Program Overview

BSc (Hons) Rural Property and Real Estate (with placement)

Overview

Rural Property and Real Estate is the ideal route for those keen to specialise in the property side of rural asset management. You could manage everything from the care of historic buildings to new developments in the countryside (or where town meets country) and the management of agricultural, residential and commercial tenancies.

The Harper Advantage

• A full placement year in industry as part of your degree, enabling you to put knowledge into practice, develop your network and discover your future ambitions
• Professional Accreditation: This degree course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for the Rural Surveying Pathway.
• More than 15 competitive scholarships open to students on Land and Property Management routes

Course Key Info

• UCAS code: D440
• Institution code: H12
• Duration: 4 years (full-time) including a one-year work placement. A three-year programme is available for applicants with at least two years, full-time relevant work experience.
• Location: Harper Adams University campus (and location of work placement)
• Accredited by: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

Entry Requirements for 2025

• Our typical offer: 104 UCAS points for A level students. See below for details of entry requirements for other accepted qualifications.

Course Modules

Year 1

• Academic Development and Professional Practice (HF) | 10
• Surveying Practice (HF) | 10
• Building Construction, Pathology and Regulation (HF) | 20
• Rural Land Issues and Policy Development (HF) | 20
• Introduction to the Built Environment (HF) | 20
• Valuation with Land and Property Economics (HF) | 20
• Introduction to Business, Finance and Law (HF) | 20

Year 2

• Career and Data Management (HF) | 10
• Sustainable Built Environments (HF) | 20
• Planning and Development (HF) | 20
• Property Management and Maintenance (HF) | 20
• Property Agency and Tenancy Law (HF) | 20
• Valuation, Taxation and Investment Appraisal (HF) | 20
• Elective: Smart Places (HF) | 10

Year 3

• Placement year

Year 4

• Dissertation - Land and Property Management (HF) | 40
• Valuation and Professional Practice (RPRE) (HF) | 20
• Property Development (HF) | 20
• Ethical and Sustainable Investment in the Built Environment (HF) | 20
• Options:
  • Event Management and Diversification (HF) | 20
  • International Property Markets (HF) | 20

How Will I Be Taught?

This course shares a common first and second year with the REALM course as both are aligned to the Rural Pathway of the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence. Students will specialise in the final year, post placement, with core modules covering strategic estate management, property development, events management and diversification. Optional modules will allow you to consider the conservation of historic estate assets, the provision of renewable energy or to study how rural property is managed internationally.

A typical week in year 1 consists of:

• 6hrs lectures
• 6hrs seminars, site/estate visits, farm walks and surveying practicals

Field trips have included visits to:

• Attingham Park and other local estates
• Earl of Plymouth Estate, Ludlow
• Flax Mill Nr Shrewsbury (the oldest iron framed building in the world)
• Commercial properties

Assessment Methods

The course is assessed on a mixture of coursework and examinations.

Transfer

Students may transfer between BSc REALM and BSc RPM (and vice versa) at the end of the first two years, before commencing the placement year.

Learning in Higher Education – How Is It Different?

Whilst a student’s prior experience or qualifications should prepare them for Higher Education, most will find that study at university level is organised differently than they might have experienced at either school or college. Higher Education sets out to prepare students to think and learn independently, so that they are able to continue learning new things beyond their studies and into the workplace, without needing a tutor to guide them.

Work Placement

Placement will give you invaluable experience in your chosen area of work. It may be working with a national firm such as Carter Jonas, Savills, Strutt and Parker, Smiths Gore, or with a local firm such as Fisher German, Halls, Berry’s or Balfours.

Alternatively, you may choose to work on a large traditional estate such as Buccleuch, Chatsworth, local authorities or the National Trust.

Students who have performed well have often been offered a job when they graduate.

Most students will count this placement as the first of two years of structured training needed for the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence.

Career Opportunities

Rural Property Management graduates are likely to progress to positions in the management of rural property, estates and land, often within a firm of chartered surveyors specialising in this work or in some instances as a resident agent on a larger estate.

Accreditation

Accredited by: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

This degree course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for the Rural Surveying Pathway.

MRICS candidates, who have accredited degrees, must in addition, complete the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). This involves two years of structured work experience, training and assessment. The placement year of this course usually counts as the first year of the APC, with the second undertaken after graduation.

Fees and Costs

The latest fees for this course can be found in our fees and funding section. You will also find course related costs, specific to this course in the Fees and Charges PDF.

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Undergraduate BSc (Hons) Rural Enterprise and Land Management (REALM) (with placement) UCAS: DNK2 Year of entry: 2025

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