MSc Real Estate
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Key information
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Mode of delivery
- On-campus
- Delivery type
- Full-time, Part-time
- Start date
- September
- Duration
- 1 year
- Qualification
- MSc
Contact
Contact our enquiries team
Contact usOverview
1st in Scotland and 7th in the UK for Construction, Surveying and Planning (Guardian University Guide 2023).
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.
September 2024 entry
The deadline for applications from UK students is 30 August 2024. For EU and overseas applicants, we guarantee to consider applications submitted by 2 August 2024.
Industry links
This programme benefits from the expertise of research-active and industry-minded staff. Along with teaching staff, several honorary professors from industry guest lecture and advise on student research projects.
Postgraduate Masterclass Series
We’re running a series of free online masterclasses throughout July and early August to showcase our postgraduate taught study options. Take a look at the exciting topics our academic experts will be speaking about and book to attend.
Course content
Year 1
For the MSc, students undertake eight taught courses and submit a Master's dissertation. Students on the Pg Dip course take eight taught courses. Each taught course represents 150 hours of student effort and the dissertation represents 600 hours.
Semester 1
Mandatory
- Advanced Construction Technology
- Business Analytics and Introduction to Big Data
- Urban Economy and Property Markets
- Real Estate Appraisal and Finance
Semester 2
Mandatory
- Real Estate Development
- Real Estate Management and Sustainability
- Real Estate Investment Analysis
- Advanced Real Estate Valuation
Semester 3
Research Dissertation
Urban Economy and Property Market
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
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.
Advanced Construction Technology
Aims to provide students with knowledge and understanding of building physics, the loads produced internally by the structure of the building itself and external loads imposed on a building. Students will be made aware of the design elements in construction that are utilised in order to meet and resist these loads, and to complete a building that is functionally appropriate.
Students will also learn how the construction technology of substructure, superstructure and enclosing envelope combine to produce a physically stable building.
Business Analytics and Introduction to Big Data
Introduces the key concepts of Big Data including:
- Understand the different approaches used by managers and management consultants to solve business decision problems.
- Appreciate the purpose and value of business analytics in management decision making.
- Provide a working understanding of the key statistical concepts that underpin aspects of strategic decision sciences.
- Give students the practical skills to apply a range of analytical techniques used by Business Analysts.
Real Estate Investment Analysis
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.
Real Estate Management and Sustainability
To achieve an advanced 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.
- How management links with other disciplines within chartered surveying.
- The key skills and strategies that can be adopted.
- Concepts and tools for sustainability management within real estate
Real Estate Development
Conceptualises the framework for the property market and property development industry. Students will identify the fundamental drivers that influence the development decision within the internationalisation context.
- Provide an overview of property market and property development industry
- Set out the factors that influence the development decision and property prices
- Explain the general nature and form of development finance
Advanced Real Estate Valuation
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.
Go Global
Some of our Postgraduate Taught Masters Programmes are eligible for Inter-Campus Transfer. Please contact studywithus@hw.ac.uk for further information.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Status [footnote 1] | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|---|---|
| UK | 9152 | 4576 |
| Overseas [footnote 2] | 19056 | 9528 |
Scholarships and bursaries
We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.
View our full range of postgraduate scholarships.
Entry requirements
Entry
Masters (MSc) level entry applicants must have one of the following:
- Minimum of 2:1 honours degree or equivalent academic qualification in a non-cognate discipline
- Minimum of 2:2 honours degree or equivalent academic qualification in a related subject area
- Corporate (or chartered) membership of relevant professional institutions will also be considered
PG Diploma level entry applicants must have an ordinary degree in a related subject area and relevant post qualification industry experience.
Candidates who do not meet the above entry requirements or have no formal academic qualifications will be considered individually based on their CV and possibly interview. Admission via this route will be at the discretion of the Director of Recruitment.
Recognition of Prior Learning
We are committed to providing study opportunities to applicants who have a wide range of prior experiences through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). For more information on RPL, please contact the Admissions Team (studywithus@hw.ac.uk) ahead of application. We can only consider requests for RPL at the time of application to a course of study.
English language requirements
If English is not the applicant's first language a minimum of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent is required with all elements passed at 6.0 or above. Please refer to English language requirements for further details.
Some applicants may be asked for alternative evidence in line with UKVI recognised English speaking countries. Applicants who have previously successfully completed courses delivered in the medium of English language may be considered and will be required to provide documentary evidence of this. Examples would be secondary school education or undergraduate degree. A minimum of at least one year of full time study (or equivalent) in the medium of English language will be required.
All evidence of English language needs to be dated within two years of the commencement of study.
We also offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement prior to starting your master's programme:
- 20 weeks English (for IELTS of 5.0 with no skill lower than 4.5)
- 14 weeks English (for IELTS of 5.0 with minimum of 5.0 in writing and no skill lower than 4.5)
- 10 weeks English (for IELTS of 5.5 with no skill lower than 5.0)
- 6 weeks English (for IELTS 5.5 with no skill lower than 5.5)
Employability
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 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 and Deloitte Real Estate
Investment and Development Companies:
British Land, Cala Homes, 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.
Why Heriot-Watt?
We are accredited by the following organisations
At Heriot-Watt University we develop degrees that are relevant for the world of work. We work with Professional bodies and Institutes to gain appropriate Accreditations and Professional Memberships for your industry. Find out below how this degree aligns to industry.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for the purpose of graduate membership.