COURSE IN DEPTH
Year One
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
Introduction to the Built Environment
20 credits
This module explores how key ‘actors’, including professional bodies, landowners, developers, investors, politicians, members of the public, and the state, etc. influence the development of the built and natural environment.
Broader forces also influence development processes. This module therefore encourages you to explore how Politics, Economy, Society, Technology, Law and the Environment (PESTLE) all shape the built and natural environment. This module also offers an opportunity not only to look at past and current trends, but potential future trends that influence development, including significant issues such as governance, resource availability and climate change; and a chance to learn how development processes occur at different spatial scales and contexts.
Introduction to Valuation
20 credits
Valuation is a crucial skill across the built environment and is core to many professional pathways.
This module introduces the theory of valuation as a set of principles, financial mathematics, methods and techniques employed for identifying and understanding economic concepts of value and worth in a property context.
Law
20 credits
This module is delivered to all of the undergraduate programmes in the built environment disciplines and provides you with the basic legal concepts and principles you will need throughout your professional career.
It introduces you to the structure and processes of the English legal system. This is the essential foundation to the legal skills necessary for the provision of sound advice to your clients/colleagues later in your professional career; and this underpins all of the built environment professions. The module also helps all the undergraduate built environment students to understand the importance of and provides an overview of the duties of all persons involved in construction projects with regard to health, safety and wellbeing.
Introduction to Property Markets
20 credits
This module is unique to the BSc Real Estate programme.
As a key component of the built environment, real estate forms a significant part of the market economy. Knowledge of the property markets across different sectors and the drivers of space, property and capital markets will be introduced. Market structures, concepts and determinants will provide an increased awareness of property fundamentals that make property an attractive and challenging asset class.
Built Environment Technology 1
20 credits
This module introduces, for all of the built environment professions, a range of concepts relating to the technology of construction. It provides you with an understanding of modern and sustainable methods of construction. We use the example of low rise residential construction as it is relatively straightforward and allows us to introduce and explore these issues appropriately.
In particular, you will be introduced to everyday materials, construction methods, building services Building Regulation and Health, Safety and Welfare legislation. You will gain an insight into the properties of materials and the basic scientific principles that apply to them. The module will focus on construction materials in general and how they can be used in creating a construction element and/or component (e.g. a floor, an external wall, a roof). You will develop the ability to identify, describe and visualise these materials in terms of types, dimension, size and weight.
Professional Environmental and Materials Science
20 credits
Environmental and materials science is an important area of study for all disciplines involved with the design, planning, developing and management of the built environment. This module encourages you to consider how the properties, structures and performance of materials influence why buildings and structures function. You will be encouraged to consider how these properties impact construction from a design and practical use perspective. This module will therefore enable you to develop innovative solutions for more robust, resilient, safe and sustainable buildings and structures. It also gives you the opportunity to produce a professional cv and related documents which you will share with industry on your assessment day.
Year Two
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
Property Asset Management
20 credits
This module seeks to appraise the principal ways of managing the physical property from the perspective of operational asset management for a variety of property sectors. Property asset management is one of the core functions of a real estate professional. In addition the module will explains the principles of corporate (occupier) property management.
The aim of this module is to enable you to apply knowledge gained in different property subject areas to conceptualise and implement programmes for operational and asset management purposes. The module also explores space demand drivers and contemporary issues in sustainability and property accountancy which are consistent with the programme’s philosophy of providing would be Chartered Surveyors with the technical knowledge and understanding required by professional bodies such as the RICS. Furthermore, the module will enable you to develop critical investigation skills in solving problems in a professional context.
Advanced Valuation Methods
20 credits
Data and Decision Making
20 credits
This module provides an opportunity for you to develop and apply research skills in a property development, planning and real estate context. The module is an introduction into some of the data, techniques and approaches required to explore social, economic, environmental and technological change in a built environment context.
Design and Development in the Built and Natural Environment
20 credits
This module critically discusses and applies the socio-economic, historical, environmental and governance context that shapes the design and use of buildings and structures to a real life development project. We encourage and support you to develop and apply a range of research techniques to evaluate design, costs, benefits and values of ‘good’ design; how to appraise the implications of different approaches to implementation, on-going use, management and quality of place; and produce a practice-based piece of work delivering a range of benefits to different users and communities.
The module is therefore relevant to all of the professions active in creating managing the built environment.
Building Pathology
20 credits
The module covers the basic requirements for property professionals engaged with the existing built environment to appreciate varying needs to clients in relation to property, to identify methods of construction, appraise the condition of a building, and make recommendations to achieve client’s aims. The module is designed to give you the opportunity for practical application of your learning to a relevant case study.
Property Law
20 credits
This module introduces you to the nature of real property and the legal framework that regulates its acquisition, disposal, use, occupation and management. Much of what is covered is designed to relate to issues that may be met in professional practice and explain the way in which the law will impact your upon day-to-day activities and decisions. Problem-based study aims to develop general competencies based on the kinds of abilities and skills required of a professional practitioner. Professional work involves the application of knowledge within a specific situation; teaching is often via workshops which therefore provide a context in which problems can be understood and appropriate solutions devised. By devising solutions to these problems, you will learn to use the knowledge which has been obtained in pursuance of these objectives.
Year Three
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
Property Marketing
20 credits
The module will introduce you to the various aspects of marketing communications tools from initial analysis of the property and market through to developing an expanding range of promotional and negotiation techniques. It will explore the use of all elements of the promotion mix with particular reference to the estate agency sector and the wider property business industries. This module will cover the main areas of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, professional ethics and direct marketing. Attention is also given to new areas of increasing relevance such as product placement, electronic print and social media.
Applied Valuation
20 credits
Valuation is central to the work of the professional real estate surveyor. Valuation expertise is used in a wide range of real estate contexts including investment, asset management, property development and maintenance management.
This module is designed to further develop your valuation knowledge and skills and build on your previous learning in the Level 4 and Level 5 valuation modules. The module presents a series of true to life applications and encourages you to consider the wide range of purposes behind valuations.
This module aims to provide you with the necessary knowledge, skills and expertise to facilitate your development into a leading real estate professional.
Property Fund Management
20 credits
Property fund management is a relatively new core competence for the real estate and development (chartered surveyor) professional. It forms an important sector sitting above the physical property asset management layer. Accordingly, a comprehensive grounding in the principles and practice of property investment and finance is essential for this sector.
The module introduces and develops the concept and practice of property fund management in relation to real world market activity and includes a consideration of property finance. This gives you an increasing awareness of the role of property as an investment asset class, its use as an investment and the means of financing property investments and developments. In particular, it emphasises both theoretical and analytical aspects of property decision making in the context of property portfolios formation and management.
Professionalism and Citizenship
20 credits
This module will focus on extending and providing appropriate evidence of your professional skills and development. Within an applied socially responsive framework, you will examine a range of issues related to the client, the site, planning, financial/development appraisal, design technology, legal and regulatory, health and safety etc. These will be covered in conjunction with other professional courses or your own discipline as appropriate, given that all built environment professions and recent reports such as the Farrell Review place increasing stress on interdisciplinary understanding and working.
Individual Project
40 credits
The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and research-informed project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. In agreement with your supervisor, you will decide upon your topic which will take the form of a practical outcome (artefact) with accompanying contextual material. The main consideration when choosing your topic is that it must be aligned to the programme you are studying, and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development.
At this level, you will be expected to work independently but you will receive additional one-to-one support from your supervisor, who will be familiar with your chosen topic area. As you progress on the module, extra support will be available and this may take the form of group seminars, workshops and online materials that will help to develop your project.
