School of Real Estate & Planning Real Estate Masters at Reading Postgraduate
Real Estate & Planning at Reading The MSc at Reading has given me the understanding and acumen necessary to be propelled into the real estate industry. Moreover, many of the people I met on the course will remain my close friends for life. Dean Harrison, Cushman and Wakefield We are: consistently placed in the top three in all major league tables ranked as the premier real estate centre in Europe by the US-based Urban Land Institute an integral part of the internationally acclaimed Henley Business School. We offer: world-class, globally relevant programmes in real estate leading academic experts and visiting speakers holding senior positions in industry state-of-the-art facilities in our dedicated business school building. You gain: excellent career prospects a worldwide community of alumni an internationally recognised and respected qualification.
Why study Real Estate? Real Estate is at the nexus of a modern economy. Our lives are formed in villages, cities and towns. For most of us, our home provides shelter and is our most significant asset. We are educated and cared for in buildings. Almost all of us spend most of our working lives in offices, industrial premises, and shops. Many of us enjoy relaxing in cinemas, hotels and leisure buildings. Whether we realise it or not, almost all of our pensions and insurance needs are met, in some part, by these structures. Alongside interest payments from bonds and dividends from shares, property rents pay the returns we earn when we make investments. Wherever you are from, property ownership and use shapes the structure of your life. Studying Real Estate will allow you to view and consider the world that surrounds you through a unique academic prism. Our courses will place you in a position allowing you to understand the complex interactions that occur in property markets. You will study how construction, law, spatial planning policy, development, market practice, business needs, economics, finance and investments interact and collectively drive the functioning of global cities and international property markets. Our courses provide both a structured core syllabus and the opportunities for students to select from a range of optional structured modules to allow them to deepen their knowledge in specialist areas. 1
Why study Real Estate at Reading? Reputation The School of Real Estate & Planning at the University of Reading enjoys an unmatched reputation spanning four decades as one of the largest and most prestigious Schools in the world for teaching and research in real estate. Major independent studies consistently place Real Estate & Planning in the top three Real Estate institutions in Europe (Urban Land Institute, 2002; Journal of Real Estate Research, 2008; Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, 2010). We are a key component of the Henley Business School, and the only major UK real estate centre to be located within a business school, reflecting our close and longstanding collaborative relationship with industry. These established relationships continue to shape the School s teaching and research agenda and help make us one of the most influential voices in public policy debates in our field. A world-class education We offer world-class postgraduate programmes in real estate. We continue to maintain high academic and professional standards whilst educating the future leaders of the real estate professions. Academic research has an over-riding influence on our teaching with the latest cutting-edge research integrated in our programmes. You will be taught by our leading academic experts and visiting speakers occupying senior positions in relevant professions. Our courses are very well supported by the industry and held in high regard by leading UK and global employers. Our students enjoy excellent career prospects and have gone on to work for a wide range of major organisations. A significant number of our graduates achieve partner status or director level at a relatively early age. Excellent teaching and research staff The academics in the School of Real Estate & Planning constitute the largest body of real estate and housing researchers in any single European University. They present papers at all major real estate academic conferences, give invited keynote addresses throughout the world, are actively involved in the leadership of the major international real estate research societies and continue to play an important role in setting the real estate research agenda both domestically and internationally. Our staff regularly carry out major research projects funded by the European and UK real estate, financial and housing industries, governments, research councils and professional bodies, addressing current problems or issues in practice. This academic excellence and applied research is fed back directly into the teaching, providing students with access to the latest thinking and best practice in the disciplines. The close relationship between the School and the real estate and finance industries provides access to a pool of visiting professionals who pass on their market knowledge and expertise to our students. 2
Our alumni Over the last four decades our alumni have reached the most senior and influential positions across the industry. The Reading Real Estate Foundation, our alumni organisation, has an increasingly global reach and is in contact with more than 3,500 of our graduates. Many of our past students come back as visiting speakers, and are increasingly involved in our ground-breaking mentoring programme which pairs our students with professionals in relevant industries. Our world-wide network is increasingly diverse with our graduates encompassing senior roles in a variety of areas from management consultants to financial services. Accreditations All our real estate courses have full accreditation from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Henley Business School In 2008 the University of Reading merged with the Henley Management College and we are proud to be a leading department within the newly created Henley Business School. In the biggest capital project in the history of the University 35m was raised to develop our new home, the Henley Business School, at the heart of the University campus. Our building offers high quality, dedicated MSc teaching space, two computer labs for the sole use of Real Estate & Planning students and the Business School Resource Centre. The whole building is wi-fi enabled and there are numerous places for informal study with a ready supply of power sockets. 3
The MSc in Real Estate is a truly fantastic course! The team ensure that students are equipped with employability skills and theoretical knowledge to equip them for the Graduate market. As a result the students really stand out from the crowd in a challenging and competitive graduate environment. Karen Poulton, Resourcing Manager, Cushman & Wakefield The MSc course provided me with an excellent grounding before the commencement of my APC which proved invaluable throughout my training. The very high entry requirements and standard of teaching has resulted in very good network of friends working at the best companies within the profession. Andrew Marshall, National Investment Colliers International The MSc Real Estate course at Reading provided me with an excellent grounding in the technical knowledge needed to embark on a career in surveying, a brilliant network of people working within the industry and was great fun too. I made some really great friends and I am convinced that being at Reading was a key factor in securing my place on the CBRE graduate scheme. Clare Blenkarne, Valuation Advisory, CB Richard Ellis Ltd A structured, well organized course that provides the perfect stepping stone into a profession within the property industry. A challenging but rewarding and fun year. Ed Priestley, Drivers Jonas Deloitte 4
Reading graduates have the key attributes that any employer would look for commercial awareness, open minds, and a drive to succeed that stands out from the crowd. Ian Tant, Senior Partner, Barton Willmore I really enjoyed my time at Reading and felt privileged to be part of a course held in the highest regard by the property industry. The core modules gave me a wide range of essential real estate knowledge and the finance and investment options gave me the opportunity to narrow my focus and go on to pursue a career as an investment analyst. Greg Mansell, Real Estate Analyst, CoStar Group Our annual Graduate Recruitment process requires successful candidates to show an in-depth technical knowledge of property, an appreciation of how property fits into the wider business environment and a passion for service and excellence year on year, we find candidates from the Reading MSc programme demonstrate these fundamentals which to us are the building blocks of a high achieving career in property, setting them apart from other candidates in this competitive environment. Adrian Wilson, Director of Graduate Program, Knight Frank Reading provides our firm with excellent new talent each year. I have been managing our graduate recruitment programme for a number of years and continue to be impressed with the calibre of Reading candidates. The university produces well rounded students from a variety of backgrounds which is something Jones Lang LaSalle looks for in each graduate intake. Pamela Duke, Training and Graduate Recruitment Manager, Jones Lang LaSalle The School offers the most comprehensive Real Estate education you will find, together with outstanding industry links through which you can feel part of the property profession while still learning. Alan Frogget, graduate 1971, Trustee of Reading Real Estate Foundation and Principal, Touchstone Investments 5
Our programmes We have been delivering postgraduate Real Estate education for more than 40 years and our programmes are held in the highest regard by employers and past students alike. We produce graduates who will ultimately form the thought leaders and practice innovators of the future. Our courses are designed to ensure that graduates are equipped to deal with the full spectrum of real estate activities from the direct to the indirect, the national to the international. Global relevance is a key driving principle of curriculum design. Programmes have a clear focus on employability at their core. We offer two full time RICS accredited postgraduate Real Estate programmes MSc Real Estate and MSc Real Estate Finance. Full details of these can be found in the course flyers at the back of this brochure and on our website www.reading.ac.uk/rep MSc Real Estate This programme will enable you to understand the workings of real estate markets and appropriate techniques applied in these markets. Graduates can equip themselves with the key real estate skills necessary to embark on a wide range of careers in the global real estate sector. It provides the maximum choice of subjects while drawing on the strengths of Real Estate at Reading. Graduates gain core skills in areas such as investment appraisal, economics, corporate finance, financial institutions, law and sustainability. By choosing appropriate modules graduate can specialise in capital markets, real estate development, valuation and management and international real estate. The programme is designed to be industry facing incorporating, real world case studies, field trips and an explicit one week industry challenge. It is especially suitable for those graduates with a nonproperty related degree who wish to develop skills and knowledge in the real estate sector. MSc Real Estate Finance This programme will help you understand real estate in the context of the international financial markets. It is designed to prepare you for a career in finance or investment management where you will be required to evaluate property investments against equity, fixed income and other financial derivative products. The programme allows students to build a portfolio of skills and choose from a variety of courses taught within the larger Business School in subjects such as: Securities, Futures and Options, Quantitative Finance, Real Estate Valuation & Practice, Equity Investments & Fixed Income, Real Estate Securities, Real Estate Investments & Portfolio Management, Corporate Finance & Real Estate, Financial Economics and Housing Economics. This programme is offered jointly with the ICMA Centre who are also part of the Henley Business School and is particularly suited to graduates with degree in a quantitative discipline who wish to develop specialist finance skills that can be used in the real estate sector. Our student profile Asia Africa Americas Australia UK Europe excluding UK 6
What next? We hope that you have found this brochure both interesting and informative. If you would now like to consider a Masters programme in the School of Real Estate & Planning you should visit our web site www.reading.ac.uk/rep to find out more about our School, our staff and what we have to offer you. We hope you will agree that we have a unique offering and that our outstanding reputation will serve you well whatever your chosen career path. How to apply If you wish to apply for one of our postgraduate programmes you should make your application directly to the University, all the forms and information you need can be found on the University of Reading website www.reading.ac.uk/pg You can download the application form from the University website and either email it or post it to our Faculty Office. You should also include the following documents: Personal statement one side of A4 is sufficient telling us why you would like to come to study at Reading A copy of your degree certificate if you have not yet got this then please send a copy of your degree transcript Two academic references After you apply Our staff will look at your application and decide whether to offer you a place. Our Admissions Panel meets approximately once a month from November. We can only review your application when we have received all the documents mentioned above. We do not normally interview candidates. Each year we accept over 100 students onto our Real Estate Masters programmes and places are offered on a first come first served basis so we advise you to apply early. If we offer you a place, you will receive a letter from the Faculty Admissions Office which will explain the offer and any conditions attached (e.g. that you must get certain grades in your exams). At this stage you will be asked to send us a 500 deposit to secure your place. This is not refundable. Real Estate & Planning Visit Day If we make you an offer you will be invited to come and see us on a Visit Day. If you are still considering whether to apply you are welcome to come to the Visit Day to find out more about us; look out for details on our web site. The Visit Day usually take places in March and includes a chance to meet with staff and students and the opportunity to ask in more detail about the programme you have applied for. Confirmation of your place Once you have met any conditions attached to your offer (for instance achieving the required grades) you will gain automatic acceptance onto the programme of your choice. We look forward to welcoming you The MSc in Real Estate at the University of Reading was the obvious choice for me due to the unprecedented reputation of the department and its staff within the real estate network. The ability and drive to keep the course current and the exposure to the big players from day one of the course definitely contributes to that. When I arrived in industry I felt well prepared from an academic perspective, but equally from a business perspective. I would, and do, recommend the MSc in Real Estate as the number one course for anyone wanting to pursue a career in Real Estate. Holly Franklin, Deloitte LLP 7
Our outstanding location The School of Real Estate & Planning is based on the Whiteknights campus in Reading. We couldn t be easier to find, or in a better location. We re just off the M4 motorway at junction 11, and easily accessible from the M3, M40 and M25. The centre of London is only 25 minutes by train, and Heathrow is 30 minutes by car or public transport. Overseas students can find out more by meeting us at an education fair in your home country, or by visiting one of our overseas representatives. Please see our website for further information. Help and further information If you would like to find out more, or have any questions, please feel free to contact us by telephone or email, or pay us a visit. You will also find further useful information on our website. Tel +44(0)118 378 8175 www.henley.reading.ac.uk/rep The University of Reading is committed to equal opportunities and diversity. Whilst the University of Reading makes every effort to ensure that the contents and statements made in this publication are fair and accurate, it can accept no liability for omissions, errors or subsequent changes. The statements made and information provided are a general guide and there may be changes following publication which affect the contents. Programmes or modules may be altered or withdrawn without notice and assessment arrangements may be changed. For details of any changes made since publication, please refer to the website address on the back of this brochure. This document is University of Reading 2010. Printed November 2010. 8
Real Estate & Planning at Reading For more information, please contact: School of Real Estate & Planning Henley Business School University of Reading Whiteknights Reading RG6 6UD rep@reading.ac.uk Tel +44 (0)118 378 8175 Fax +44 (0)118 378 8172 www.henley.reading.ac.uk/rep