Miri – 29 September 2023 – Curtin University has made significant changes to its Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management course in response to the evolving industry demands, particularly in relation to Industry 4.0 (IR 4.0); Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG); and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
The four-year honours course has been offered at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) since 2018, and has proven to be one of the most popular courses both at Curtin Malaysia and Curtin’s main campus in Perth. To shore up its popularity and ensure its relevance in the construction industry, the course’s structure was redesigned this year to incorporate digitalisation and sustainability elements.
Another key change to the course is the introduction of a specialisation in Quantity Surveying. This new specialisation not only aligns with industry demands for quantity surveying expertise but also equips students with specialised knowledge and skills to excel in a variety of roles within the construction industry.
“The Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management focuses on two construction-related disciplines, construction management and quantity surveying, which are critical in today’s construction industry,” said Professor Vincent Lee, Curtin Malaysia’s Deputy Pro Vice-chancellor and Interim Dean of its Faculty of Humanities and Health Sciences, where the course is delivered by its Department of Built Environment.
Professor Lee said the management-oriented degree course is designed in collaboration with Curtin’s industry partners in Australia and Malaysia, and the course taught at Curtin Malaysia has been largely contextualised for Malaysian industry. It is furthermore accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and the Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia (BQSM), increasing its recognition and value in the local construction industry.
In the course, students learn construction technologies, quantity measurement, project planning and management, strategy and financial management, contract administration, construction law, cost estimating, planning and management, and communication skills.
The degree can lead to careers in a wide variety of industries including building and construction, local government, infrastructure, mining, and oil and gas, as construction managers, contract administrators, project managers, property developers, building surveyors, building contractors, estimators and quantity surveyors, to name a few.
According to senior lecturer in the Department of Built Environment, Sr. Dr. Low Wai Wah, the global outlook for these professions is equally promising. She said that according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of construction managers is projected to increase by five per cent between 2022 and 2032, faster than the average increase for all occupations. Similarly, the Australian’s National Skills Commission ranks construction managers as the fourth highest-demand occupation.
Furthermore, there is a shortage of quantity surveyors globally. Australian Visa Lawyer reports a shortage of quantity surveyors in Australia, and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) also acknowledged this shortfall. The RICS’s Global Construction Monitor 2023 Quarter 2 highlights that the construction industry is facing skill shortages and this includes project managers and quantity surveyors whilst construction employment is anticipated to rise globally.
On the Malaysian front, a 2022 online news report stated that construction managers and quantity surveyors are the best paying jobs in the Malaysian construction sector.
In addition to the Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management, the Department of Built Environment also offers a range of postgraduate courses in Project Management for those eager to acquire or take their project management skills to the next level. They include a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, and Master of Science in Project Management.
The course equips students with the understanding, knowledge and skills essential for being a competent project manager. It adopts a generic approach to project management and is applicable across various project-based industries such as construction, engineering, education, health, commerce, marketing and public relations, events planning, resources, information technology, law, and research and development.
For more information on the Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management and Project Management courses, visit courses.curtin.edu.my, or enquire online at futurestudents.curtin.edu.my/enquiry/.
For more information on Curtin Malaysia, visit https://www.curtin.edu.my or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or Tik-Tok.
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