Program Overview

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The MSc Real Estate (Applied Research) includes a specialism based research dissertation module that advances students ability to critically appraise a land and property related topic thereby developing a sense of expertise and strong affiliation within the built environment discipline.

The overarching aim of the programme is to facilitate the personal and intellectual development of students and to produce graduates with the knowledge and skills appropriate to the property discipline commensurate with the requirements of the associated professional bodies; the public and private sectors; and commercial and corporate interests. The programme is designed to provide opportunities for student choice.

The rationale is to provide an intensive postgraduate educational opportunity for ambitious and motivated graduates who wants to develop their career in Real Estate. The subject matter is presented with an international perspective to reflect the increasingly strong role of property in today’s global business economy and to be of relevance to a career incorporating multinational organisations operating particularly in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia.

The programme will provide for the integration of theory and practice in real estate valuation, investment, management and development appraisal methodologies, including the key areas of real estate asset pricing and risk analysis, relevant to the commercial real estate industry, banks and institutional investors.

Graduates from the programme will be able to demonstrate various subject related qualities including; knowledge and understanding of the various best practices and accepted procedures of the property industry; Skill to practice the appropriate methods and practical techniques commonly used by a property surveyor. In the current financial environment real estate professionals are facing complex situations and making difficult decisions. Graduates will be, therefore, expected to have developed intellectual qualities, including high level cognitive skills, enabling them to analyse, synthesise and objectively evaluate complex issues, construct and defend a balanced argument and creatively identify problems and possible solutions in a real estate context. Graduates will also apply knowledge and rational judgment to source, critically review and use research material to plan and execute a significant practice-based enquiry that accurately and succinctly reflects the key issues, applies the methods and critically supports the conclusions within a real estate context.

Modules;

Professional Practice and Ethics

The professional body (RICS) places a considerable emphasis on the need for professionalism, professional conduct and legal awareness to be demonstrated by all members. This module provides the student with the knowledge and skills to enable them to self-appraise and become critically self-aware in developing their career path to become a professional real estate practitioner. Furthermore, this module develops the practical measurement skills of real estate students to ensure they can conduct, record and digitally represent floorplans. The module also provides students with practical insights into building pathology and defect detection as well as the wider regulatory framework within which a real estate practitioner resides.

Real Estate Economics

This module introduces students to a range of property market data in relation to contemporaneous issues facing property professionals. Students are exposed to the key issues facing property development and provision and are challenged with developing real-life appraisals. The module provides students with the core concepts required to understand the wide spectrum of real estate. This will enable the student to think through the problem and to propose possible strategies to tackle the issues.

Real Estate Valuation

This module introduces students to the challenges of valuing property for investment and development purposes. It provides students with a comprehensive overview of key valuation theory, practice and techniques both traditional and contemporary. It focuses specifically on the critical understanding of the different valuation techniques and their applications to statutory and non statutory valuation instructions. The module will also develop student understanding of the dynamics of the market and the legal environment within which real estate valuations and appraisals are conducted.

Sustainable Real Estate

This module introduces students to the challenges facing the real estate sector in responding to the sustainability agenda. It focuses specifically on developing critical appraisal skills to enable students to make informed decisions regarding assessing the sustainability of projects, buildings, investment decisions and operational/management activities.

Development Appraisal and Regeneration

This module is designed to provide students with an understanding of the planning and property development process in context of sustainable urban regeneration, a contemporary and priority agenda in cities. The module provides the students with knowledge of key issues related to mixed use developments and the deliverability of sustainability principles within an urban regeneration context. This module addresses the policy objectives related to sustainable communities and low carbon growth in cities.

Real Estate Investment Analysis

This module considers the financial characteristics of investment and examines real estate from the point of view as a single asset or held within a portfolio of assets. It identifies the processes, procedures and regulatory framework necessary to value commercial real estate investments and cash flow appraisals.

Real Estate Asset Management

This module aims to foster a deep understanding of the fundamental challenges and opportunities presented by investment and occupational property assets. It adopts an approach of proactive asset management and seeks to equip the students with skills to add value to real estate assets and to prepare the student for employment in management of the principal events in the life cycle of property assets.

International Real Estate Markets

The module on International Real Estate Markets will provide students with the necessary knowledge of market dynamics in developed and emerging investment markets. The module will enable students to develop a sound knowledge of workings of the global market in terms of the participants in the market, the type of asset in which they invest, and the rationale behind their investment strategy.

Applied Research (Land and Property)

The research dissertation provides the opportunity for students to build and apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the taught element of the programme to a problem relevant to the real estate industry. It provides the opportunity for the students to link theory and practice and further develop their evaluative and analytical skills within a land and property research environment. It develops applied research skills and applications with real world experience to support students' employment options upon graduation.

Attendance

The MSc Real Estate (Applied Research) programme is only available on a full time mode and offers one point of entry in each academic year: September. The degree will normally be completed across two academic year.

Students take four 15-credit modules per semester and each module equates to a student effort of 150 hours, made up of direct contact hours (i.e. that delivered in the classroom) and the remainder as independent study time which would involve reading books, journals and researching for coursework etc. Students also undertake a 120-credit applied research dissertation module in semester 1 and 2 of the next academic year, which has limited direct teaching but has a staff supervisory process to support you.

On average the contact time per week for each module will be 4-5 hours (with a mix of lectures and tutorials). This varies in some modules but will not be more than 5 hours per week per module. Usually these contact hours are spread across a minimum of 3-4 days in the full time mode across 12 weeks per semester. There will also be a couple of practical sessions/site visits which are connected to a measurement exercise/assessment etc and this will be scheduled on the timetable and communicated at the beginning of the semester. Other than the scheduled contact time, there is an expectation that students are using the rest of the week for independent study/research.

The applied research dissertation takes place in the final two semesters of the course separately.

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Start dates

September 2023

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Teaching, Learning and Assessment

The Real Estate programme is delivered via a variety of lectures, seminars, computer tutorials, educational videos, practical exercises and study visits. Staff are encouraged to vary their teaching styles and facilitate small group teaching or break-out seminars as much as possible. Class sizes are kept small to ensure that students benefit from one-to-one support and tutorage. Modules are assessed through a mix/combination of coursework, examinations or practical exercises depending on the skills being assessed.

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Academic profile

Ulster is one of most established UK educators of the real estate discipline, with over 40 years’ experience in developing successful property graduates. Recognised nationally for outstanding teaching, research, engagement with employers and student satisfaction, we will prepare you for a successful career in real estate.

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).

We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.

The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise.  The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff.  This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.

Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.

Figures correct for academic year 2021-2022.