Real Estate MSc

Why choose this course?

This course is ideal if you want to work in the real estate sector, across a range of disciplines, in the UK or overseas.

You will be able to focus on areas of valuation, investment, sustainability in real estate, regenerative placemaking, planning and development and be encouraged to develop research as well as technical, professional and practical skills.

You may pursue your individual interests through the design and completion of an independent research project.

Mode Duration Attendance Start date
Full time 1 year Short intensive blocks September 2023
September 2024
Full time 2 years including professional placement Short intensive blocks September 2023
September 2024
Part time 2 years Short intensive blocks September 2023
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. You may also take an optional residential trip to a European destination.*
  • Kingston Business School is one of just 5% 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.

*Students may be required to cover additional costs, such as travel.

Accreditation

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

The course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Students will study six 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 offerings.

AACSB Accredited logo

Specialist careers support

You will take part in an Assessment Centre Experience, providing the opportunity to experience the pathway to employment with tailored feedback to help develop your employability skills for the world of graduate employment.

  • Develop your understanding of the jobs market, including current trends and opportunities, different recruitment processes and how to identify relevant roles
  • Receive personalised feedback reports to help you to improve and progress
  • Access additional webinars on top tips, employer expectations and best practice
Specialist careers support

At Kingston Business School we lead

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.

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.

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.

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.

The part-time programme consists of six modules at 30 credit points each. You will take three modules in Year 1 and three modules in Year 2.

Year 1

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Student Route 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.

Please note

Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.

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 2:1 or above honours degree or equivalent in any discipline; 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. Contact the faculty office for further information.

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 6.0. 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.

Country-specific information

You will find more information on country-specific entry requirements in the International section of our website.

Find your country:

Teaching and assessment

Guided independent study (self-managed time)

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

  • 18% of your time is spent in timetabled learning and teaching activity

Professional Placement Year

  • 100% of your time is spent on guided independent study (self-managed time) and placement

Part time  Year 1

  • 23% of your time is spent in timetabled learning and teaching activity

Part time  Year 2

  • 13% of your time is spent in timetabled learning and teaching 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 learning and teaching: 318 hours
  • Guided independent study (self-managed time): 1482 hours
Professional Placement Year
  • Guided independent study (self-managed time): 50 hours
  • Placement: 1150 hours
Part time – Year 1
  • Scheduled learning and teaching: 204 hours
  • Guided independent study (self-managed time): 696 hours
Part time – Year 2
  • Scheduled learning and teaching: 114 hours
  • Guided independent study (self-managed time): 786 hours

How you will be assessed

Assessment typically comprises exams (e.g. test or exam), practical (e.g. presentations, performance) and coursework (e.g. essays, reports, self-assessment, portfolios, dissertation). 

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: 100%
  • Practical: 0%
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.

Fees for this course

2024/25 fees for this course

Home 2024/25

  • MSc full time £12,900
  • MSc part time £7,095

International 2024/25

  • MSc full time £18,900
  • MSc part time £10,395

2023/24 fees for this course

Home 2023/24

  • MSc full time £12,100
  • MSc part time £6,655

International 2023/24

  • MSc full time £17,500
  • MSc part time £9,625

Tuition fee information for future course years

If you start your second year straight after Year 1, you will pay the same fee for both years.

If you take a break before starting your second year, or if you repeat modules from Year 1 in Year 2, the fee for your second year may increase.

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.

Postgraduate loans

If you are a UK student, resident in England and are aged under the age of 60, you will be able to apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree. For more information, read the postgraduate loan information on the government's website.

Scholarships 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:

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that 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, access to shared 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.

Textbooks

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment.

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 residence. Free WiFi is available on each of the campuses. You may wish to purchase your own computer, which can cost from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.

Photocopying and printing

In the majority of cases written coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing, binding and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees, this may cost up to £100 per year.

Travel

Travel costs are not included in your tuition fees but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses, Surbiton train station, Kingston upon Thames train station, Norbiton train station and halls of residence.

Field trips

There may be an optional international trip which would cost approximately £300 to £500.

There may be optional field trips or site visits, usually within Kingston or London. These will incur a travel cost of approximately £20 to £40 per year.

Course changes and regulations

The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.

Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.

Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.