Real Estate MSc
Why choose this course?
This is an innovative degree designed primarily for people working or wanting to work in the real estate sector either in the UK or beyond who are seeking to gain a high-level head start.
The reflective practitioner at junior or middle-management level can study individual modules to meet CPD requirements or enhance their academic qualifications.
Taught by real estate academics and practitioners, this course has excellent links with surveying and property firms.
| Mode | Duration | Attendance | Start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time | 1 year | Short intensive blocks | September 2020 |
| Full time | 2 years including professional placement | Short intensive blocks | September 2020 |
| Part time | 2 years | Short intensive blocks | September 2020 |
| Location | Kingston Hill |
Reasons to choose Kingston University
- This is one of the few real estate courses with a world-wide focus on valuation and investment.
- Accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
- The course culminates in the Kingston Real Estate Master's Conference.
- Kingston Business School is one of just five per cent of the world's business schools to hold accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
- Free car parking at the Kingston Hill campus is available for students of this course. The campus can also be easily accessed by public transport. Halls accommodation is just a walk away from the classrooms.
Accreditation
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
The course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Students will study 6 assessed modules which have been designed to ensure alignment with the business, ethics and technical competencies of the RICS's Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).
Kingston Business School Accreditations
Kingston Business School holds the prestigious international accreditation by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) in recognition of the excellence of its business education. This accreditation has been earned by just 5% of the world's business schools and recognises the high quality and standard of our business degree offering.
What you will study
This course will enable you to create key research and systematic aptitudes alongside your practical, technical and professional competencies.
You will study six modules. These have been intended to guarantee that they align with key competencies of the RICS's Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), yet at the same time enabling you to pursue your particular interests through your research project. The project culminates in the unique master's conference. There will also be an opportunity to participate in an international residential field trip.
Flexibility within the curriculum will allow you to extend your insight within focused areas of valuation, property law, investment, asset management and/or spatial development.
Full time
Part time
Optional placement year
The full-time programme runs over one year and consists of six modules at 30 credit points each. Four modules are core, and two are chosen from a selection of elective modules.
Core modules
Fundamentals of Real Estate Strategy and Context
30 credits
This module examines the players in the market, supply and demand within the key sectors, investor appetite and the effects of micro and macro-economics on the property market. It also examines the interaction of businesses or corporations and their need and use of buildings, the importance of the effective and efficient use of space, and how other elements such as image, design, and personnel work requirements can affect buildings. This module also provides students with a critical understanding and knowledge of the principles of administrative laws, legal methods, land law and the law of obligations applicable to real estate. It is taught through a series of lectures and class exercises and assessment is through assignments supported by on-line support and by written materials.
Property Appraisal and Valuation
30 credits
This module develops students' understanding, knowledge and critical appraisal abilities over a wide range of valuation approaches and appraisal techniques commonly used in practice in the UK and overseas. A week-long field trip to a major international destination will form the central focus for a major group project which supports students' critical understanding and practical skills. Delivery of the module content will be through a series of lectures, class exercises and the field trip. Assessment is through assignments coupled with supported by on-line support and by written materials.
Research Principles and Application
30 credits
This module aims to provide students with a sound grounding in research principles and methodologies that are commonly applied within the built environment. Throughout a series of lectures and seminars, supported by tutorials students are encouraged and enabled to develop their critical reasoning powers and to gain practice in researching ideas and knowledge and in the design of relevant research instruments.
Research Project
30 credits
This final module provides students the opportunity to design and execute an original research capstone project related to their own real estate interests. They will develop a theoretically informed body of work that integrates both theory and practice. It may take the form of a dissertation, a practice project, design or experiment based project. Following submission students present their findings at a Masters Students Conference.
Elective modules (choose 2)
Planning and Sustainable Development
30 credits
This module is an essential ingredient in the study of spatial planning and its associated decision making processes for development to proceed in the UK. There is an expectation that the current legal framework, including European provisions is applied and evaluated. Land, property and planning are closely linked so the module enables understanding of the development process from the developers' viewpoint to facilitate development effectively. The planning perspective evaluates planning issues for decision making delivered through the use of a local case study involving a planning appeal written statement and a public inquiry role play. Funding packages, development economics and sustainability issues that influence development and planning, are explored through practical examples, case studies and site visits.
Commercial Property and Asset Management
30 credits
Students study the wide range of asset, investment and facilities management activities and laws associated with real estate land and buildings, including developing and executing strategic and corporate real estate asset policies as well as appraising the operational property and facilities management activities on which performance depends. It is taught through a series of lectures, support tutorials and class exercises. Assessment will be through two case study exercises, a major practical group project and a legal argument synopsis paper.
Property Investment Analysis and Funding
30 credits
In this module students develop skills in carrying out property investment analysis gaining a critical understanding of discounted cash flow variables and performance measures including investment tactics. It introduces the analysis of risk within property and within a multi-asset portfolio and the utilisation of structured finance. Students also study indirect real estate vehicles and instruments, their origins and their current utilisation. This module is delivered in short blocks of lectures, case study exercises and workshops and supported by open learning. Assessment is through group portfolio analysis, a critical essay and a cash flow analysis for a real estate investment.
The programme consists of six modules at 30 credit points each. You will take two core modules and choose one elective module in Year 1. In Year 2 you will also take two core modules and choose one elective module. Four modules are core, and two are chosen from a selection of elective modules.
Year 1
Property Appraisal and Valuation
30 credits
This module develops students' understanding, knowledge and critical appraisal abilities over a wide range of valuation approaches and appraisal techniques commonly used in practice in the UK and overseas. A week-long field trip to a major international destination will form the central focus for a major group project which supports students' critical understanding and practical skills. Delivery of the module content will be through a series of lectures, class exercises and the field trip. Assessment is through assignments coupled with supported by on-line support and by written materials.
Fundamentals of Real Estate Strategy and Context
30 credits
This module examines the players in the market, supply and demand within the key sectors, investor appetite and the effects of micro and macro-economics on the property market. It also examines the interaction of businesses or corporations and their need and use of buildings, the importance of the effective and efficient use of space, and how other elements such as image, design, and personnel work requirements can affect buildings. This module also provides students with a critical understanding and knowledge of the principles of administrative laws, legal methods, land law and the law of obligations applicable to real estate. It is taught through a series of lectures and class exercises and assessment is through assignments supported by on-line support and by written materials.
Year 2
Research Principles and Application
30 credits
This module aims to provide students with a sound grounding in research principles and methodologies that are commonly applied within the built environment. Throughout a series of lectures and seminars, supported by tutorials students are encouraged and enabled to develop their critical reasoning powers and to gain practice in researching ideas and knowledge and in the design of relevant research instruments.
Research Project
30 credits
This final module provides students the opportunity to design and execute an original research capstone project related to their own real estate interests. They will develop a theoretically informed body of work that integrates both theory and practice. It may take the form of a dissertation, a practice project, design or experiment based project. Following submission students present their findings at a Masters Students Conference.
Elective modules (choose 2)
Planning and Sustainable Development
30 credits
This module is an essential ingredient in the study of spatial planning and its associated decision making processes for development to proceed in the UK. There is an expectation that the current legal framework, including European provisions is applied and evaluated. Land, property and planning are closely linked so the module enables understanding of the development process from the developers' viewpoint to facilitate development effectively. The planning perspective evaluates planning issues for decision making delivered through the use of a local case study involving a planning appeal written statement and a public inquiry role play. Funding packages, development economics and sustainability issues that influence development and planning, are explored through practical examples, case studies and site visits.
Commercial Property and Asset Management
30 credits
Students study the wide range of asset, investment and facilities management activities and laws associated with real estate land and buildings, including developing and executing strategic and corporate real estate asset policies as well as appraising the operational property and facilities management activities on which performance depends. It is taught through a series of lectures, support tutorials and class exercises. Assessment will be through two case study exercises, a major practical group project and a legal argument synopsis paper.
Property Investment Analysis and Funding
30 credits
In this module students develop skills in carrying out property investment analysis gaining a critical understanding of discounted cash flow variables and performance measures including investment tactics. It introduces the analysis of risk within property and within a multi-asset portfolio and the utilisation of structured finance. Students also study indirect real estate vehicles and instruments, their origins and their current utilisation. This module is delivered in short blocks of lectures, case study exercises and workshops and supported by open learning. Assessment is through group portfolio analysis, a critical essay and a cash flow analysis for a real estate investment.
The professional placement year is optional. It takes place after the full-time year. It allows students to do a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The work placement is an assessed part of the course and is therefore covered by a Tier 4 visa. Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.
Modules
Professional Placement
120 credits
The Professional Placement module is a core module for those students following a Master's programme that incorporates an extended professional placement that follows completion of the first 180 credits of taught modules and project or dissertation. It provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in an appropriate working environment, and to develop and enhance key employability skills and subject specific skills in their chosen subject.
It is the responsibility of individual students to locate and secure a suitable placement opportunity; this will normally involve one placement which must be completed over a minimum period of 10 months and within a maximum of 12 months. The placement must be approved by the module leader prior to commencement to ensure its suitability.
The information above reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. Updates may be made on an annual basis and revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year. The regulations governing this course are available on our website. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this may not be offered.
After you graduate
Graduates attend the programme either because they are working in the real estate profession on a part time basis and wish to run their studies alongside their work placements or to gain the degree looking to seek a graduate position on successful completion.
Many students have already been accepted or gain positions on graduate entry schemes of UK or international surveying practices or real estate organisations. Graduates are typically sponsored to achieve their RICS qualification as a Chartered Surveyor.
Graduate destinations include working in diverse areas such as investment, agency, valuation, asset management, development, property finance and taxation.
Graduates have gone on to work for firms including CBRE, Cluttons, Cushman & Wakefield, Knight Frank, Jones Lang LaSalle, Land Securities, Knight Frank, Valuation Office Agency, KPMG, Deloitte AS, Asda Stores Ltd, Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas Real Estate.
Entry requirements
Teaching and assessment
Who teaches this course?
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on this course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners with industry experience. The following group of staff members are currently involved in the delivery of different elements of this course. This pool is subject to change at any time within the academic year.
Fees for this course
Home and European Union 2020/21
- MSc full time £8,400
- MSc part time £4,620
International (not EU) 2020/21
- MSc full time £15,700
- MSc part time £8,635
Fees for the optional placement year
If you choose to take a placement as part of this course, you will be invoiced for the placement fee in Year 2. Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme and the costs for the placement year.
Funding and bursaries
Kingston University offers a range of postgraduate scholarships, including:
If you are an international student, find out more about scholarships and bursaries.
We also offer the following discounts for Kingston University alumni:
