Course description
MSc / PGDip / PGCert
Accredited by Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
The MSc International Real Estate (IRE) is the sister course to the MSc Real Estate Management (REM). Applications to both courses are viewed as ONE cohort, so please only apply to ONE. UK students are encouraged to apply for either course whereas international students are advised to apply for the IRE course. Both courses are only available as for full- time study. Given the intensity of the courses students are advised to live in or near Oxford.
The MSc in International Real Estate (IRE) at Oxford Brookes has established itself as a premier postgraduate course for students wishing to enter the real estate profession internationally.
Economic development brings expansion in real estate markets; in areas such as Asia and Eastern Europe commercial real estate markets are growing at an exciting pace. In response, many commercial property firms are expanding their staff and offices overseas in order to make their expertise available worldwide. This process of globalisation means that major company profiles are international with these firms employing several thousand staff in property markets around the world.
The course was set up in 2004 in response to a worldwide trend for real estate professionals with an international perspective. It aims to equip students with the skills and expertise to take advantage of career opportunities in overseas property markets. Of our students to date, about one half have come from the UK with the other half being drawn from countries as diverse as China, Estonia, Greece, Japan, Russia and the USA.
This is a non-cognate conversion course that is accredited by the RICS. The course will prepare the student for the challenges of entering professional practice and completing the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) to become a Chartered Surveyor.
The philosophy of the degree is to provide the student with a theoretical framework in the early modules of the course and to develop on this in the latter stages with practical, real life examples and case studies. The course will provide the student with all the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the real estate profession.
The Real Estate courses at Brookes are sponsored by four of the major international real estate consultancies, who provide support to the course with external speakers, field trips and management support. These are; Cluttons, DTZ, King Sturge and Knight Frank.
The course has enjoyed a very successful level of graduate employment, with the majority of the students achieving employment in the major international real estate consultancies at the end of the year. The course is well respected in all areas of the industry and we also have alumni in real estate management companies, banks, financial institutions, government bodies and corporates.
The degree is taught on the Gipsy Lane site of our Headington Campus, with excellent access to the library, computing and postgraduate student facilities. The MSc Real Estate courses also benefit from a dedicated lecture room.
Course content
The MSc International Real Estate comprises nine compulsory taught modules and a structured practical project/dissertation. The course will provide the student with a thorough grounding in the skills and expertise necessary for a career in real estate. Each module is either 10 or 20 credits and the MSc qualification is 180 credits.
(10 credits – conjoint with MSc REM)This module starts with an introduction to the concept of investment and pricing and covers basic financial mathematics. The module looks at the role of pricing and valuation methods and the appropriateness of them against the wider economic and investment environment.
(10 credits; conjoint with MSc REM)This module introduces the student to the law as it relates to real property management issues. The module covers the law of obligations (both contractual and tortious) then moves on to cover basic aspects of the law of real property and the law of landlord and tenant
(10 credits – conjoint with MSc REM)
This module seeks to provide the application of estate management skills within a practical setting. It seeks to develop a wide range of professional skills within the field of real estate management.
Real Estate Markets
(10 credits – pass/fail - conjoint with MSc REM)This module is an umbrella module that will include, among other things, a series of guest lectures, field trips and industry events. In the Autumn Semester, there will be a residential field trip to a major UK city.
Planning and the Development Process The processes involved in developing real estate in different global markets vary due to factors such as the legal, economic, political and environmental circumstances of each location. This module examines examples of real estate development and assesses the similarities and differences that exist between them.
Strategic Management of Corporate Real Estate
(20 credits – conjoint with MSc REM) This provides a framework for an analysis of the corporate environment and its effect on an organisation's real estate holdings. This includes both internal and external environments. The module develops strategic perspectives for real estate in a variety of organisational structures and environments. It also examines aspects of operational management and the impact of these on overall strategy.
Applied Research
(10 credits – conjoint with MSc REM)This module will enable the student to develop research skills to allow the student to critically assess research reports and information in their professional life. The module will involve a series of case study examples from industry.
Finance and Business Economics II
(10 credits – conjoint with MSc REM) This module continues studies from the first semester looking at the role of markets, in particular the real estate market and the influences upon such key variables as costs and prices. This module builds on Valuation and Investment, studying property as an investment in a worldwide context, including its increasing role in multi-asset, cross border, portfolios. The module discusses the relevance of portfolio theory to property investment, and its influence on the use of diversification, risk analysis and performance measurement. International Perspectives on
Real Estate Law
(10 credits) This module develops the themes of the Real Estate Law I and expands the elements of international, indigenous, laws related to real property. The acquisition, disposal, development, valuation and management of real estate around the world will always be subservient to the legal system of the state in question. Those involved in these features of real estate must, therefore, be familiar with the law as it relates to real estate in any country where they are doing business. The work required for this part of the programme is individual based and, as such, can be undertaken away from the university with e-mail and Internet support.
Applied Project or Dissertation
(50 credits – conjoint with MSc REM) This module will involve an individual structure project that is industry related. The project themes will vary each year but will include subjects such as Real Estate Investment, Real Estate Development, Real Estate Law, Real Estate Valuation and Professional Practice and International Real Estate. MSc IRE students will be expected to undertake the International Real Estate project. Students are also able to choose to undertake a dissertation instead of the practical project.
Real Estate Markets
(10 credits – pass/fail - conjoint with MSc REM) This module is an umbrella module that will include, among other things, a series of guest lectures, field trips and industry events. In the Summer Semester, there will be a residential field trip to a major European city.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Learning methods include lectures, seminars, tutorials, project work and independent study. Teaching is organised around the course's component modules, involving a total of around 20 hours of teaching time over each 11-week teaching semester. The semester system requires examinations to be taken at the end of each teaching period. It is a very intensive programme and it requires students to undertake a substantial amount of private study and project work.
Each module is assessed individually, through coursework, such as submission of reports and presentations, and/or formal written examination. The Integrative Professional Practice module provides a vehicle for drawing together the different subjects taught on the course and requires the students to develop strong interpersonal communication via a series of face-to-face role-plays.
In addition to the credit-based modules (see below), there is also an umbrella module, Real Estate Markets, which incorporates a number of field trips in the UK and Europe.
The MSc International Real Estate (IRE) course is taught in tandem with the sister programme, MSc Real Estate Management (REM). Approximately 60% of the courses are co-joint, with the remaining 40% being pathway specific. This allows the postgraduate cohort to have a distinct feeling of unity between courses whilst, at the same time, ensuring that each course is sufficiently distinct.Learning methods include lectures, seminars, tutorials, project work and independent study. Teaching is organised around the course's component modules, involving a total of around 20 hours of teaching time over each 11-week teaching semester. The semester system requires examinations to be taken at the end of each teaching period. It is a very intensive programme and it requires students to undertake a substantial amount of private study and project work.
Each module is assessed individually, through coursework, such as submission of reports and presentations, and/or formal written examination. The Integrative Professional Practice module provides a vehicle for drawing together the different subjects taught on the course and requires the students to develop strong interpersonal communication via a series of face-to-face role-plays.
In addition to the credit-based modules (see below), there is also an umbrella module, Real Estate Markets, which incorporates a number of field trips in the UK and Europe.
The MSc International Real Estate (IRE) course is taught in tandem with the sister programme, MSc Real Estate Management (REM). Approximately 60% of the courses are co-joint, with the remaining 40% being pathway specific. This allows the postgraduate cohort to have a distinct feeling of unity between courses whilst, at the same time, ensuring that each course is sufficiently distinct.
Quality
The School of the Built Environment gained grade 4 (out of 5*) in the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), with real estate being praised for the international potential of its research.
All modules are led by real estate academic staff in the Department of Real Estate and Construction, complemented by specialist contributions from other colleagues in the Department and from visiting professional practitioners. The practical focus of the course is reflected in the diversity of staff teaching on the course and as research strengths in international land markets and sustainability. In 2005, our School was awarded a Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Undergraduate Research in collaboration with Warwick University: one of only 70 centres awarded nationally by the Government across all UK universities.
