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Real Estate
Department of Urban Studies and Planning,
Faculty of Social Sciences
Course description
This course is designed to prepare you for a demanding and rewarding career in real estate, in either the private or the public sector. The course provides accreditation by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and gives a route to chartered status through the Commercial Real Estate pathway.
You’ll develop knowledge and understanding of real estate and its role in the wider economy. Your study will give you the analytical skills necessary for the successful purchase, sale, leasing and management of business premises, principally retail, office, industrial and leisure.
It's designed for students from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds, who wish to specialise in commercial real estate investment appraisal and portfolio management.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Modules
The focus of the first semester is on the acquisition and understanding of core knowledge and skills. Please note the Professional Skills Development module runs throughout the full academic year.
Core modules:
- Commercial Real Estate Practice
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This module will provide an introduction to commercial real estate practice, professionalism and ethics. It will cover foundational knowledge on a variety of core and contemporary issues including market composition, sustainability, emerging asset classes such as operational real estate, and prop tech and innovation. The module will also introduce students to the core professional skills, ethical activities and ethical standards underpinning professional surveying practice. Through this module, students will gain a deeper understanding of the basic characteristics and competencies of professional surveying practice and will be able to demonstrate the ability to apply these professional skills in a range of settings. The module will be taught with a mix of lectures, workshops and seminars, drawing on guest speakers and industry practitioners where applicable. Students will work towards completing assessments featuring group work, presentations and reflective writing, and developing skills in professional conduct.
15 credits - Applied Real Estate Valuation
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Students studying this module will be introduced to the five methods of valuation that form the basis for working in the surveying profession. Initially basic financial maths will be introduced and applied using client-related scenarios, subsequently using these building blocks within the five methods of valuation. Lectures will provide introductory examples and students will be able to practice using weekly problem-solving tasks and tutorials/help-sessions. Linked to the lectures, professional employability skills will be further developed through the coursework that focuses on providing advice to a client through the production of a valuation report and accompanying appendices, demonstrating adherence to professional standards.
15 credits - Real Estate Economics
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This course is concerned with the economic analysis of real estate markets. It examines the economic characteristics of property and the way in which these impact on the structure and operation of the property market. It also examines the functional divisions within the property market: use, investment and development and their interactions; and the role of property in the local, regional and national economy.
15 credits - Real Estate Investment
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This module provides an introduction to the principles of real estate investment. To do this, it focuses on the principles and theories of investment; real estate as an asset class; and the role of real estate within a portfolio context. The key theories that shape the investment universe are introduced and then applied, using real estate data, to solve a simulated portfolio management task.
15 credits - Professional Skills Development
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This module aims to provide a range of supporting skills for home and international students, which will help you get the most out of your learning in Sheffield, and to prepare you for professional employment development at the end of your studies. The module has three elements: 1. Cultures of Learning - understanding how we teach at Sheffield, and how to get the most out of your study 2. Academic English (assessment support). The sessions are particularly relevant to your assessment preparation. 3. Employability Skills - preparing you for careers within planning, design, real estate, global development, GIS and related professional areas.
The second semester focuses on the development, application and integration of knowledge and skills.
Core modules:
- Investment Valuation
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This module builds on the principles of valuation introduced in the Autumn Semester and enables students to develop in-depth specialist knowledge of the investment method of valuation. It therefore focuses on the valuation of commercial real estate investments (office, retail and industrial property), both on a freehold and leasehold basis, for a variety of investment purposes. You will learn to deal with a variety of valuation scenarios by developing and using spreadsheets and provides a further opportunity to prepare a professional valuation report for a client.
15 credits - Law of Business Leases
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The aim of the module is to introduce and explore pertinent aspects of the legal system relating to commercial and business leases. The module covers areas essential to the work of the surveyor involved in managing assets and the built environment. It thus enables students to develop abilities in offering professionally defensible legal surveying advice.
15 credits
Optional modules - two from:
- Transport Planning
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This module will provide students with an introduction to transport planning and policy. The module develops students' ability to think critically about the framing of transport policy using UK transport planning as an example. It will focus on how planners in localities give shape to effective transport strategies, which balance a range of environmental, social and economic objectives.
15 credits - Issues in Housing
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The aims of the module are twofold: to build both on substantive knowledge, theory and skills about housing gained in earlier parts of both the UG and PG courses, with an emphasis on policy analysis; and to look more closely at the links between housing and planning (in its widest sense) at the local and regional level.
15 credits - International Real Estate Market Analysis
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This module will provide a comprehensive introduction to key concepts and approaches to the analysis of international real estate markets. This module makes a simple operational distinction between mature, emergent and transitional markets as a first step towards a systematic framework for analysis. It gives an introduction to specific real estate markets and the ways in which they function, and offers generalizable conclusions about the wider operation of global real estate markets. Students will develop knowledge and understanding of global political economy as a context for interpreting real estate markets.
15 credits - GIS for Built Environment Professionals
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This module aims to introduce key Geographical Information Systems (GIS) principles and techniques to students in fields where GIS is becoming an increasingly relevant tool. The focus is on enabling students to develop an understanding of the potential of GIS and some fundamental GIS skills, through a series of workshops using a range of common software. Assessment is through a written report incorporating visualisations and analysis.
15 credits - Planning Law
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The course is intended to develop students' expertise in the legal framework for the planning system and to set that legal framework within the wider context of law in the United Kingdom. It considers the origins of planning law and seeks to provide explanations for the powers that the law confers on decision makers. The course focuses particularly on the development control aspects of planning law and looks at the rights and duties of applicants, local authorities and the Secretary of State in making and determining planning applications. It considers the criteria for decision making and the possibilities for the redress of grievance. It considers planning law in the light of wider discussions about human rights and planning gain.
15 credits - Real Estate Planning and Development
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The module explores the interrelationship between real estate development and spatial planning. It examines the real estate development process, its various stages and activities, the roles and objectives of the actors involved in the process and the main aspects of development appraisal. Students will work towards producing an assessment of the planning potential and viability considerations for a real-world development site in an integrated way that fully accounts for the relevant institutional and legal frameworks. The module therefore includes coverage of: market research, planning appraisal, financial appraisal (including financial appraisal using residual and cash-flow methods), sustainability considerations, sources and methods of development finance, sources and management of risk and uncertainty; and the influence of the planning system on real estate development and investment.
15 credits - Health, Wellbeing and the City
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This module explores the urban environment as a determinant of health and well-being and examines how planning and urban design can contribute to improvements in health. Beginning with an exploration of the historic relationship between planning and public health, the module focuses on how the urban environments support or undermine health in relation to mental health, ageing, obesity, air quality and noise pollution. The module also introduces the notion of health impact assessment and further reflects on the contribution of planning to environmental justice and the reduction of inequalities in health.
15 credits - Mega Urban Projects
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In many cities nowadays, mega urban projects such as mega events like the Olympic Games or Central Business Districts like Canary Wharf are seen as an effective means to boost the local economy and to promote the city on a global scale. However, many of them often fail to contribute to the local economy whilst having detrimental impacts on local residents and the wider society. This module offers an in-depth understanding of the development processes and outcomes of large-scale urban projects by exploring aspects of why such projects are developed, how they are governed and their socio-economic impacts.
15 credits
You will complete your dissertation over the summer.
Core module:
- Dissertation
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This is a core module which allows students to develop and manage an individual research project. The module aims to help students to develop and apply research skills and an appreciation of the issues involved in managing a research project; to develop an understanding of the role of research in relation to theoretical and practical dimensions of the chosen discipline; and to further and deepen knowledge in their chosen field of planning, real estate, urban design, development, or related interests.
60 credits
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.
Open days
An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses. You'll find out what makes us special.
Duration
1 year full-time
Teaching
There are lectures, seminars, computer workshops and tutorials.
Assessment
You’re assessed on your coursework and a dissertation.
Your career
The employability of our graduates is of paramount importance to us. The development of skills, knowledge and personal attributes that enhance your career underpins our programme design. We have a dedicated Employability Manager, Amy Woolley, to support you. We’ll prepare you for employment after graduation.
Department
We are the top-rated Royal Town Planning Institute accredited planning school in the UK (REF 2021), with an intellectual reputation for theoretical strength, especially in the fields of urban inequalities and social justice. Study with us and become part of a new and exciting group of urban professionals and change makers.
As a student at Sheffield, you'll develop the knowledge and skills to build a successful career in planning and related urban and environmental professions. You'll be taught by world-leading academics whose cutting-edge research feeds directly into the seminar room. You'll learn using the latest technology in our dedicated teaching spaces; visualising complex data through Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software and using virtual and augmented reality to explore how people interact with urban spaces.
You'll be at the heart of a vibrant academic community and will benefit from an excellent staff-student ratio, resulting in a genuinely friendly and inclusive academic environment. Our open-door policy means you can drop in on your lecturers at any time during their office hours, without an appointment. We believe this will help with your wellbeing and encourage your intellectual curiosity.
We work with national governments, international bodies such as the UN, research councils, private business, the voluntary sector, and local communities to shape policy and inspire change in urban environments. Join us to explore the pathways to creating fair, just and sustainable places.
Entry requirements
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree.
We may also consider your application if you do not meet the standard academic requirements but you have relevant professional experience.
Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.
Fees and funding
Apply
You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.
Contact
usp-admissions@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6900
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.