People, Leadership and Organisations

This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of how behavioural and organisational issues influence project performance.

It includes an overview of management approaches, an exploration of the issues around understanding self and understanding others, team theory and leadership, communication, conflict theory and resolution, conflict resolution strategies and learning from experience in project environments and also conflict and negotiation in the context of personal and cultural differences.

To a large extent the module adopts a problem based learning (PBL) approach. Here, PBL is facilitated through problem solving exercises that are based on prominent case studies and game play exercises.

Project Planning, Control and Risk

This module prepares you to manage projects within the built environment through the use of advanced planning and control techniques. You will learn and apply a range of skills in project planning, scheduling, monitoring and control that includes cash flow and capital expenditure analysis, value management, risk and opportunity management and the use of software-based decision support tools as used in industry.

Managing Technology for Sustainable Environments

Technological innovations and how they are managed are key elements in the development of our built environment. This module introduces these as considerations that should be made at the inception and briefing stages of a project, not as afterthoughts. It also recognises that construction is not devoid of the human dimension - the contexts within which a construction project is situated, including influences of climate, culture, and surrounding and supporting infrastructures are also important. Thus you don’t study developments of technology in isolation, but as part of a continuously innovating industry. In this respect, managing Building Information Modelling (BIM), developments in off-site construction and Low Carbon Construction are covered as part of the module.

Quantity Surveying Practice

The financial management of project design and construction, whether for client or contractor, is an essential skill in the construction industry. This module helps you to develop this skill. It is designed to initially develop your understanding of the fundamental principles for building and civil engineering measurement. You will gain a good understanding of the standard methods of measurement such as NRM2 and CESMM4, develop quantity take-off skills and understand the key roles and responsibilities of a professional quantity surveyor with particular reference to the construction tendering process and use of BIM.

Applied Research Methods

This module provides you with the fundamentals of research design highlighting the difference between qualitative and quantitative research paradigms and demonstrates how data can be both gathered and analysed and how deductive arguments can be used to produce valid generalisations from data. It also provides you with an overview of particular research techniques such that they can choose and develop those tools most appropriate to their particular research project.