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.

Apply for this course

Mode	Duration	Attendance	Start date
Full time	1 year	Short intensive blocks	September 2021
Full time	2 years including professional placement	Short intensive blocks	September 2021
Part time	2 years	Short intensive blocks	September 2021

Location

Kingston Hill

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2021/22 entry

If you are planning to join this course in the academic year 2021/22 (i.e. between August 2021 and July 2022), please view the information about changes to courses for 2021/22 due to Covid-19.

Changes to courses for 2021/22 due to Covid-19

Continuing students

Students who are continuing their studies with Kingston University in 2021/22 should refer to their Course Handbook for information about specific changes that have been, or may be, made to their course or modules being delivered in 2021/22. Course Handbooks are located within the Canvas Course page.

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.

Find out more about our accreditations

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

Real Estate Fundamentals and Law

30 credits

This module examines the fundamental elements of the real estate market and the legal background against which the property market operates. It will examine the players in the market, supply and demand within the key sectors, investor and owner-occupier appetite and the effects of micro and macro-economic on the real estate 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, the law of contract and obligations, and tortious liability applicable to real estate situations.

Real Estate Appraisal and Valuation

30 credits

This module develops students' understanding, knowledge and critical appraisal abilities over a wide range of valuation approaches and methods, and appraisal techniques commonly used in both UK and global valuation practice. There are two distinct teaching blocks with supporting tutorials and practice scenarios exercises covering essential valuation and appraisal skills, including an introduction to Information and Communication Technology to support valuation modelling. The module also develops a critical analysis of approaches to valuations and valuation instructions in the global environment.

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)

Land Use, Planning and Development

30 credits

This module is an essential ingredient in the study of land use, spatial planning and its associated decision-making processes for development to proceed in the UK. An appraisal of land tenure and land use development will allow a critical appraisal as to how historic, current and emerging planning and sustainability policies and principles shape placemaking. The emphasis will be on the planning laws applicable in England. Land, property and planning are closely linked so the module enables understanding of the development process from the developers' viewpoint to facilitate schemes effectively. A key range of inputs and outputs are investigated as part of development appraisal modelling.

Asset, Property and Facilities Management

30 credits

The module appraises the wide range of asset, property and facilities management activities and laws associated with real estate land and buildings. It includes 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.

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.

Lease Consultancy - Agency, Tenancies and Dispute Resolution

30 credits

This module aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in the law and practice of landlord and tenant, real estate agency and brokerage practice and, dispute resolution. Students will be introduced to a series of statutory and common law provisions and regulations impacting the landlord and tenant relationship with particular regard to lease creation, lease management and end of lease positions. Leasing practice will cover the entirety of the lease and licence creation process with the operational side of lease consultancy being explored. Conflict avoidance and dispute resolution processes and procedures will be appraised in the light of dispute management systems and controls.

Statutory and Advanced Valuation Practice

30 credits

This module aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in the law and practice of statutory and advanced valuations in the professional practice areas of compulsory purchase and compensation, business rates and council tax, taxation, leasehold enfranchisement and planning compensation. Students will be introduced to a series of statutory and common law provisions and regulations impacting and underpinning the statutory valuation field of practice.

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

Real Estate Appraisal and Valuation

30 credits

Real Estate Fundamentals and Law

30 credits

Year 2

Research Principles and Application

30 credits

Research Project

30 credits

Elective modules (choose 2)

Land Use, Planning and Development

30 credits

Asset, Property and Facilities Management

30 credits

Property Investment Analysis and Funding

30 credits

Lease Consultancy - Agency, Tenancies and Dispute Resolution

30 credits

Statutory and Advanced Valuation Practice

30 credits

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

Typical offer

a good honours degree; or
an equivalent professional qualification.

We welcome applications from international students.

Part-time applicants need to be in relevant employment or have practical experience. Part-time applicants working in a real estate organisation can enrol onto the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence APC scheme alongside their academic studies. Kingston University's Institute of Real Estate is a RICS partnership university, and the MSc Real Estate is one of its professionally accredited programmes. Once enrolled on the programme, part-time students can register for their final RICS assessment programme and start their period of structured training at work (for further information, see the RICS website).

Prior learning – AP(E)L

Applicants with prior qualifications and learning may be exempt from appropriate parts of a course in accordance with the University's policy for the assessment of prior learning and prior experiential learning.

International

Please note: most students from countries outside the European Union/European Economic Area and classified as overseas fee paying, are not eligible to apply for part-time courses due to UK student visa regulations. For information on exceptions please visit the UKCISA website or email our CAS and Visa Compliance team.

All non-UK applicants must meet our English language requirement, which is Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall with no element below 5.5. Make sure you read our full guidance about English language requirements, which includes details of other qualifications we consider.

Applicants who do not meet the English language requirements could be eligible to join our pre-sessional English language course.

Applicants from recognised majority English speaking countries (MESCs) do not need to meet these requirements.

Teaching and assessment

Guided independent study

When not attending timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the online virtual learning platform.

Support for postgraduate students

As a student at Kingston University, we will make sure you have access to appropriate advice regarding your academic development. You will also be able to use the University's support services.

Your workload

Full time

22% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity

Professional Placement Year

100% of your time is spent on guided independent study and placement

Part time – Year 1

26% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity

Part time – Year 2

19% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity

Contact hours may vary depending on your modules.

Full time

Professional Placement Year

Part time – Year 1

Part time – Year 2

Full time

Scheduled teaching and learning: 399 hours
Guided independent study: 1401 hours

Professional Placement Year

Guided independent study: 50 hours
Placement: 1150 hours

Part time – Year 1

Scheduled teaching and learning: 230 hours
Guided independent study: 670 hours

Part time – Year 2

Scheduled teaching and learning: 169 hours
Guided independent study: 731 hours

How you will be assessed

Assessment typically comprises exams (eg test or exam), practical (eg presentations, performance) and coursework (eg essays, reports, self-assessment, portfolios, dissertation). The approximate percentage for how you will be assessed on this course is as follows, though depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose:

Full time

Professional Placement Year

Part time - Year 1

Part time - Year 2

Full time

Coursework: 97%
Practical: 3%

Professional Placement Year

Coursework: 100%

Part time - Year 1

Coursework: 98%
Practical: 2%

Part time - Year 2

Coursework: 95%
Practical: 5%

Feedback summary

We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.

Your timetables

Each student receives a personalised timetable. This is usually available after you have completed your online enrolment, which is typically accessible one month before the start of your course.

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.

Derek Bruce FRICS

Course director

Ms Ana Pedro (Chadburn)

Mrs Fiona Firth

Mrs P Judy Smith

Fees for this course

2021/22 fees for this course

Home 2021/22

Full time £8,610
Part time £4,736

International 2021/22

Full time £16,200
Part time £8,910

2020/21 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.

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.

Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.

Text books

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to, or be required to, buy your own copy of key textbooks.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan. You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residences. Free Wi-Fi is available on each of the campuses.

Printing

In the majority of cases coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees.

Travel

Travel costs are not included but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses and halls of residence.

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:

Changes to courses for 2021/22 due to Covid-19

Course information (changes for 2021/22 entry)

Composition of the course

Unless government advice instructs otherwise, Study Abroad programmes will take place in 2021/22. The safety of all our students is paramount, therefore, as per normal practice, all Study Abroad activities must also be approved by the University's insurers to ensure that students are adequately protected during their period abroad. We will provide updates as the pandemic situation stabilises and/or further government advice is released.

Changes can be made to courses as part of normal enhancement processes in order to keep our courses up to date with current developments in that subject area and in response to feedback from students and other key stakeholders. Any such changes made to the composition of the course will be highlighted to students by email before enrolment.

Modules

Changes can be made to modules as part of normal enhancement processes in order to keep our courses up to date with current developments in that subject area and to provide a high quality student experience. Any such changes made to module titles, module summaries and/or availability of modules will be highlighted to students by email before enrolment.

Length of course

We expect to deliver the course within the planned timescales to enable successful students to progress through and graduate from the course without delay.

In exceptional circumstances the sequence of learning and teaching activities may be changed in 2021/22, e.g. moving those modules which can be delivered more effectively to the first teaching block and moving back those – such as practical modules and placements – which may be more difficult to deliver due to some ongoing restrictions.

In some cases, it may be necessary to delay placement modules which may then impact the length of the course. In these circumstances the University will guide students through the appropriate options available to ensure students are able to make informed choices.

Entry requirements (changes for 2021/22 entry)

We have not changed entry requirements as a direct result of the pandemic.

Entry requirements for international students

We have not changed entry requirements for international students as a direct result of the pandemic.

Teaching (changes for 2021/22 entry)

Changes to the way the course will be delivered

As we transition from the pandemic restrictions, we expect to steadily increase the proportion of on-campus teaching. We will continue to provide a proportion of online learning, as experience has shown that this enriches and supports the student learning experience.

If the pandemic affects teaching and learning activities in 2021/22 more than we currently anticipate, the proportion of online learning will increase. However, unless a lockdown is enforced, we will ensure that all courses provide a reasonable percentage of their teaching and learning activities on campus.

Should your circumstances prevent your attendance at on-campus sessions, you should still be able to engage with your course remotely in a way that allows you to progress. Where this is not possible, for example on courses with high practical content, your course team will be able to advise you on the options available to you.

Changes to teaching in the event of a further lockdown or adjustments in government advice

The University will continue to closely monitor government announcements and advice in relation to the pandemic and, where required, will take any necessary action in order to comply with such advice.

In the event that a further lockdown is enforced in 2021/22 the University will aim to deliver the course fully online once more. The majority of our courses are prepared to be delivered fully online if the situation requires it. Where the quality of the student experience may be compromised, or the course is unable to be delivered fully online, the University may need to suspend the delivery of that course until a time that it can be delivered. Students will be supported in these situations to ensure they are able to make the right choices for their particular circumstances.

Changes to the overall breakdown of scheduled teaching hours, placements and guided independent study hours for Year 1

Changes to the overall breakdown of scheduled learning and teaching hours, placements and guided independent study hours were not and will not be made as a direct result of the pandemic.

‘Scheduled learning and teaching' includes teaching delivered online, either live or recorded/on demand.

Timetable

Your individualised timetable for teaching block 1 (i.e. up to December 2021) should be available by the end of August. Timetables for teaching block 2 (i.e. from January 2022) will not be available until the autumn. We make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible.

In 2020/21 it was agreed that scheduled learning and teaching could take place on any day of the week between 9am and 9pm, to maximise the time available for teaching in order to accommodate smaller group sizes and social distancing. This meant we sometimes had to use Wednesday afternoons and enrichment week for additional teaching slots. If we need to accommodate smaller group sizes and social distancing in 2021/22 we expect to adopt a similar approach. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.

Assessment (changes for 2021/22 entry)

The experience of delivering courses in 2020/21 under the various Covid-19 restrictions has enabled us to better prepare and plan the delivery of our courses in 2021/22. We are confident the course can be delivered as planned and, therefore, do not anticipate having to make any further changes to the course, i.e. to the overall methods of assessments, in response to issues arising from the pandemic. However, if this becomes necessary, the changes will be highlighted to students via email before enrolment.

Changes are made to modules, including how they are assessed, as part of normal enhancement processes to keep our modules up to date with current developments in that subject area and in response to feedback received from students and other key stakeholders. Any changes to the overall methods of assessment for Year 1 of the course will be highlighted to students by email before enrolment.

If social distancing or lockdown restrictions are in place in 2021/22, online alternative options to formal on-campus examinations, including practical examinations, will be made available to students where possible.

Staff (changes for 2021/22 entry)

No changes are expected to the general level of experience or status of staff involved in delivering the course.

Staff are engaged in Continuous Professional Development activities to develop their teaching expertise, as part of the normal enhancement processes, to ensure that course teams have the required breadth of expertise.

Fees, funding and additional costs (changes for 2021/22 entry)

Tuition fees

There will be no changes to published tuition fees for 2021/22.

Additional costs (e.g. field trips, materials, equipment, etc.)

As we transition from the pandemic restrictions, we expect to be able to increase student access to on-campus facilities. Students will therefore have access to University computers and library facilities.

If, due to an increase in social distancing requirements or the enforcing of a lockdown, it becomes necessary to significantly increase the proportion of teaching delivered online, students will need a personal laptop or computer and access to the internet to participate in online teaching and learning activities. Students who are able to travel will have access to computers on campus, however, it should be noted that access to on-campus facilities might be restricted if social distancing requirements are enforced.

The University is committed to supporting students who are unable to access suitable technology to ensure equity of access in a blended delivery mode.

Funding

There will be no changes to any existing University funding arrangements for 2021/22. Currently there are no indications from the UK government that there will be any changes to government funding arrangements.

Fees and funding for international students

There will be no changes to published tuition fees or funding arrangements specifically relating to international students for 2021/22.

Work placements and field trips (changes for 2021/22 entry)

We are anticipating that placements (including work and clinical placements) and field trips included as part of the course will go ahead in 2021/22. However, to ensure students gain maximum value from placement activities, it may be necessary to reschedule them to later in the year, when any impacts from the pandemic restrictions are minimised.

Any proposed changes to placements or field trips would go through the University's agreed processes where the impact of the change will be carefully considered.

In the interests of the health and wellbeing of our students, all placement arrangements must be approved by the University's insurers and the appropriate risk assessments made before students are sent on a placement.

Courses which require placements or field trips to be completed in order to pass relevant modules will have contingency plans in place in the event that a placement or field trip cannot be completed due to another lockdown or more stringent social distancing measures.

Award, qualification and accreditation (changes for 2021/22 entry)

Qualification

No changes will be made to the qualification awarded, e.g. BSc (Hons), MSc, etc., as a direct result of the pandemic.

Changes can be made to courses, including the qualification awarded (although very rare), as part of normal enhancement processes in order to keep our courses up to date with current developments in that subject area. Any changes made to the qualification awarded for the course will be highlighted to students by email before enrolment.

Accreditation

The experience of delivering courses in 2020/21 under the various Covid-19 restrictions has enabled us to better prepare and plan the delivery of our courses in 2021/22. We are confident the course can be delivered as planned and in accordance with any professional body requirements. We do not anticipate making any further changes to courses in response to any issues arising from the pandemic and which would put at risk any professional body accreditation status.

Additional (changes for 2021/22 entry)

International students should maintain awareness of the UK government's and their home country's government advice on possible travel restrictions. The University will closely monitor advice and guidance published by the UK government and assess its impact on our international students. Appropriate advice and guidance will be provided as and when required.