Rising demand for quantity surveyors
SINCE the last decade, a Quantity Surveying (QS) degree has gained popularity in the university due to the ever-increasing demand in Malaysia’s construction industry.
Influenced by the fourth Industrial Revolution, the roles of a quantity surveyor have evolved from purely quantities measurement to the development of risk and value management, construction project management, contract administration and sustainability, legal and environmental services and more.
The career option has certainly attracted many females in the last few years as transition in technology has gradually changed the QS field from being a male-dominated industry to one that lends more room for equal participation between genders.
According to SEGi University Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment dean, Dr Chia Chee Ming, 40% of the QS students at SEGi are female and he believes the number will continue to grow in the next few years.
“One of the youngest professional quantity surveyors in Malaysia is currently a female (Nadzirah Zainordin) and she has recently been appointed as programme leader of the QS degree at SEGi University,” he added.
More than just theory
According to Dr Chia, the QS degree at SEGi University is not merely about theories or classroom activities. Besides acquiring a solid foundation in QS, students are also involved in community outreach initiatives.
To name a few, SEGi’s QS students have helped renovate and rebuild homes of Perkampungan Orang Asli Hulu Selangor and Trinity Children Home in Petaling Jaya.
Students were exposed to reallife challenges, from the aspect of quantification to buying raw materials to dealing with contractors, which required them to apply the knowledge and skills acquired from SEGi University.
The QS degree at SEGi University is accredited by the Board of Quantity Surveyor Malaysia (BQSM) and is expected to receive recognition from the prestigious Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) from the UK by early 2019, if not end of 2018.
As the demand for the qualification grows globally, Dr Chia believes the number of international students who seek to pursue a degree in QS will triple at SEGi University with the international recognition from RICS.
Besides the BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying degree, the following undergraduate degrees are also offered under the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at SEGi University to cater for the ever-growing industry:
> BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering
> BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering
> BEng (Hons) in Electronic & Electrical Engineering
> BEng (Hons) in Chemical Engineering
> BSc (Hons) Architecture
> BA (Hons) Interior Architecture
Partnership with the University of Central Lancashire
SEGi has recently signed a partnership with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) from the UK to offer a doubledegree for the engineering programmes stated above.
Interested in studying at SEGi University? Come and join the next intake in September.
■ Call SEGi University Kota Damansara at 03-6145 1777 or 011-1210 6389 or log on to http:// segi.edu.my/en/contact-us
The QS degree at SEGi University is not merely about theories or classroom activities. Besides acquiring a solid foundation in quantity surveying, students are also involved in community outreach initiatives. Dr Chia Chee Ming