Brief History

The Department of Construction Economics of the University of Pretoria is part of the School for the Built Environment, accommodated in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT).  The Faculty of EBIT at the University of Pretoria comprises four schools, the School of Engineering, the School for the Built Environment, the School of Information Technology and the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM). The Department of Construction Economics offers academic programmes (BSc and BScHons) in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management and Real Estate, a coursework MSc in Real Estate, and research-based MSc and PhD programmes in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management and Real Estate. 

Since 1934 the University of Pretoria’s qualification in quantity surveying has been recognised by the Chartered Surveyors’ Institution in the UK.  From 1943 until 1970, the Schools of Architecture and Quantity Surveying were part of the Department of Architecture and Quantity Surveying and in 1964 a degree programme in Building Management was introduced by the Department.

In 1971 a new Department of Quantity Surveying was formed. In 1980 Building Management obtained departmental status and in 1997 the separate departments of quantity surveying and construction management were amalgamated into one department under the Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management. The department's name was changed in 2000 to the Department of Construction Economics.

The diploma programme in quantity surveying and construction management was phased out, with the last diploma qualifications awarded in 1969. The degree programmes offered in quantity surveying and construction management was a five-year BSc QS & BSc CM degree until 2000. From 2001 the degrees were replaced by a three-year BSc QS degree and a two-year BSc Honours degree.  In 2015 the BSc Honours degrees were changed to a one-year full-time programme but with the option of structuring the modules over two years for students who preferred to work during their honours study. 

In 2019 the Quantity Surveying programme was 90 years old.  The Construction Management programme started in 1963 is 60 years old in 2023. In 2010, a new BSc Real Estate programme was introduced in the Department of Construction Economics and the first BScHons Real Estate cohort registered in 2014. 

Accreditations

We strive to give our students the best possible education and qualification. The Department therefore ensures that we comply with the accreditation requirements from national and international accreditation bodies.

We are accredited nationally with the:

• South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP)
• South African Council for Project and Construction Management Professionals (SACPCMP)
• South African Council For The Property Valuers Profession (SACPVP) 

We are accredited internationally with the:

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

The Department values strong industry relationship with professional associations and institutions such as the:

• Associaton of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS)
• South African Council for Shopping Centres (SACSC)
• Australian Institute of Building (AIB)