DA5046 - Construction Law

What will I learn on this module?

You will learn to apply basic principles of the English Law to the administration of construction contracts, the day to day control of contractual procedures and the recognition and avoidance/resolution of disputes should they arise. The module includes a study of the relevant legislation and case law relating to express provisions of the most common Standard Forms of Construction Contract. You will also study the detailed workings of various aspects of construction dispute resolution, including Adjudication, Arbitration, Mediation and Litigation.

You will explore topics such as:
• Comparison of Standard Forms
• Letters of Intent
• Retention of Title
• Payment Issues
• Occupiers Liability
• Legal Issues and BIM* Dispute avoidance and resolution
• The role of a surveyor as an Expert
• Professional Liability and Ethics
• Fundamental British Values, particularly the rule of law

How will I learn on this module?

Most of your learning on this degree apprenticeship module will be in your workplace. You will gain a theoretical understanding of the topics through live (online or face-to-face) university sessions and online resources such as recorded lectures, videocasts, podcasts, electronic books, journal articles and websites. Your involvement in quantity surveying tasks will enable you to put the theory into context, thereby cementing your understanding. You will agree with your Workplace Mentor a Module Learning Plan (MLP) designed to achieve the Module Learning Outcomes via a series of directed workplace learning activities, such as shadowing a colleague, visiting a site or producing a poster.

Opportunities will also be provided for you to develop your understanding through peer and tutor interaction in discussion groups and research rich debates during live classroom or synchronous online seminars and workshops, such as legal debates relating to construction problems. You will be encouraged to draw on your own professional experiences to share best practice and contribute to debates.

Modules on your programme will typically span 11 weeks, with scheduled or directed activities each week, and one piece of summative assessment submitted in week 12 or 13. This may also be supplemented with up to one day of face-to-face interaction, if appropriate, at Northumbria University or a regional hub. In total the module will include around 11 hours of live ‘Seminars’ (synchronous classroom and online delivery via Blackboard Collaborate), 7 hours of recorded ‘Lectures’ (asynchronous online delivery via Blackboard or Blackboard Collaborate), 2 hours of ‘Tutorials’ (1-to-1 support from Workplace Mentor and Workplace Coach), and 40 hours of workplace learning activities. The remaining hours in the Notional Student Workload for the module are attributed to independent learning, with the estimated ratio of tutor-guided to student independent learning at 2:3 for a Level 5 module. This is indicative and will vary between modules.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

Your module tutor(s) will deliver an online module induction session and lead live sessions that enable you to interact with your tutor and peers. They will provide and direct you to essential and recommended online resources available via the University’s eLearning Portal and University Library. Outside of live sessions, they will provide advice and respond to questions via the eLearning Portal.

Your Workplace Mentor will support you in developing your Module Learning Plan. You will be provided with a guidance document that outlines the principles of workplace learning and provides examples of a large and diverse range of potential workplace learning activities. You may also discuss your Module Learning Plan with your Workplace Coach.

What will I be expected to read on this module?

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

What will I be expected to achieve?

Knowledge & Understanding:
MLO1: You will develop and apply the principles contained within the Common Law, Statute and standard Construction Contracts in the management of the construction process

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
MLO2: You will be able to determine, through personal deliberation and debate the contractual significance of factors within differing scenarios. You should be able to establish the appropriate course of action within a legal framework.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
MLO3: You will be able to identify and appraise solutions which are legally correct, and which are also fair and equitable for both parties.

How will I be assessed?

You will be formatively assessed by the completion of the workplace learning activities identified in your Module Learning Plan. You will receive informal, often verbal, formative feedback from your Workplace Mentor, and sometimes from other colleagues and your Workplace Coach. You will also have the opportunity for formative feedback from your module tutor(s), particularly during Assessment Guidance sessions.

Your summative assessment will provide you with the opportunity to translate your workplace learning into a coherent output that demonstrates that you have achieved the module learning outcomes.

This will be in the form of a 4000-word scenario-based report which will assess your understanding of various legal principles and procedures and your ability to work effectively with these and give appropriate advice to a client.

Pre-requisite(s)

N/A

Co-requisite(s)

N/A

Module abstract

This module is an integral part of your Degree Apprenticeship programme, designed in collaboration with employers to meet the requirements of the Chartered Surveyor Apprenticeship Standard and provide a solid skills base for career progression and professional qualification.

You will learn to apply basic principles of the English Law to the administration of construction contracts, the day to day control of contractual procedures and the recognition and avoidance/resolution of disputes. You will study relevant legislation and case law relating to express provisions of the most common Standard Forms of Construction Contract, and also the various aspects of construction dispute resolution, including Adjudication, Arbitration, Mediation and Litigation.

You will gain theoretical understanding through university sessions and online resources but as a Degree Apprentice, you will do most of your learning in the context of your quantity surveying role via a series of workplace learning activities agreed with your Workplace Mentor.

Course info

Credits 20

Level of Study Undergraduate

Mode of Study 4 years Part Time

Department Architecture and Built Environment

Location City Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start September 2025

Fee Information

Module Information

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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