Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying)

You'll have excellent career opportunities as a construction professional. You can work as a project manager, quantity surveyor, site manager, estimator, or contract administrator. Graduates of the Quantity Surveying strand can also join the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveying (NZIOB) and work as a consultant QS.  

With experience, you may become a senior project manager, site manager or quantity surveyor, a commercial or divisional manager, or operate your own consultancy. With further study, you could specialise in the field of construction law and dispute resolution. 

If you already hold a diploma in Quantity Surveying or Construction Management, you could get credit recognition toward the third year of this degree and study part-time to complete it alongside your employment from anywhere in New Zealand. 

The remaining degree courses can be studied through a combination of online learning and by attending contact courses in Dunedin over a two-to-three year duration. 

Recognised diplomas

• Otago Polytechnic New Zealand Diploma in Construction (Quantity Surveying): you can get direct entry to Year 3 of the Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying) or (Site Management).
• Diploma in Quantity Surveying or Construction Management from any other NZ institution: you can enter Year 3 of the Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying) or (Site Management), but you'll have to do up to four Year 1 and 2 courses.  

This degree is accredited by the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors and will make you eligible for Graduate Membership status.

You will focus on financial feasibility studies, budgets and cost planning and graduate with the ability to price and manage construction projects. 

For those under 20

• NCEA Level 3 including:
  • 14 credits at Level 3 or above in each of three NZQA approved university entrance subjects, and
  • 10 literacy credits at Level 2 or above, made up of: 
    • 5 credits in reading, and
    • 5 credits in writing, and 
  • 12 numeracy credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:
    • specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects OR
    • package of three numeracy unit standards (26623, 26626, 26627- all three required).

For those over 20

• You must supply evidence of industry experience and/or alternative relevant qualifications.  
• Provisional entry is possible. 

• If English is not your first language, you must provide:
  • New Zealand University Entrance OR
  • Overall Academic IELTS 6.0 with no individual band score lower than 5.5 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
  • Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests).

If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.

If you don't meet the requirements to enter this programme, our bridging programme is the perfect option (this is advertised as the bridging option into our engineering diploma but is a highly suitable pathway into this degree as well). Alternatively, you could complete the New Zealand Certificate in Construction Trade Skills (Level 3) (Carpentry). 

Upon successful completion of this programme, you will be able to gain entry into relevant postgraduate qualifications. Possible programmes include the Graduate Diploma in Construction Project Management (at Unitec) or the Postgraduate Diploma in Construction - Building Technology, Construction Law, Construction Project Management, Facilities Management, Quantity Surveying - (at Massey).   

• Programme orientation and additional information
• Programme equipment
• Year one and two semester timetables (draft copy)
• Timetable for 2022 third year students (draft copy)

You will be expected to spend about 300 hours per Study Block on your course work. This includes both scheduled class time and self-directed study.

At our Auckland International Campus, this programme is offered by Future Skills Academy due to a sub-contract arrangement with Otago Polytechnic. Auckland study block dates > 

For more information on this programme, please email david.finnie@op.ac.nz or Construction@op.ac.nz.