How to Become a Building Surveyor Without a Degree: Apprenticeships and Alternative Routes

A relevant university degree is not the only way to start a career in building surveying. Depending on your experience and the type of role you want, you could enter through an apprenticeship, build experience in an assistant position, or pursue a professional qualification through an alternative route.

It is important to distinguish between becoming a building surveyor without a degree and qualifying as a Chartered Building Surveyor (MRICS) without a degree. The first can begin with an entry-level job or apprenticeship. The second usually requires substantial relevant experience and evidence that you meet the relevant RICS requirements.

Route 1: Start with a surveying apprenticeship

In England, the Level 3 Surveying Technician apprenticeship is a potential degree-free entry route. It combines paid work with training and may lead to an Associate assessment with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Check the current RICS guidance on surveying apprenticeships and the apprenticeship details with each employer and training provider.

Apprenticeship entry requirements vary. Employers may ask for GCSEs or equivalent qualifications, including English and maths, and you will need to meet the applicable apprenticeship eligibility rules. An apprenticeship is a job as well as a course, so you will need to find an employer offering a suitable vacancy.

Be sure to check the level before applying. The Level 6/7 Chartered Surveyor degree apprenticeship includes a degree-level qualification. It can be a structured route towards MRICS while earning a salary, but it is not a route that avoids studying for a degree. RICS outlines the different levels and pathways in its guide to becoming a surveyor.

Route 2: Apply for trainee or assistant building surveyor jobs

You may be able to enter the profession through a trainee building surveyor job or an assistant building surveyor role. These positions can provide supervised experience while you learn how to inspect buildings, record defects and contribute to reports or project work. Employers set their own qualification criteria, so read each advert closely.

Search for different job titles, including:

• Trainee building surveyor
• Assistant building surveyor
• Surveying technician
• Building surveying assistant
• Graduate building surveyor

A graduate vacancy is not necessarily suitable for someone without a relevant degree. For example, a Graduate Building Surveyor vacancy in Birmingham on the board specifies an RICS-accredited degree and previous relevant experience. That is one employer’s requirement, not a rule for every entry-level role. Use it as a reminder to check the essential criteria rather than assuming that all trainee or assistant jobs have the same conditions.

When applying, show how your previous experience could transfer to the work. Customer service, maintenance, construction, facilities management, housing, administration or property experience may help you demonstrate practical awareness, communication, organisation and attention to detail. Explain your contribution clearly, and be honest about the surveying experience you still need to gain.

For more application guidance, see our article on things to know when looking for trainee building surveyor jobs.

Route 3: Build experience and apply for AssocRICS

AssocRICS is an RICS qualification that may be an option for people who do not have a university degree. RICS currently lists several experience and qualification combinations for applying for assessment, including four years of relevant experience with no qualifications required. Other routes combine relevant experience with a degree or a higher, advanced or foundation qualification. Check the current RICS membership routes and use the RICS Route Finder to explore your eligibility.

Meeting an entry requirement does not mean you can skip the assessment. You will need to build relevant knowledge and experience, prepare evidence against the applicable competencies and meet RICS assessment requirements. Your job should give you opportunities to develop building surveying experience, not just a job title that sounds relevant.

Before accepting a role, ask:

• What building surveying tasks will I carry out?
• Will I gain experience in inspection, building pathology, construction technology and reporting?
• Is there support to record experience and prepare for an RICS assessment?
• Can I access an appropriate counsellor or experienced supervisor?
• What training, qualifications and assessment costs will the employer support?

The answers will help you judge whether the job can support your longer-term professional development.

Conversion and postgraduate routes

If you have a degree in a different subject, an RICS-accredited postgraduate course may provide a route into surveying. RICS notes that these courses are generally intended for people who already hold a first degree. They can help you gain a relevant surveying qualification, but they are not a degree-free option.

If you do not hold a degree at all, look instead at apprenticeships, relevant vocational qualifications and experience-based membership routes. Some vocational qualifications may be accepted for particular RICS routes, but acceptance depends on the specific qualification and current RICS criteria. Confirm eligibility directly with RICS or the course provider before paying for a course.

Can you become chartered without a degree?

It may be possible, but the route is demanding and depends on your experience and assessment eligibility. RICS lists a route to MRICS for candidates with 10 years of relevant experience operating at an advanced level, such as through seniority, specialisation or academia. This is different from the experience-based AssocRICS route and should not be treated as an automatic progression.

A degree apprenticeship is another route to chartered status, but it includes a degree. Other candidates may progress through further qualifications and relevant experience. Because eligibility depends on your circumstances and the current rules, check the RICS Chartered Member information before planning a specific route.

For a practical perspective on the career implications of chartership, read our guide to MRICS jobs in the UK and whether chartered status is worth the investment.

What employers may look for

There is no single qualification checklist for every trainee or assistant building surveying job. An employer may consider:

• Relevant interest and motivation: Explain why you want to work with buildings and what you understand about the role.
• Communication skills: Surveyors need to record findings clearly and communicate with clients, colleagues and contractors.
• Practical reliability: Site work can involve travel, changing environments and careful record-keeping.
• Relevant experience: Property, maintenance, construction or customer-facing work may help, depending on the vacancy.
• Willingness to learn: Employers may look for candidates ready to develop technical knowledge and work towards an appropriate qualification.
• Travel requirements: Some jobs require site visits across a wide area and may ask for a driving licence or access to a vehicle.

These are possibilities, not universal requirements. Always distinguish essential criteria from preferences in the advert. A current trainee or graduate listing may still require a degree, even where the title suggests an entry-level role.

A practical starting plan

If you are considering a move into building surveying without a relevant degree:

1. Decide what route suits you. Compare a Level 3 apprenticeship, an assistant role and an experience-based RICS membership route.
2. Check your local options. Apprenticeship arrangements differ across the UK, so confirm current opportunities and eligibility in your nation.
3. Search using varied job titles. Look for trainee building surveyor jobs, assistant building surveyor roles and surveying technician vacancies.
4. Review the work and support. Ask about duties, supervision, relevant experience and professional development.
5. Keep evidence of your learning. Record tasks, training and experience that may support future qualification or assessment applications.
6. Confirm RICS eligibility. Check directly with RICS before making decisions about a course or membership pathway.

Building Surveyor Jobs UK has connected surveying professionals and employers across the UK since 2014. Browse the latest building surveyor jobs and review each vacancy’s requirements carefully. A degree is not the only possible starting point, but choosing a role that gives you relevant experience and clear development support will be important.