MSc Real Estate

The course

Delivery type
Weekday evenings and Saturday
Duration
1 year (full-time) / 2 years (part-time)
Intake date
September, January
Location
Dubai

Contact

Overview

Our internationally recognised MSc Real Estate is designed to align your skills to the educational requirements of the industry’s professional bodies. Global relevance and employability are at the core of our curriculum design. The programme will enable you to understand the operation of real estate markets and develop a deep understanding of the techniques applied in them. You will gain the key skills necessary to embark on a wide range of careers in the global real estate industry.

This Masters programme is especially suitable if you have a non-real estate related degree and desire to develop skills and knowledge in the real estate sector. The MSc will lead to exciting employment opportunities across the industry.

Accreditation

The course has accreditation from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Read more about the UAE Federal Accreditation.

Course content

DETAILED COURSE GUIDE

For the MSc, students undertake eight taught courses and submit a Masters dissertation. Students on the PgDip course take eight taught courses. Each taught course represents 150 hours of student effort and the dissertation represents 600 hours.

Course structure
Semester 1                 Semester 2
Urban Economy and Property Markets Real Estate Investment Analysis
Real Estate Appraisal and Finance Real Estate Management and Sustainability
Construction Technology 3 Real Estate Development
Business Analytics and Introduction to Big Data Advanced Real Estate Valuation

Semester 1 (mandatory)

Urban Economy and Property Market

This module aims to develop an understanding of the spatial dimensions of property markets, the interaction between the property market and the urban economy and the impact on local property markets on urban management policies.

Real Estate Appraisal and Finance

This course aims to establish the economic context for the creation of value, introduce the principles for the assessment of value in property markets, develop a clear understanding of the valuation process and appropriately apply the principal valuation methods (conventional and contemporary) to a range of property types and interests. Subjects covered by the syllabus include:

Economic context of the property market; The property professions: their role, ethical conduct and regulatory framework; Definitions of price, value and investment value (worth); Introduction to the principal techniques of property valuation; Valuation and appraisal mathematics: Present and Future Value, DCF, NPV and IRR; The valuation process; Analysis of market evidence and measurement practice.

Construction Technology 3

The overall aim of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of construction methods in buildings. The course addresses different concepts in modern buildings construction, namely: on-site and off-site construction, and low carbon construction. Subjects include:

Structural Requirements for Buildings: Foundations, Basement construction, Masonry and framed structures, Cladding and roofing;  An overview of off-site construction: Practical issues and case studies, Factory production; Low carbon construction: An overview of low carbon construction, Low carbon technologies.

Business Analytics and Introduction to Big Data

This course aims to help students to develop a critical understanding of: Different approaches used by managers and management consultants to solve business decision problems, the purpose and value of business analytics in management decision making, the key statistical concepts that underpin aspects of strategic decision sciences, the practical skills to apply a range of analytical techniques used by Business Analysts, the key concepts of Big Data.

The syllabus includes the following subjects:

Descriptive Analytics: Measure what is happening, Data Visualisation, Descriptive Statistics and Probability; Diagnostic Analytics; Predictive Analytics; Prescriptive Analytics; Introduction to Big data.

Semester 2 (mandatory)

Real Estate Investment Analysis

This course aims to enable learners to develop an in-depth understanding of property as an investment medium and the application of investment and finance theories to both the general investment markets and the property market. The syllabus consists of the following topics:

Investment theory and the investment decision; the nature of risk and return; the characteristics of property as an investment; the role of property in the multi-asset portfolio; the application of modern portfolio theory; introduction to international real estate portfolio analysis performance monitoring; the emergence of new financial products in the property sector, and market efficiency and the cause of mis-pricing, real estate derivatives.

Real Estate Management and Sustainability

This course aims to give students an understanding of: the legal framework for property management and ownership; the roles and functions of the property asset manager; the financial, legal and technical skills within the management domain; concepts and tools for sustainability management within real estate. Subjects covered by the syllabus include:

Law of contract, delict, land ownership; Strategy Management introduction and the role of management within surveying; Financial management/Sinking funds/service charges; Lease management; Marketing and negotiation; Physical property management; Concepts of obsolescence; Buy/lease/outsource decision-making and financial analysis; Real Estate management models; Scenario planning; International comparison of real estate strategies; Sustainable development, buildings and corporate social responsibility.

Real Estate Development

This course aims to achieve an understanding of the structure and functioning of the contemporary real estate market and of the factors influencing the development decision. Subjects covered by the syllabus include:

The real estate market and the property development industry; The factors influencing the development decision; The techniques of development appraisal including cashflow techniques and risk analysis; The nature of planning agreements and their impact on development appraisal; The general form and content of real estate development and investment finance; The form and content of real estate partnerships including appraisal and financing aspects.

Advanced Real Estate Valuation

This course aims to develop a critical evaluation of valuation and appraisal methods and provide an opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge of advanced methods of valuation and appraisal for land and property markets. The course is intended to discuss and explore the following issues:

Investment appraisal: An examination of current issues in investment appraisal; Spreadsheets; Mass appraisal: application of statistical techniques for property appraisal; Business appraisal; Professional valuation and appraisal software.

Career

Typically students choose to study our MSc Real Estate programme to advance their existing careers within the property and real estate industry, where they are already employed. Others are from different educational or professional backgrounds and wish to enter the industry using this qualification. This course offers students a structured path to become chartered. To read about what our students and graduates think about studying online visit our Meet our students pages.

Whatever the motivation, with strong professional links and a focus on up-to-date industry-relevant content, our Real Estate programme equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to quickly and effectively contribute to wide and varied roles within the real estate industry.

Graduates of this course are highly sought after in the real estate industry. Graduates from this area have gone on to work within some of the largest and most prestigious international real estate organisations and firms.

Real Estate Service firms

Avison Young, CBRE, Cluttons, Cushman & Wakefield, Drivers Jonas Deloitte, DTZ, EYCO, Gerald Eve, Jones Lang LaSalle, Knight Frank, Rydens and Savills.

Investment Banks

Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan

Institutional Investors and Investment Funds

Aviva, Aberdeen Standard Investments, Legal & General

Consultancy firms

PWC, KPMG and Deloitte Real Estate

Investment and Development companies

British Land, Meraas, Emaar, Nakheel, Grosvenor and Land Securities.

We also have a proven track record in research, and a number of our graduates continue in research to complete PhD study.

Entry requirements

For MSc entry, a good relevant Honours degree (first or second class) or equivalent overseas qualifications will be considered.

If you hold a degree from a different background and believe you may qualify for this programme or to find out more about the entry requirements for this programme, please send an email to dubaienquiries@hw.ac.uk

English language requirements

Where English was not the medium of instruction at secondary school, applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.5 (with all elements passed at 6.0 or above). Applicants who have completed secondary and tertiary education will need to provide documentary evidence. A minimum of one year full-time study in English will be required.

Fees and funding

  • AED 91990*

* All tuition fees inclusive of VAT

Scholarships and bursaries

See our range of degree entry, undergraduate, postgraduate taught and PhD scholarships and discounts.