A range of ‘accelerated’ degrees linked to the built environment sector are due to be offered by a North West university from this autumn.
The University of Salford said the new degrees will represent a first in the UK’s construction and property industries, with students able to access them from September.
According to the institution, the degrees will aim to provide greater levels of flexibility to employers, while enabling students to achieve their academic ambitions at an earlier stage.
The accelerated degrees will be available in the subjects of architectural design and technology, building surveying, construction project management, and quantity surveying, along with property and real estate.
CITB’s latest Construction Skills Network reports predicts 330 more construction project managers will be needed each year over the next five years as the industry expands.
The accelerated courses mean full-time students will be able to achieve degrees in two years, with three trimesters featuring in each calendar year.
They will also be open to those already in work, who will be able to learn on a part-time or a day release basis.
The university said it will take these students 36 months to complete the accelerated degrees, rather than the traditional time of 57 months taken by undergraduates studying part-time.
Professor Hisham Elkadi, dean of the university’s School of the Built Environment, said the new courses are designed to suit the requirements of both employers and learners themselves.
He said: “We will still offer the traditional degree format but are truly delighted to be offering an alternative for those who are keen to progress more rapidly into the profession.”
Commenting on the availability of the courses to part-time students as well, he added: “Those in work, who cannot commit to full-time study, can still access our high-quality undergraduate programmes and progress more quickly in their career.”
Industry experts have welcomed the plans for the accelerated degree courses. John Williamson of Redrow Homes said the university appears to be responding to the changing learning practices which are required in the building sector.
The university said that one benefit of the full-time accelerated degrees is that students will only have to pay fees for two years, potentially saving them £9,000.
