Text only

Home | What Can I Study? | How to Apply | General Information | International Students
Order a Printed Prospectus | FAQs | Search the Prospectus | Contacts | Text Only

Taught Programme

Land Economy (Rural Surveying, RICS accredited)

Aims

The programme is a fast track course for graduates seeking entry into the Rural Faculty of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). It is the only programme of its kind in Scotland accredited by the RICS, allowing graduates to proceed to the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence and full professional membership of the RICS.

Land Economy (Rural Surveying/Rural Property Management) is concerned with the management of land and its resources, rural businesses and their associated activities and interests. The programme provides a range of knowledge and skills e.g. land management, public policy, law, planning, economics, and valuation, integrated to meet the future challenges facing landowners and land managers. Understanding of traditional land management (agriculture, forestry, sporting) and emerging land uses (environmental and conservation activities, countryside access and leisure, steading conversions, telecommunication masts and wind turbines) is combined with an understanding of the business skills necessary for successful decision-making and rural business management. As a rural land and business manager the student/graduate is concerned not only with practical land management but also with the financial, legal, planning, and policy contexts within which decisions are made and business interests managed.

Reasons to Study Land at Aberdeen

• The Only RICS accredited programme of its kind in Scotland


• 100% graduate employment record


• Teaching staff includes Professional Rural Practitioners


• Access to a wide range of highland and lowland estates and properties for field visits and practical work


• Includes a week-long project in southern or central Europe


• Small group teaching


• Close links with the RICS (Rural and Environmental Faculties)

Requirements

Our minimum entry requirement for this programme is a UK Honours degree (or an honours degree from a non-UK institution which is judged by the University to be of equivalent worth) at a 2:2 (lower second) class or above.

Students whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of English language proficiency, see www.abdn.ac.uk/international/english-requirements for details.

Mature students who do not meet the minimum entry requirement but who have appropriate professional experience will also be considered. Applicants should note that irrespective of your initial registration (Diploma or Masters) the qualification awarded on completion of the programme is dependent upon your performance during the year.

It is important to note that the programmes of postgraduate study at the University of Aberdeen are very competitive and the entry requirements stated are a guide to the minimum requirements, but do not guarantee entry.

Syllabus

You will study the following topics:

• Land and Environmental Economics


• Valuation


• Rural Policy


• Rural and Environmental Law


• Rural and Environmental Practice


• Rural Business Management


• Land Use Management


• Research Methods


• Dissertation (Masters) OR Case Study (Diploma)

An optional English Land Law course is also available for students wishing to work in England/Wales.

Assessment

Assessment involves a combination of course work, project work, examinations and either a dissertation (MLE) or a case-study project (DipLE).

Teaching

Highly qualified and motivated staff will teach you, including those with considerable practical experience. A variety of teaching and assessment methods are used. All courses involve lectures, tutorials, seminars and project work although the relative balance varies as you progress through the programme. Courses are assessed via coursework and formal examinations. There are two diets of examinations: January and May, normally four courses examined at each diet. As you progress greater emphasis is placed on the application of knowledge and skills, project work increases and examinations are fewer. Projects focus on local estates, rural businesses, and farms and are designed to incorporate the types of task expected in the workplace.

Courses typically involve two or three hours of lectures and one small group tutorial/seminar per week. There are half-day, whole day, and three day field visits (for example, to Highland estates) for general experience and in relation to specific projects. These regularly involve leading practitioners in the field. Project-work includes a mix of individual and group exercises. Residential field visits include a European field course. In recent years visits have been made to Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.

Funding

Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS Awards) funding may be available. These are allocated annually and cover fees and some living costs. A small number of awards have been available to applicants on this programme. However, competition for such awards is high and applicants are encouraged to explore other funding options.

Careers

The MLE (Rural Surveying) programme is designed for graduates from any discipline. It is theonly programme of its kind in Scotland accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Graduates therefore have the option of entering a career in chartered surveying (Rural or Environmental Faculties) having already made progress towards their APC. Career options include such areas as land agency, estate management, countryside management, and rural policy and development. During the year, most if not all, Diploma and Masters students secure employment to be taken up at the end of the programme. Diploma and Masters graduates in Rural Surveying are particularly highly sought-after by the leading land agency firms throughout the UK: Smiths-Gore, Strutt and Parker, Bidwells, Savills, and Edwin Thompson to name but a few. Many of these firms visit the Department as part of their annual recruitment strategy. Other graduates have secured employment with landed estates (Buccleuch Estates, Moray Estates, Strathmore Estates, Dunecht Estates), conservation bodies (SNH, RSPB) and public authorities (National Parks, Local Authorities).

Fees

Annual Tuition Fees 2009-2010

Full time UK/EU students = £3400
Full time overseas students= £9250

This fee is the fee due for the 2009-2010 academic year. An academic year is from Registration in September to 30 September the following year.

Please note that tuition fees usually increase each year in line with inflation.

ˆˆ back to top

Student Recruitment & Admissions Service
University of Aberdeen · University Office · King's College · ABERDEEN AB24 3FX

Tel: (UK) 01224 272090 / 1 · (International) +44 1224 272090 / 1
Fax: (UK) 01224 272576 · (International) +44 1224 272576
e-mail: sras@abdn.ac.uk

© 2009 University of Aberdeen.

View this page as text only

University Home · Prospective students · Prospectuses · A to Z Index · Search
Email & Telephone Directories · Contacts/Help · Maps · Privacy Policy & Disclaimer · Accessibility Policy