The Course

Principal Learning (learning you have to do)
This covers all you need to know about construction and the built environment at the level you're studying. You'll learn how the sector works and what skills you need to be in it, plus the tools and techniques that are used. You'll look at all the stages of a building project, and see what factors can influence them – like community involvement, environmental issues, time, cost, planning, materials, design and much more.

Additional and Specialist Learning (options you can choose)
You can take specialist courses in Construction and the Built Environment as part of your Diploma. You could learn about plumbing, electrical and mechanical engineering, architecture, town planning – anything! Maybe even a business course if you’re thinking of running your own firm one day. You can also pick subjects that you might want to study at university, like law, science, politics and a language; or a course to do with a hobby like art or history.

Functional Skills (curriculum subjects)
You'll still do English, maths and ICT as part of your Diploma course. You'll need them to get your Diploma qualification, and for whatever you go on to do next.

Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills
These are skills like team–working, creative thinking and self–management. You'll need them for life, study and work, and they'll help you to be a success whatever you do in the future.

Work Experience
On your Diploma course you'll get to do at least 10 days' work experience. It's a great way to use the skills you've learnt in the classroom, and see what work is really like. It might be with a local building firm, painter and decorator, or a town planning office. You could spend time with a larger organisation, like a building services contractor, or an architects' practice to see how building plans are drawn up.

Student Project
You can do your project about anything you like because you choose the topic, and how you're going to present your work. You'll need to show all the things you've learnt on your Diploma course, but what you do it on is up to you. It could be a written piece of work, like a report; an investigation or something practical like designing and planning a piece of unused land for development, from start to finish.