About this course
Unlike many other construction sectors, construction site personnel have historically not been mandated to gain any formal qualification relating to concreting operations. This fundamental lack of technical knowledge about concrete - the most commonly used construction material globally - frequently contributes to quality concerns, disputes, project delays and cost increases. As a result, employers and construction clients are increasingly demanding well qualified and certified individuals within the field of concrete technology. Related training courses are frequently run in-house by large companies and are openly accessible to smaller companies or individuals.
Against this background, this short course is intended to provide the fundamental knowledge required by those involved with the construction and day-to-day supervision of concreting works in line with current Specifications, Regulations and Codes of Practice.
The short course will build knowledge relating to: concrete constituent materials (cement, aggregates, reinforcing steel, water, admixtures); fresh and hardened concrete properties; routes to concrete specification for a range of applications; key methods of concrete production; methods of concrete delivery, handling, placing and curing; key construction methods and practices; and performance testing of constituent materials and concrete. In this way, on completion of the module students will have gained a comprehensive, introductory-level understanding of 'concrete practice'.
Furthermore, the short course's learning content is directly aligned to learning objects associated with Stage 1 of a four-stage competence pathway prescribed by the Institute of Concrete Technology (ICT).
As such, successful completion of this short course will lead to the award of ICT's professional qualification 'Concrete Technology & Construction: Concrete Practice' and ability to join as a Technician member (ICTTech).
Professional ICT membership is internationally recognized and highly valued, with its attainment widely viewed as a significant personal achievement and a benchmark of competence and professional standing.
The aim of this short course is to develop fundamental concrete technology and construction-related knowledge, with a particular focus on concrete materials and onsite practice.
It is intended to further the career progression of personnel working within the construction industry or for students embarking in a career linked to design, construction management, production, use or quality control.
Designed to prepare you for the Institute of Concrete Technology's (ICT) introductory qualification: 'Concrete Technology & Construction: Stage 1 - Concrete Practice', you will develop knowledge in the following key topics:
- Health & safety
- Sustainability
- The nature of concrete
- Natural aggregates
- Cementitious materials
- Admixtures
- Water
- Concrete properties
- Reinforcement
- Plant for batching & mixing
- Proportioning, batching & mixing
- Transporting, handling & placing
- Compaction
- Curing
- Formwork & falsework
- Surface finish
- Joints
- Light- & heavy-weight concrete
- Testing & inspection
The course is intended to further the career progression of personnel working within the construction industry or for students embarking in a career linked to the construction industry.
Linked programmes
UG CPPD Personal and Professional Development.
Assessment
Class Test (Written) [100%]
This short course will be assessed via a 1.5-hour written (multiple choice) examination covering a broad range of the module's learning topics.
The exam will be written to align with ICT's examination standards to enable student receipt of the aforementioned professional qualification.
This is a 5-credit point short course equating to up to 50 hours of learning and assessment time. The course is delivered in distance learning mode, comprising a blend of directed learning sets and pre-recorded lessons allowing you to study at your own pace.
Also incorporated will be ongoing self-assessment exercises offering immediate feedback on progress. You will also have access to ongoing peer and academic support via dedicated discussion forums and online tutorial drop-in sessions throughout the semester.
Professional exams linked to the ICT Stage 1 qualification take place twice each year, in:
- December(for students commencing the course in September)
- June(for students commencing the course in January)
Full information is available via The ICT website.
The ICT exam is a time limited, multiple choice quiz comprising 60 questions that cover a broad range of the qualification’s learning objectives.
Attendance
This course is delivered fully online in Semester 1 or Semester 2, with no on campus attendance requirements.
The course runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2, starting on the following dates -
- Monday 22 September 2025
- Monday 26 January 2026
* Please note, dates and timetabling may be subject to change.
Professional recognition
The learning content of the module has been designed to prepare you for the Institute of Concrete Technology (ICT) qualification: 'Concrete Technology & Construction: Stage 1 - Concrete Practice'.
By gaining this qualification you will receive a professional certificate of competence and be eligible to join ICT as a Technician member (ICTTech). Professional ICT membership is internationally recognized and highly valued, with its attainment widely viewed as a significant personal achievement and a benchmark of competence and professional standing.
Entry requirements
This course is open for direct application. There are no prior qualifications required, but we would suggest that applicants can provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE English Language grades A-C or equivalent).
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the minimum English entrance requirements of the University and will need to provide recent evidence of this (certified within the last two years).
Most of our courses require a minimum English level of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, with no band score under 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement.
Additional information on English language requirements for admission at Ulster University, is available at - www.ulster.ac.uk/global/apply/english-language-requirements
Start dates
-
22 September 2025
-
26 January 2026
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
Attendance and Independent Study
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Calculation of the Final Award
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
Academic profile
The academic lead for this short course is Dr Bryan Magee: https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/persons/bryan-magee
Bryan is a Fellow of the Institute of Concrete Technology and an active member of its Examinations committee.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
