Note: As a subsidiary of
Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, UCOL is committed to providing the best learning outcome for you. As part of this, all programmes are currently being reviewed to make them portable, consistent, and closely aligned with the needs of the industry. When published, this course information is correct, but the courses offered may change over time.
This programme consists of 240 credits comprising of the compulsory courses of 195 credits and any of the two strands (Construction Management Strand and Quantity Surveying Strands) of 45 credits.
Compulsary Courses
Communication in the Construction Industry (15 credits)
Students will be able to communicate effectively and be aware of legislation in the construction industry. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Describe roles and responsibilities within the construction industry.
- Define communication protocols and establish procedures to facilitate and monitor communication on a construction project.
- Describe the relevance of key statutes and regulations to the NZ construction industry.
- Explain the legal standing of the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing its impact on the construction industry.
Tendering Administration Processes for Construction Projects (15 credits)
Students will learn to effectively administrate processes that are essential to the success of a construction project. Students will understand the effects of specific Acts and their resultant regulations on design and construction practices and principles in the construction industry. You will also understand what is involved in the pre-contract phase of construction. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Describe the purpose of specific legislation relevant to the construction industry.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the requirements of the Health & Safety Act in the construction environment.
- Explain the purpose of the range of tender documents, in relation to the laws and regulations.
- Discuss the tender process.
- Evaluate tenders for category 2 buildings.
Contract Administration for Valuing Building Works (15 credits)
Students will gain an understanding of construction project administration, including the principles, practice and documentation of post-tender administration. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Identify and apply the communication and administrative processes for the construction phase.
- Prepare progress claims and provide costs for work executed, prepare and present costs of variations, prepare and present cost fluctuations, prepare and present time extension claims.
- Evaluate progress claims.
- Adjust included sums in accordance with contract documentation.
- Collect and present post-contract ancillary documentation.
Materials in Construction Projects (15 credits)
Students will learn about the impacts that the external and internal environment and the Building Code have on the selection and application of building materials and finishes. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Analyse and discuss the environmental factors that may affect building and design.
- Identify the concepts of buildability and sustainability with reference to the choices of materials and finishes for different environments.
- Research the characteristics and physical properties of materials and finishes used in buildings.
- Evaluate the performance and compatibility of materials and finishes used in buildings.
Services for Construction Projects (15 credits)
Students will learn the operating principles and coordination of services used and applied in small and medium buildings, taking into account the environment and the legal and regulatory frameworks. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Identify environmental impacts on building services.
- Evaluate design and construction impacts that may apply by the installation of services.
- Explain principles of coordination, placement, and reticulation of services for buildings.
- Research and apply legislative requirements relevant to services in a building to three levels.
Structures for Residential Construction Projects (15 credits)
Students will understand the relationship between the choice of site and structure of a small building, taking into consideration site limitations, small building design, the envelope and interior. You'll learn how a building is constructed in accordance with NZS 3604 and the Building Code to specific and non-specific design. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Identify, analyse and describe the limitations of a small building site in terms of the relevant legislative requirements and building implications for a new build.
- Determine and describe the type of structure that can be built on a given site in terms of its foundations' structure, bracing and internal and external finishes.
- Identify the requirements of the Building Code as they relate to non-specific building design.
- Create simple technical sketches for construction from a given brief.
Feasibility and Analytical Reports for Construction Projects (15 credits)
Students will understand the site on which a building is developed places constraints that identify the limitations in a site; to demonstrate knowledge of the research, feasibility and environmental study in terms of legislative requirements; establish the condition of an existing building; and present information from the research, feasibility and environmental study on the design and construction of that building. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Identify constraints and describe the limitations of an existing building site in terms of relevant legislative requirements and building implications for the repair or alteration of the structure.
- Create a simple technical sketch of the given site to include all structures and impediments that exist.
- Research the causes to the condition of the building taking into account climate and environmental factors including atmosphere, weather, human, insect and animal.
- Provide a report to describe the condition of an existing building, identifying the work required to repair or alter the building with consideration to the requirements of the Building Code.
Commercial Construction 1 (15 credits)
Students will understand what a Commercial building is how they are constructed, how structural products are used in these, and why specific design is necessary for these larger structures of a commercial nature that are buildings with more than two levels, that have specific requirements in terms of their design, the construction process, and related legislation. This course will provide students with an understanding of the structural principles and specific design requirements for multi-levelled buildings. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Demonstrate knowledge of structural principles to include specific design.
- Identify and describe the impacts that a structure of a specific design may have on a building taking into account loadings.
- Identify and describe fire protection systems in a commercial building and how this impacts design and end-use.
Commercial Construction 2 (15 credits)
Students will discuss the end-use of buildings in line with the building code and territorial authority requirements. To understand services placement and use in a commercial structure, the materials and services that can be used to enhance the management of a commercial structure, to introduce the design and end user management functions of a medium building to Category 3. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Identify and describe Building Code and Resource Management Act requirements for the management of end-user facilities in a commercial structure.
- Discuss design requirements in terms of regulations and standards related to health, safety and disability in a commercial structure.
- Identify the services used in a commercial structure and their impacts on the design of the building.
- Identify and describe the materials used for linings, joinery, fitments and finishes to the interior and exterior of a commercial building.
- Identify the key features of BIM (Building Information Modelling) in the construction industry.
Residential Estimation (15 credits)
Students will learn to estimate costs for a small - two-level construction project and collate the required information to submit a trades tender. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Demonstrate knowledge of the cost estimation processes for a building project by building up rates for labour and material supply for a specified building.
- Demonstrate the process of tendering for a construction project by obtaining quotes and prices then assessing them against the project requirements.
- Understand how to establish and carry out the application of on-costs and overheads to rates.
- Collate and place prices into a schedule of quantities for submission to meet industry requirements.
Residential Tendering (15 credits)
Students will learn how to bring a Bid together for a small up to two-level construction project that can be assembled and collated to obtain the information required to submit a tender for various trades, taking into account the identified risks and opportunities. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Demonstrate the process of bidding for a construction project by identifying risks and opportunities.
- Coordinate the development of a bid to meet the brief in consultation with relevant stakeholders to meet enterprise requirements.
- Assemble a final bid for tendering using the identified components in a format that is to the client and/or enterprise requirements.
Construction Programming & Construction Methodology (15 credits)
Students will learn to develop a pre-and post-contract programme for a medium construction project. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Establishing a pre-tender methodology to identify activities, resources and time frames required for a given building and place them into a Gantt chart.
- Providing for a given building a post-tender methodology and defining the relationships of activities in a construction programme.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the inter-relationships of construction activities and resources in a construction programme.
- Sequence construction activities and resources and place into a construction programme.
- Adjust activities in a construction programme for a medium building during construction.
Personnel Management (15 credits)
Students will learn about the business and corporate structures, problem-solving and improving performance in a construction site. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Solve selected problems in a construction site environment to include staff, materials, processes, location and public interaction.
- Coordinate health and safety in the workplace through on site meetings.
- Give written and verbal instructions to implement a task by others in a construction context.
- Coordinate staff to improve productivity through influence and clear instruction.
- Understand the documentation required to take a building project to completion post-contract to include staff, materials, and processes according to company policy.
Construction Management Strand
To obtain the New Zealand Diploma in Construction (Level 6) programme with a strand in Construction Management, you have to complete the compulsory course (195 credits) and the courses under the Construction Management Strand (45 credits).
Site Management (15 credits)
Students will learn to establish health and safety and quality assurance plans. Understand resource management and sub-contractors' requirements on a medium construction project. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Develop a site-safety plan to implement on a construction site.
- Develop a site-quality plan to implement on a construction site.
- Provide a strategy to implement resource management requirements of a construction site.
- Provide a plan to implement sub-contractor management.
Construction Planning (15 credits)
Students will learn to develop a pre-contract and post-contract construction plan for a medium building. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Produce a plan for a medium construction project pre-tender discussing the constraints in a given project, including health and safety, timings, plant, resources, budgets, management, sub-contractors, and materials.
- Produce a plan for a medium construction project post-tender discussing the mitigation of constraints in a given project, including health and safety, timings, plant resources, budgets, management, sub-contractors, and materials.
Health & Safety and Quality Assurance in Construction (15 credits)
Students will learn to implement health and safety and quality assurance plans. Understand how safety and quality plans improve quality on a construction project; how to use levels and the positioning of a medium sized building on a site involving datum’s; and the principles of the requirements of total stations and automatic levels in construction projects. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Implement a developed site safety plan
- Implement a developed site quality plan
- Discuss how an implemented safety plan could improve quality and how an implemented quality plan could improve site safety to develop cost savings on construction sites.
- From a given scenario, explain the requirements and use of site set out and survey plans.
Quantity Surveying Strand
To obtain the New Zealand Diploma in Construction (Level 6) programme with a strand in Quantity Surveying, you have to complete the compulsory course (195 credits) and the courses under the Quantity Surveying Strand (45 credits).
Measurement (15 credits)
Students will learn to develop schedules of quantities for specialist trades in construction projects. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Understand the structure, use and requirement of a schedule of quantities in construction projects.
- Assemble the documentation required to measure a schedule of quantities.
- Understand the requirements to measure civil engineering work.
- Produce a schedule of quantities for specialist trades.
Measurement and Estimation Commercial (15 credits)
Students will learn how to build up rates and establish a tender for a medium construction project. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Measure specific trades
- Build up rates for use in a schedule of quantities for the purpose of tendering.
- Establish profit, overheads and on-costs.
- Provide a tender for a given project.
Preliminary Estimates (15 credits)
Students will learn to complete preliminary estimates for a medium building, compile an elemental cost plan for a medium building, and prepare cash flow statements to meet client requirements. After completing this course, you will be able to;
- Complete preliminary elemental estimates and cost plans for a given construction project.
- Complete preliminary budgets for a given construction project.
- Provide a cash flow statement for a given construction project.