For the first time in Sri Lanka, the University of Salford (UoS), UK, will be conducting a Bachelor of Science in Quantity Surveying (Honours degree) entirely in Sri Lanka in affiliation with Colombo School of Construction Technology (CSCT). UoS has formally entered in to a partnership with CSCT to conduct a 4 year honours degree (3 years taught+1 year practical training) Bachelors Degree in Quantity Surveying (BSc. QS), taught entirely in Sri Lanka and awarded by UoS.

This is the first time that a private educational institute is able to offer a full 4 year degree programme in Quantity Surveying in Sri Lanka. The only other institution in Sri Lanka able to offer a four year honours degree in Quantity Surveying is the University of Moratuwa, which remains the premier institution in Sri Lanka for studies in the field of Quantity Surveying. This is a great accomplishment for the Colombo School of Construction Technology and significant opportunity for students seeking an alternative to travelling overseas for higher education.

Going overseas to pursue a tertiary education is not cheap, particularly in the UK. However parents and families continue to fund their children to pursue higher education especially in countries such as the UK due to the high quality degree programmes available in these countries and the employability of such degree holders on completion. The programme offered at CSCT provides an alternative for those students wishing to pursue further academic study as it provides students an opportunity to obtain a high quality UK degree in Sri Lanka!

The great thing about this programme is that it has been designed with the end result in mind that is the 1 year industrial placement is at the end of the programme (unlike many other programmes who either do not have such a placement built in to their programme structure or is placed in the middle of the programme,) to allow for a smooth transition into the professional work force. This programme allows students the ability to recuperate money invested in their higher education in a shorter period of time due to the advantage of the work placement.

By joining CSCT, parents and students alike will have the peace of mind knowing that the teaching staff at CSCT are of the highest caliber and that CSCT management will assist students in obtaining work placements here in Sri Lanka and also in the Middle East and beyond. This undertaking can be given as many of our staff members are both teachers and practitioners in the industry and are in close touch with employers who are constantly calling on them for recommendations for young graduate quantity surveyors.

This is in stark contrast to parents who pay millions of rupees in tuition fees to send their children for overseas study and in addition have to find money for living expenses. The cost can be prohibitive in a country such as the UK considering the parity of the Sri Lankan rupee with the GBP without any assurances of employment post degree. Parents will also have the peace of mind to have their children right here in Sri Lanka while obtaining a UK degree. For the country there will be a saving of foreign exchange as this course will reduce the cost to less than 75% for tuition fees and 0% for cost of travel and living expenses abroad.

The uniqueness of this programme is that there are a variety of pathways for entry which allow students from a variety of academic background entry in to the programme. Entry is available on completion of A'levels for those students who do not gain entry into the national universities or for those having completed an Edexcel Higher National Diploma or equivalent. A fast track placement option is also available for those students who have completed an Edexcel HND in a Construction Industry related field and achieved a merit for all H2 level cognate subjects where entry is possible to the 2nd year of the programme thus obtaining credit of one year for study completed.

For those having completed other qualifications such as National Diploma in Technology (NDT); National Certificate in Technology (NCT); and other similar qualifications, options for entry are available on a case by case basis.

CSCT believes that offering of a foreign (UK) degree in Sri Lanka is well in line with the current policy of the government and the Hon. Minister for Higher Education where they are keen to establish such facilities in Sri Lanka for the benefit of the wider community to obtain higher educational qualifications notwithstanding the limitations of entry to the state University system. We at CSCT believe that in partnership with a prestigious institution such as the University of Salford coupled with our resources, both Academic and Institutional, we will be able to compliment the high quality programmes already conducted by state sector institutions in providing a high quality programme ourselves.

Quantity Surveying is a popular course of study due to the demand for QS's all over the world. Degree level qualifications are now sought by prospective employers, and will be a boon to the Sri Lankan students seeking a QS degree to further their ambitions of gaining employment in a field offering higher than normal remuneration and opportunity for migration. For those who would still like to undertake a part of their studies abroad, it will be possible for them to undertake a semester or more of their studies at Salford as an option or even attend their graduation at Salford with the rest of the UoS Graduants. This being a UK degree the graduants will be eligible for a permit to work in the UK for a period of time based on UK laws applicable at the time of completion of their courses.

The collaboration between UoS and CSCT is the culmination of nearly a year of negotiations between the two institutions. A team of Academics and Administrators from Salford visited Sri Lanka in December 2010 to assess the quality of teaching staff and facilities at CSCT after which they formally recommended the partnership. CSCT was established in 2008 and have been conducting Edexcel approved, Higher National Diploma courses in Quantity Surveying and Construction Economics and Construction Management.

Several Short term courses are also conducted at their Centre at Thalawathugoda Road, Pita Kotte, and specially tailored courses for Construction Industry Organizations at their request. These include, Autocad (Progecad) certificate courses, Value Management, Claims Management, Risk Management etc. Academic staff at CSCT has also been conducting specially tailored construction Industry related courses of study for many Construction Companies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Qatar, Oman, India and the Maldives for many years, which continue to be conducted through the CSCT. This is one of the only institutions dedicated to catering to students seeking an education in the field of the Built Environment.

The decision to pursue higher education is an important one and it is integral that when choosing your education provider it is not a decision simply based on cost or duration but one based on quality and employability. The UoS-CSCT collaboration provides a sound cognate honours degree that is recognized worldwide particular by employers seeking quantity surveying degree holders.

CSCT is currently taking in applications for the June 2011 intake. Places are limited, so register your interest today. Please contact Chulani on 0773 600 732 or the student administration section on 288 5932 for further information.

Make the right education choice for your future and choose CSCT as you education provider!