Who We Are

The School of Construction Economics and Management has a long history with roots founded in the Building Science and Quantity Surveying courses offered by the University of Witwatersrand since 1928. A separate Department of Quantity Surveying arose out of the original Department of Architecture and Quantity Surveying in 1965. The Department of Building was established in 1969. These two departments were merged in 1992 to form the Department of Building and Quantity Surveying. In 2002 a new undergraduate course in Property Studies was introduced. Most recently the name of the School was changed to the School of Construction Economics and Management (CEM) to reflect its multidisciplinary aspects.

The School of Construction Economics and Management is one of 33 Schools at Wits University and one of seven schools in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. The school is located in the new John Moffat Building on the East Campus of Wits University in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

We offer accredited undergraduate, honours and postgraduate programmes and conduct research in the construction and property (real estate) disciplines. The school also offers degrees at the Masters and Doctoral levels by dissertation and thesis.

A variety of short courses are presented each year for industry practitioners and the public through Wits Enterprise and Wits Plus, some in partnership with industry bodies.

The current school environment consists of 23 full-time academic staff members, 22 sessional lecturers and a vibrant community of about 800 students who are enrolled across the school’s undergraduate, honours and postgraduate programmes, listed below.

• Bachelor of Science (BSc) Construction Studies
• BSc Property Studies
• BSc Honours in Property Studies
• BSc Honours in Quantity Surveying
• BSc Honours in Construction Management
• Post Graduate (PG) Diploma in Property Development and Management
• PG Diploma in Property Development and Management (in the field of facilities management)
• PG Diploma in Construction Management (in the field of construction project management)
• PG Diploma in Construction Management (in the field of construction management)
• PG Diploma in Construction Management (in the field of construction health and safety management)
• PG Diploma in Construction Management (in the field of infrastructure procurement and delivery management)
• PG Diploma in Construction Management (in the field of construction law and contract management)
• Master of Science (MSc) Property Development and Management
• MSc Project Management in Construction
• The school also offers degrees at the Masters and Doctoral levels by dissertation and thesis in the construction or property (real estate) disciplines.

The school’s quantity surveying programmes are accredited by the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP) while our construction management programmes are accredited by the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP). The property studies programmes are accredited by the South African Council for the Property Valuers Profession (SACPVP). Internationally, we are accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

The graduates of our school play key roles in industry and society and we have a reputation for producing well-rounded graduates who have a strong managerial and technological base. Over the years, the school has produced the majority of registered professional construction managers, construction project managers and quantity surveyors in South Africa.

We maintain a close relationship with industry and professional bodies in the school’s field. We also have a 20 member Industry Advisory Board (IAB) comprising of captains of industry who advise and support us to achieve the school’s vision and strategic goals.

In line with Wits’ strategic plan, the school’s vision is to become the leading centre on the African continent for education and research in the built environment, to address the needs of a transforming society. Our mission is to educate all our students to the highest possible standards and conduct high impact research of national and international significance. All members of staff contribute to this vision and mission to ensure that our students go on to become future leaders of industry. We welcome everyone seeking to be part of our vision and mission.

The School of Construction Economics and Management welcomes prospective students seeking to do a PhD or Masters by Research in the fields of construction and real estate. Our School is the right place for you.

The School provides an excellent environment within a top-ranked university and we welcome research students from all over the world. We aim to attract talented students and educate them to the highest possible standards.

In recent years, we have had many of our PhD students publishing in strong journals, graduating, and moving on to secure competitive positions in different parts of the world. This is a testament to the quality of the Wits degree, and we invite you to study with us.

As a School, our vision is to become clearly established as the leading School on the African continent for education and research in construction and real estate. Building a strong and vibrant community of research degrees students who will participate actively in our mission to conduct high-quality research of national and international significance is a core part of our vision.

We are aiming to attract talented research students from all over the world, educate them to the highest possible standards, and support them to achieve their aspirations. If you are a talented student aspiring to study for a research degree in construction or real estate (PhD or Masters by Research), we invite you to engage with us and enroll to study in our School.

We have excellent staff and a well-resourced environment here at Wits University to support you and help you achieve your aspirations.

Prof Sam Laryea, Head of School