MSc/Dip International Real Estate and Planning

The MSc/Dip International Real Estate and Planning focuses on the relationship between the property development process and the planning systems of Europe and beyond.

About the course

The MSc/PGDip explores the systems through which urban planning and property development operate:

• market mechanisms
• ownership frameworks
• taxation and subsidy
• land use
• policy planning

It also considers market mechanisms from the perspective of investors, developers and occupiers of buildings, and the relationship between markets and policy at various geographical levels.

The programme consists of lectures and seminars, project work and a dissertation. It aims to give you an understanding of the range of variation across national boundaries, and theoretical and practical knowledge that can be applied internationally.

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Who should apply?

People who wish to practise internationally and to break the boundaries between built environment professions.

Accreditation

The MSc IREP programme is fully accredited by both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Further information on accreditation and routes to membership can be obtained from the RTPI and RICS websites.

Why choose the Bartlett?

We offer:

• a programme that draws on UCL's position as a leading research-led university
• an opportunity to acquire a broad range of skills and knowledge, while setting foot on the path towards specialisation
• a principle- and theory-driven programme giving both conceptual understanding and the skills needed to tackle practical problems

More information

• For key information, including how to apply, visit the UCL Graduate Prospectus 
• Browse the sections below for more detailed course information

Structure

The programme offers two different routes to the MSc/PGDip in International Real Estate and Planning: one-year full-time or two years and up to five years through accumulation of programme modules for part-time students.

Individual modules may be taken as free-standing training elements, and accumulated towards intermediate certificate and postgraduate diploma qualifications, as well as the full master's degree.

Further details of these modules can be found on our postgraduate modules page.

The MSc/PGDip degree requires the student to take and pass 180 credits of core and elective modules. The programme consists of six 15-credit modules of core studies and another 30 credits of elective courses. Those taking the MSc degree then write a 60-credit dissertation. A 'research support' module runs in Term 3, which is scheduled to coincide with the early stages of the production of an MSc Dissertation.

Compulsory Modules

Further details of these modules can be found on our postgraduate modules page

BPLN0013 Planning Practices in Europe
Credits: 15
Assessment: Coursework
Term 1

BPLN0014 Critical Debates in Real Estate and Planning
Credits: 15
Assessment: Coursework
Term 1

BPLN0010 Real Estate Appraisal 
Credits: 15
Assessment: Coursework
Term 1

BPLN0015 Comparative Urban Projects
Credits: 15
Assessment: Coursework
Term 2

BPLN0011 Real Estate Investment
Credits: 15
Assessment: Exam
Term 2

BPLN0017 Real Estate Development
Credits: 15
Assessment: Coursework
Term 1

Dissertation

Further details of these modules can be found on our postgraduate modules page

BPLN0039 Dissertation in Planning
Credits: 60
Assessment: Dissertation
Term 3 and Summer

Elective Modules

Further details of these modules can be found on our postgraduate modules page

Students should chose 30 credits of elective modules (normally two 15-credit modules, preferably one in Term 1, the other in Term 2). The choice is open to relevant modules in any UCL postgraduate programme.

Students seeking RTPI accreditation do not take elective modules, but instead have to take and pass two extra core courses:

BPLN0055 Planning Practice
Credits: 15
Assessment: Coursework
Term 2

And a choice of one of the following two modules:

BPLN0037 Spatial Planning: Concepts and Context
Credits: 15
Assessment: Exam
Term 1

BPLN0038 Comparative Planning Systems and Cultures
Credits: 15
Assessment: Exam
Term 1

Elective Modules

You can select electives from a wide range of modules taught in the Bartlett School of Planning, in the Faculty of the Built Environment or throughout UCL. Further details of these modules can be found in the Module Catalogue.

If you want to seek RTPI accreditation you must take and pass the following electives:

BPLN0055 Planning Practice
And a choice of one of the following two modules:

BPLN0037 Spatial Planning: Concepts and Context
BPLN0038 Comparative Planning Systems and Cultures

Field trip

MSc International Real Estate and Planning students will usually participate in a short field trip in Term 2 of their first year. However, for students commencing their studies in September 2020, we cannot guarantee that these opportunities will be permitted, or can be made safe and viable. We are working on the basis that non-UK group travel will be highly unlikely, but we will continue to explore possibilities for UK-based trips later in the year. We are also exploring options to provide alternative enhancements to your programme if travel is restricted. Once we have more information, we will contact all involved, but you should not anticipate non-UK travel being a part of your programme in 2020-21.

This trip would usually be based in a European city outside the UK and will cover a range of real estate and planning themes, linking directly to the master's programme.

Content

Compulsory Modules

Further details of these modules can be found on our postgraduate modules page

BPLN0013 Planning Practices in Europe looks at the importance of planning in property markets, alongside systems of law, tenure and economic activity. The module is not exhaustive either in subject matter or in coverage of European countries. It indicates the spheres in which significant variations exist and the main debates on local, national and supra-national planning practices.

BPLN0014 Critical Debates in Real Estate and Planning is a reading-based seminar introducing students to some of the key issues confronting planning and property development internationally. The aim is to encourage in-depth reading and discussion within a small group setting and to develop themes introduced and knowledge gained in other core modules.

BPLN0010 Real Estate Appraisal enables students to gain an understanding of the bases, methods and applications of real estate appraisal in real estate markets. Students will learn about the concepts, tools and techniques for appraising individual real estate assets, Upon completion of the course, students should have a broad understanding of the nature of real estate as an asset, the financial mathematics required to perform real estate appraisal, the main approaches to real estate appraisal, the objectives and uses of real estate appraisals and techniques for estimating the value of real estate assets. 

BPLN0015 Comparative Urban Projects focuses on projects, developments and episodes in the expansion of metropolitan regions in different countries. It analyses and compares the relationship between planning systems, institutions of land ownership, law, taxation and market conditions, seeking to develop frameworks for understanding the genesis and the outcomes of urban developments.

BPLN0011 Real Estate Investment aims to introduce students to commercial real estate investment markets focussing on the qualities of real estate as an investment, the range of real estate investment vehicles, issues in cross-border real estate investment, the motives and attributes of different real estate investors, real estate portfolio construction, real estate performance measurement, real estate market forecasting inter alia.

BPLN0017 Real Estate Development examines the entire development process for the different types of property development and redevelopment. Discussions cover the development process, development cycles, feasibility analyses, and development financing. Students will gain the knowledge and skills to evaluate the feasibility of, and undertake property development projects that enhance the quality of life and long-term quality of human existence while maximising developers’ financial objectives.

Dissertation Module

Further details of these modules can be found on our postgraduate modules page

BPLN0039 Dissertation in Planning is a record of original work (approximately 10,000 words) linked to international real estate and planning. Students are  supported through this module in the early stages of planning their dissertation, and assisted with the development of appropriate research methods and data collection methods for planning research.

Elective Modules

Students can select up to 30 credits of elective modules from other UCL postgraduate programmes. Please look at the postgraduate modules page to view the options available. Recent elective options have included:

• Spatial Planning
• Urban Economics and Politics
• Transport Policy and Planning
• Urban Design
• Geographical Information Systems
• Urban Regeneration
• Cities and the Environment
• Housing Policies
• Management

Instead of taking elective modules, students seeking RTPI accreditation have to take and pass two extra core courses:

BPLN0055 Planning Practice promotes an understanding of planning and development practice in both private and public sector agencies, with extensive contributions from practitioners.

And a choice of one of the following two modules:

BPLN0037 Spatial Planning: Concepts and Context examines the evolution of the planning system in the UK with particular reference to spatial planning policy and spatial plan development, from European to national, regional, local and community practices.

BPLN0038 Comparative Planning Systems and Cultures develops students' understanding of their own country's planning system by studying planning in a cross-national comparative context.

Staff

Programme Director:

Dr Nicola Livingstone
Lecturer in Real Estate
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Staff teaching on the programme currently

Dr Kwame Addae-Dapaah
Senior Lecturer in Real Estate
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Dr Claire Colomb
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Dr Claudio de Magalhães
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Michael Edwards
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Dr Jessica Ferm
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Dr Tommaso Gabrieli
Lecturer in Real Estate
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Dr Nikos Karadimitriou
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Dr Qiulin Ke
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Dr Susan Moore
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Professor Yvonne Rydin
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Dr Danielle Sanderson
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Prof Fulong Wu
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Careers and employability

Graduates of the MSc International Real Estate and Planning programme at the Bartlett who were not already employed have taken jobs in real estate and planning in public and private offices in the UK and abroad. Among the employers of MSc IREP graduates are:

• Hammerson SA, Paris
• DTZ, Paris
• Matthews and Goodman, Paris
• King and Co, Barcelona
• OECD Urban and Environmental Directorate, Paris
• IAURIF, Paris
• Kolpron, Berlin
• Savills, Greece
• SEB Asset Management, Frankfurt
• Investment Property Databank, London
• Tarmac, London
• Jones Lang Lasalle, London
• URBED, London
• BNP Paribas, London
• Tibbalds Monro, London

Still can't find what you're looking for? Get in touch with Programme Director and Admissions Tutor Dr Nicola Livingstone, or Programme Administrator Judith Hillmore.