Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Law and Contract Administration

The diploma is accepted by Engineers Ireland as fulfilling criterion no. 2 (Knowledge of Law and Contract Procedure) for admission to the IEI list of conciliators. This Diploma has also been approved by Engineers Ireland as meeting the requirements for continuing professional development.  Accreditation has also been given for Part II status of membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Course Organisation

Lectures are normally Lectures are held on Friday evenings from 7.00pm - 10.00pm and Saturday mornings from 9.30am - 12.30pm each week over two semesters (late September to April) with some lectures and workshop sessions scheduled for Friday afternoons. In addition to attending lectures, participants are required to participate in workshops, which comprise a major part of the course and involve coursework to be submitted as part of the student's assessment.

Course Content

• Introduction to Legal Systems and Methods; the Irish litigation process; the law of evidence.
• The Law of Tort; The Law of Contract.
• Contracts in construction - procurement methods, engineering and building contracts, tenders.
• Contracts in construction - claims, insurance, subcontracts; case law; public procurement; contracts for other professions.
• Risk and insurance; sureties; statutory duties; professional relationships, duties and liabilities.
• Methods of dispute resolution.

Assessment

Two three-hour examinations are held in April/May. Each of these constitutes one third of the overall assessment. Coursework, which is done throughout the year, accounts for the remaining one third of the overall assessment. Students must pass each examination paper and each coursework assignment.

Entry Requirements

A Level 8 honours degree in Engineering or a related subject, or a suitable professional qualification (B.Sc. Surveying will be considered if the candidate is working in an engineering environment).

Please note that the number of places on this Diploma course is limited, and applications are assessed based on academic qualifications, together with the number of years of relevant post-graduation experience, plus professional references. Where possible, we aim to achieve a balance between the different construction professions on the course. If an applicant is put on the waiting list for the course, and a place does not come available, he/she will be given priority in the allocation of places in the following year, subject to all the basic requirements being met.