2024/25 entry Applications also open for 2025/26
MSc Real Estate
About this course
LJMU's MSc in Real Estate is accredited by the RICS and is designed as a fast-rack route for first-degree holders seeking a career in Real Estate.
- Study on a course professionally accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
- Prepare for a career in Real Estate from a wide range of first degrees
- Combine academic rigour with extensive practical experience of the construction and property professions
- Benefit from extensive industry involvement from the public and private sector
- Enjoy excellent career opportunities with leading UK and international surveying firms and consultancies, property companies, developers and public sector organisations
This programme aims to provide you with the skills and attributes to gain a graduate surveyor position within the profession. It has been designed to provide you with the essential knowledge and skills to understand the role of the Real Estate professional in the valuation, appraisal, strategic management and development of commercial and residential property assets.
You will be provided with not only the technical knowledge and understanding required in practice, but also the essential practical and transferable skills required by employers, providing an excellent basis for the development of your career within the surveying profession.
The programme has a high standing both academically and professionally and the quality of the course is recognised by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors which has selected LJMU as a partnering establishment for accreditation purposes.
As a student on this course you will also benefit from the Schools established research reputation. Our internationally recognised work, combined with the academic teams knowledge and experience in both practice and academia, plus extensive links with employers, ensures that our postgraduate degrees are industry-focused, globally relevant and at the forefront of knowledge development.
Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted at the top of this page cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- access to programme-appropriate software
- library and student IT support
- free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.
Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.
Employability
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
Graduates of the programme have found employment with leading UK and international surveying firms, property consultancies, developers and public sector organisations.
Many employers offer excellent positions with a structured graduate training programme ensuring you will complete the full range of training required for the APC. After qualifying professionally, you may have the opportunity to become a partner in an established surveying practice or go on to run your own practice.
Some graduates have used their property expertise to follow a different property related career path with large accountancy companies, law practices and banking and insurance providers. The knowledge and skills our graduates offer has been seen as a major benefit to the overall service provided by these non-surveying organisations.
The student experience
Discover life as a postgraduate student at LJMU.
News and views
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Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas and many feature a dissertation, extended report or research project to demonstrate your advanced learning.
Core modules
Research Methods
10 credits
This module focuses on your critical understanding of the research process. In preparation for your research study, it also develops skills in research design, implementation and presentation. You will come to understand the differing techniques, strategies and methods used to undertake research in the built environment.
Dissertation
60 credits
This module develops and tests your ability to prepare a dissertation, based on the study of a subject related to your chosen discipline within the built environment. Dissertation preparation normally takes place after completion of the Postgraduate Diploma stage.
Real Estate Management
20 credits
This module provides an understanding of the application of key management and business strategies in Real Estate investment. It will develop your knowledge of commercial, corporate and residential real estate management objectives, policies and strategy formulation. You will consider strategic Real Estate management theory and examine its practical application as well as analysing operational Real Estate management strategies and their impact on overall performance.
Building Technology and Management
10 credits
This module will enable you to understand and evaluate the principles and techniques used in the construction of buildings. It will also help you to appraise and analyse the complexities of managing buildings from an asset management perspective. You will come to appreciate the complexity of building construction and technology and the importance of managing and maintaining Real Estate assets to optimise organisational and commercial performance.
Valuation
20 credits
The module takes you through valuation theory and methodology, including the use and derivation of underlying valuation tables and mathematics. It also develops an understanding of the economics underpinning the property market and the practical application of valuation techniques. The module aims to:
- establish a comprehensive understanding and appraisal of the principal valuation theories and methodologies and evaluate their application in professional practice
- build an understanding the economic drivers and dynamics underpinning property markets and critically examine their impact on valuation practice
- increase your competency in the practical application of valuation theory and techniques within a range of property market scenarios and conditions
Real Estate Investment
20 credits
This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of Real Estate as an investment option within the marketplace and to evaluate its performance against other investment vehicles. You will gain a critical understanding of selection, pricing and performance measurement models and apply these within the context of strategic portfolio management. The module provides an extensive study of the market for investment funds. Particular reference is made to quantitative measures of risk and return and the quantitative techniques used in pricing financial assets.
Planning and Sustainable Development
20 credits
This module aims to develop your knowledge and critical understanding of planning law, policy and procedures with particular reference to the English planning system. It also increases your knowledge and critical understanding of the property development process.
Law for Surveyors
20 credits
This module aims to enable the students to develop knowledge and understanding of the legal and professional environment within which surveying practitioners operate. To develop a critical appreciation of legal principles governing ownership and occupation of land and property.
Teaching
An insight into teaching on your course
Study hours
The programme runs for a full calendar year from September to September. Teaching is two days per week full-time and one day per week part-time.
Teaching methods
You will be taught via: lectures, tutorials, problem-solving sessions, seminars, practical workshops utilising professional software applications and databases and directed student-centred learning, such as case studies.
Applied learning
The course has been developed in partnership with principal surveying practices and enjoys established links with employers in both the private and public sector, ensuring that it is responsive to the changing needs of industry, government, local communities and professional practice.
Assessment
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
Assessment methods include: essay and report based assignments, unseen written examinations, the dissertation and individual and group presentations. Many students do their dissertation on topics such as: valuation, investment and management of residential or commercial real estate.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Dr Mohammed Qabshoqa
Programme Leader
As the Programme Leader at LJMU for the past two years, Steffen brings a wealth of expertise in real estate investment and real estate management to his role. His journey began with a three-year apprenticeship, culminating in his qualification as a real estate manager by the Chamber of Commerce of Berlin. Steffen then pursued undergraduate studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, complemented by practical experiences at Jones Lang LaSalle (Portfolio Investment and Valuation) and Siemens Real Estate (RE Management). Upon completing his undergraduate studies, Steffen furthered his education by studying Real Estate Finance and Investment at the Henley Business School in Reading, UK. It was during this time that he was introduced to the idea of a career in academia. In 2019, Steffen earned his PhD from the Henley Business School, with his research focusing on sentiment in the European commercial real estate market. Utilizing innovative methods such as Natural Language Processing and Topic Modelling, his work resides at the intersection of behavioural finance and real estate finance and investment. Steffen's academic achievements were recognized with the Best PhD Paper Award at the Annual ERES Conference in Regensburg, Germany, in 2016. His research interests extend to the housing market, and towards the conclusion of his PhD, he assumed roles such as Deputy Head of the research department at a national real estate brokerage and Senior Data Analyst for a national real estate investment firm. In 2020, Steffen joined LJMU's Department of Built Environment as a Senior Lecturer. As a seasoned academic, his teaching responsibilities encompass real estate management and real estate investment, contributing valuable insights and practical experiences to the learning environment.
School facilities
What you can expect from your School
This programme is based in the City Campus. Besides well-equipped workshops, we have: a structural testing laboratory, a concrete laboratory, a radio frequency and microwave laboratory, a highways research laboratory, an industrial chemistry laboratory, a soil mechanics laboratory, hydraulics laboratory, surveying laboratory, light structure and materials laboratory, building information modelling (BIM) software and expertise and smart homes.
Entry requirements
You will need:
Qualification requirements
Undergraduate degree
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a minimum 2:2 honours degree
Alternative qualifications considered
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an equivalent professional qualification with appropriate work experience
Additional requirements
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Interview required
- You may need to attend an interview
International requirements
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IELTS
- IELTS English language requirement: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each component)
Further information
- Extra Requirements
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RPL
- RPL is accepted on this programme
Application and selection
Securing your place at LJMU
To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
You need to demonstrate that you have a sufficient level of knowledge to embark on the programme and to complete it within the time limits. You should provide evidence, at the interview stage, of your learning capabilities and commitment to a postgraduate programme of study.
Applications from non-standard applicants are welcomed. In exceptional circumstances applications by mature healthcare practitioners without sufficient qualifications will be considered.
The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.