Built Environment
Boost your career prospects and deepen your skills and knowledge in construction with our Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Built Environment degree.
How to apply Register for open day Chat to us/filters:format(webp)/prod01/channel_2/media/university-of-south-wales/site-assets/images/03-courses/built-environment/hnc-built-environment.png)
UCAS Code
Start Date
September 2026
Location
Pontypridd
Campus Code
A
UCAS Points
48
Fees
Home students: £1,589*
UCAS Code
Start Date
September 2027
Location
Pontypridd
Campus Code
A
UCAS Points
48
Course Overview
Sharpen your skills and develop vital knowledge in construction, where you’ll learn everything from building, and renovation to demolition.
This part-time HNC is designed to fit alongside work and features the latest sector insights from specialist lecturers and industry guest speakers. If you’re already in the construction industry and eager to accelerate your career, this part-time HNC provides the skills and knowledge to advance. It combines theory with practical application including the use of industry-standard software and technology to give you the edge.
Why study this course?
What you'll study
Studying part-time, you’ll build on your existing construction knowledge and skills in the construction sector, including how the built environment works, exploring construction, planning, law technology while developing essential academic, digital and professional skills for your future career.
Further study can top up your HNC to an honours degree.
You’ll explore how the UK construction industry shapes the built environment while developing professional skills, ethical awareness and digital know-how. You’ll investigate different career roles and experiment with technologies like drones, laser scanning and VR.
You’ll learn how planning shapes development in the built environment, exploring planning permission, land use and stakeholder roles. The module also introduces urban regeneration, inclusive design and the legal principles guiding UK planning decisions.
You’ll gain an introduction to the economic and legal forces shaping the built environment, exploring market trends, valuation and investment basics alongside contracts, health and safety, and professional responsibilities guiding ethical construction practice.
You’ll explore how homes are designed and built, learning about construction methods, materials and building systems. The module develops your understanding of regulations, sustainability and detailing, while building practical drawing, CAD and technical communication skills.
We regularly review our courses to keep pace with changing skills and employer needs. If a review leads to significant changes, we’ll contact you to explain what’s changing for the coming year.
Teaching and Assessment
You will explore ethical practice, inclusive thinking and the standards of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as part of your learning. With flexible study options and supportive guidance throughout, you will build confidence, practical skills and independent thinking to prepare you for your future career.
On this course, you will learn by getting stuck into real construction scenarios that bring theory to life. Through interactive lectures, workshops, presentations and digital tools, including virtual reality simulations, you will see how projects work in the real world. You will also hear from guest speakers and industry professionals, giving you insight into what working in the sector is really like.
Assessment on this course is designed to reflect the kinds of tasks you would complete in the construction industry, helping you build both knowledge and practical skills. You will complete a mix of coursework, including portfolios, reports and case study reviews, as well as project simulations using digital tools that mirror real professional environments.
Presentations, pitches and group projects help you develop communication and teamwork skills valued by employers. You will receive regular feedback to support your progress, and assessment standards align with expectations from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, so you know that your learning is relevant, professional and focused on preparing you for a successful career.
You’ll have access to industry-standard technology and software in our dedicated computing labs. Think Revit, ArchiCAD, AutoCAD, Autodesk QTO, CostX, Synchro, and Navisworks.
We use the latest digital technology, including drones, thermal imaging cameras, and virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) – all increasingly common in the industry.
From September 2026, our Computing, Engineering, Technology and Built Environment courses will move into their brand-new home: the Calon building.
This £60m investment will feature more than 40 new innovative teaching, learning and research spaces, including electronics and hydraulics labs, a flight simulator, a robotics lab, clean and industrial research spaces, collaborative teaching spaces, as well as virtual reality capability, and a range of exhibition spaces.
Calon will give you access to the technology, facilities and opportunities needed to shape the future.
Course Leader
Angela Morris
Dr. Angela Morris is a lecturer in Sustainability and Decarbonisation and Course Leader for the HNC Built Environment which is delivered on a part-time basis. Angela’s interest in the built environment started with her degree in Geography and her subsequent studies relating to climate change. With a passion for shaping the future of our built environment to meet the demands of Net Zero, Angela works with a strong team whose focus is on meeting industry demands through challenge-based learning. If you have any questions about the course, or if you would just like to hear more about it to see if it might be right for you, please reach out to Angela directly by email.
Entry Requirements
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.
USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.
How to applyContextual admissions policyAsk us a question48 UCAS points or above
Typical qualification requirements
A Level:
DD
Welsh BACC:
Grade D and D at A Level
BTEC:
BTEC Extended Diploma Pass Pass Pass or BTEC Diploma Pass Pass
Access to HE:
Pass Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points
Additional requirements include:
Three GCSEs at grade C/Grade 4 or above, including Mathematics and English language
International applications welcomed:
We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.
International studentsPre-Sessional EnglishEnglish language requirements
International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.
Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.
If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.
If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.
Fees and Funding
per 20 credits
Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).
*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.
Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy. We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).
*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.
Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy. We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
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Explore our facilities
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How to apply
All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS
You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).
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Apply direct
Built Environment
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Part-time, 2 years
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September
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Pontypridd
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Apply direct
Built Environment
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Part-time, 2 years
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September
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Pontypridd
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If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.
Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.
International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
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