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Construction Economics and Management MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This programme equips graduates with the competencies to become policy advisors, consultants, senior managers and decision-makers in any branch of the construction and infrastructure industry. It can also provide researchers and teachers in these subject areas with professional academic development.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£22,700
£11,350
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£37,500
£18,750
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 academic years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 28 Jun 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Whilst UCL will endeavour to issue decisions as soon as possible, it is expected that some applications will be considered in Spring 2024 as part of a gathered field, with formal decisions released in May 2023.

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

UCL's minimum qualifications are a lower second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. However, there is a heavy demand for places on this programme and in practice a significantly higher standard will be required unless the applicant can offer professional qualifications or five years of more of relevant practical experience.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The programme is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and aims to develop students' knowledge and skills under two mutually supporting themes, for which The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction has an international reputation:

  • The economics and finance of construction at project, firm and industry levels
  • The management of construction projects and enterprises

Construction is taken in its widest sense to include infrastructure and the supply chain.

Who this course is for

This programme is particularly appropriate for applicants who already possess knowledge and experience of project management and are seeking to move from a project-based to a business-based role within construction, or wish to specialise in areas of practical application of economics and finance.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Our school is part of The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, which is the UK's largest multidisciplinary faculty of the built environment.

The Bartlett brings together the multidisciplinary specialisms required to research, understand, design, construct and operate the built environment of the future. The QS World University Rankings (2023) places The Bartlett as #1 for Architecture and Built Environment studies in the world, and #1 in the UK for the ninth year in a row. The Bartlett's research received the UK's most world-leading ratings for Built Environment research in the most recent Research Excellence Framework.

Outside The Bartlett, we have links within UCL with those involved in engineering, computing and other areas of management.

Located in central London, UCL is at the heart of a large cluster of architectural, engineering, surveying, real estate and management consultancies, major construction/infrastructure clients, contractors and financial institutions. The UK's centre of government and all the resources of a world city are also to hand.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

The programme develops an understanding of financial and other kinds of management within the context of the project-based firm and the construction industry in its widest sense. There are some elements which can be put to use straight away while other elements of a strategic nature will prove useful as graduates move into more senior management roles. It is an attractive graduate qualification either for those trained in a technical discipline without previous economic training or those trained in economics or finance without previous exposure to construction.

Employability

The career options for graduates are varied, and many students go on to work for construction, engineering and design enterprises, professional consultants and commercial research organisations, and client enterprises with significant project portfolios such as retailers or banks. Graduates have been recruited by many of the UK's very best construction-sector firms. The MSc can be used as a foundation for MPhil/PhD research.

Networking

The Construction Economics and Management MSc programme and the School actively supports students and alumni in establishing their professional network, recognising the importance of networks in providing graduates with opportunities and support throughout their careers.

Accreditation

The Construction Economics and Management MSc course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), a globally recognised professional body accrediting professionals within the land, property, construction, and infrastructure sectors worldwide.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and group work on case studies, exercises and problems. Lectures include industry and academic guest speakers.

Assessment is through written examination, term papers and the dissertation.

In terms 1 and 2 full-time students can typically expect between 8 and 15 contact hours per teaching week through lectures, workshops and tutorials. In term 3 students will be completing their own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors.

Outside of lectures full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.

Modules

You will undertake 8 taught modules and the research dissertation.

Term One:

You will take 4 compulsory modules, and receive training in research methods.

Term Two:

You will take 4 option modules and submit an outline of your proposed dissertation research.

Term Three:

You will complete outstanding assignments for the taught modules, following which you will continue work on your dissertation in this term and throughout the summer.

The compulsory modules provide the basic knowledge and theoretical underpinning of the Economics and Management of Construction. The option modules build upon this knowledge and allow exploration of more specialist areas.

Year One:

In term one you will take 2 economics-based compulsory modules.

In term two you will take two optional modules, one from weeks 20-24 and one from weeks 26-30.

In term three you will complete outstanding assignments for the taught modules.

In the summer there is no formal teaching but you should be developing ideas for your dissertation.

Year Two:

In term one you will take 2 management-based compulsory modules and present the outline for your dissertation research.

In term two you will take the 2 remaining option modules and continue work on your dissertation.

In term three you will complete assignments for your taught modules and work on your dissertation for the remainder of the term and throughout the summer.

In the case of modular/flexible students, this is the fastest route to completion but a slower route may be taken. The sequence is designed to ensure that the economics is understood first in year one through the compulsory modules and the economics-based options build on that knowledge.

Compulsory modules







Optional modules







Management Concepts for Facilities



Supply Chain Management

Managing the Enterprise-Project Relationship


The Management of Large Projects and Programmes

Managing Innovation in Project-Based Firms and Megaprojects





Construction Clients and the Market for Contracts


Managing Professional Practice in Construction





Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Construction Economics and Management.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork may contribute to primary research for the dissertation.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Construction Economics & Management MSc

Whether your ambition is to design better buildings, plan better cities, build sustainable communities or help meet the challenge of climate change, The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment could be a big step towards it. Find out more about our courses through a range of taster lectures, Q&As and info sessions.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £22,700 £11,350
Tuition fees (2024/25) £37,500 £18,750

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

All full time students are required to pay a fee deposit of £2,000 for this programme. All part-time students are required to pay a fee deposit of £1,000.

If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc. on this programme, please get in touch with the Programme Administrator, Ms Julia Sladen, by e-mailing j.sladen@ucl.ac.uk or telephoning  +44 20 3108 7994.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

UCL offers a range of financial awards aimed at assisting both prospective and current students with their studies.

Any additional funding available from The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction and the Built Environment Faculty Office are advertised on the respective websites.

In our faculty, The Bartlett Promise Scholarship aims to enable students from backgrounds underrepresented in the built environment to pursue master's studies. Please see the UK Master's scholarship and Sub-Saharan Africa Master's scholarship pages for more information on eligibility criteria, selection process and FAQs.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

UCL East London Scholarship

Deadline: 20 June 2024
Value: Tuition fees plus £15,700 stipend ()
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Please note that for this programme, applications are considered in a number of different rounds, and so there are a series of deadlines. Please see the Bartlett website for more information.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Construction Economics and Management at graduate level
  • why you want to study Construction Economics and Management at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please upload a personal statement. Your statement should be clearly written, and be no more than 500 words. Please use the statement to tell us: Why have you chosen Construction Economics and Management programme and why The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction?  What specific areas of construction economics and construction management have you got an interest in and why? What are the values and experiences that you could bring to the programme? How will you use your studies in your professional and personal life? If there is a particular area you plan to research (for your MSc dissertation) please include this in your statement.

For this programme, applications are considered in a number of different rounds. Please see here for important information on application deadlines.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction
Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction

a.castro@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.