Real Estate, MSc
Introduction
Kick-start your career in the chartered surveying profession with this vocational Masters, fully accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Open to students from any background who wish to pursue a career in property valuation, investment, or development.
Study Information
At a Glance
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MSc
- Duration
- 12 months or 24 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time or Part Time
- Start Month
- September
- Location of Study
- Aberdeen
The MSc Real Estate has been running at the University of Aberdeen for over 20 years, underpinned by our world-renowned strength in the subject. Combining academic rigour with the professional edge, this RICS-accredited degree has become highly regarded by employers throughout the world.
Students will develop quantitative skills in economics, finance, and business; gain an understanding of the institutional, legal and policy environment of real estate; and learn about property management, investment, and development.
Students will also develop analytical and problem-solving skills in a strategic business context and have the opportunity to network with potential employers from a range of national and multi-national companies. Learning is also supplemented by a variety of field trip opportunities, including a European field trip which provides insights from key players in the international real estate business.
In the third term students have a choice of three options, which open up opportunities for a commercial or international focus of study:
- Write a traditional dissertation on a relevant topic of your choosing
- Undertake a work placement in professional practice. Students are responsible for finding their own placement, but our staff are able to support and guide you in this process.
- Visit a range of cities in Asia as part of the Asian Cities course, developing reports based on learning from the trip. Students will incur the costs of this course plus costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence for their time in Asia.
Many of our staff are engaged in active research, ensuring that the course content remains at the forefront of current thinking and gives our students the great advantage of accessing a wealth of powerful data. The Business School is home to the Centre for Real Estate Research (CRER). Since its inception in 1995, CRER has become an internationally recognised research group which seeks to shape the global research agenda in real estate.
What You'll Study
- Semester 1
-
Compulsory Courses
- Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD5006)
-
This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term.
Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
- Property Law and Institutions (BU5032)
-
15 Credit Points
This module aims to examine the legal and professional environment of property. The module introduces key concepts from property law to explain the framework within which property can be held, used and traded. Planning law and policy is considered as part of the regulatory system through which land use and development are promoted and/or controlled.
The course focuses on Scots law and institutions, but students have the opportunity, where appropriate, to draw upon their own comparative perspectives.
This course covers the legal basis of land tenure; land registration; property ownership; landlord and tenant relationships; obligations and restrictions, and planning.
- Valuation for Surveyors (BU506P)
-
15 Credit Points
This course introduces students to the mathematics of valuation and to the five methods of valuation, as they relate to the valuation of assets in both the urban and rural environment. Property valuation methods are critiqued and alternatives considered. The course considers the formal processes and procedures adopted in the UK to the valuation of property.
- Real Estate Economics (BU5036)
-
15 Credit Points
This course aims to provide an overview of basic economic models and recent developments regarding the working of real estate markets and urban land markets. The course is intended to enable students
i) To examine real estate as a set of linked markets, functionally divided between use, investment and development
ii) To understand the dynamics of specific types of real estate markets and appreciate real estate market modelling approaches
iii) To understand the location patterns of land use within urban areas and regional development
iv) To understand the role that regulations and planning play in real estate markets
Optional Courses
In addition to the above, students will also choose one of the following.
- The Leadership Challenge (BU501H)
-
15 Credit Points
This course provides an opportunity to explore and develop an understanding of your own leadership behaviour. Through workshops, group activities and discussions we investigate how personality, past experience, current situations and culture shape the way each of us behave in a leadership role. Using this information as a starting point we then explore how different leadership theories and approaches can be used as frameworks for developing a deeper understanding of leadership behaviour. You will also have an opportunity to try out a range of practical tools and techniques to assist you in the development of your own approach to leadership.
- Digital Marketing (BU506E)
-
15 Credit Points
The course provides both a strategic orientation and tactical orientation:
Strategic:
§ How to align digital strategy with a wider business strategy
§ The value that (internal and external) research and analytics can bring to digital marketing decisions
Tactical:
§ Assess the quality of any website based on a range of important measures
§ Benchmark a website’s performance against online competitors
§ Investigate the potential of a business idea for a given market sector
§ Present digital marketing research and advice to a generalist audience
§ Understand the potential commercial value of social media
§ Interpret onsite analytics in support of business objectives
- Negotiation and Cross - Cultural Management (BU5072)
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15 Credit Points
Business cannot be conducted without some form of communication between the participants involved. This course examines a wide variety of different types of interpersonal communication in different types of business contexts and, by so doing, provides students with a detailed and practical overview of this vitally important subject area.
- Semester 2
-
Compulsory Courses
Students will take:
BU555M Real Estate Development (15 credit points)
BU557B Sustainable Development (15 credit points)
BU556T Real Estate Investment and Appraisal (15 credit points)
BU556R Real Estate Portfolio Investment (15 credit points)
- Sustainable Development (BU557B)
-
15 Credit Points
This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the principles, challenges, and opportunities associated with achieving sustainability and development objectives. Students will develop an understanding of urbanization and rural issues in the context of sustainable development, explore the challenges faced by global food systems and biodiversity, analyse the link between pollution, income, and health, and apply environmental concepts to understand just policy making, ensuring equitable access to natural resources and clean environment.
- Real Estate Investment and Appraisal (BU556T)
-
15 Credit Points
This course applies the principles of valuation to more complex real-world examples. Topics covered include rent reviews, compulsory purchase, property investment, and national and local taxation. Students are encouraged to critique traditional approaches to valuation and to consider contemporary alternatives. Numeracy and analytical skills are further developed along with expertise in the use of Excel. In addition, the course also covers professional surveying practice, including ethics, and stimulates discussion on contemporary issues and debates in the real estate industry.
- Real Estate Portfolio Investment (BU556R)
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15 Credit Points
The course introduces students to concepts of portfolio management and recent developments regarding real estate investment vehicles. The course takes a financial economics viewpoint and places real estate investments within this context. The course covers such important aspects as securitization of initially illiquid real estate assets, the management of building portfolios and the use of index swap contracts for risk management purposes. The course discusses also real option theory and applies it to land development and the pricing of lease contracts.
- Semester 3
-
Compulsory Courses
Students will select one of the following courses:
BU595K Asian Cities (60 credit points)
OR
BU5955 Real Estate Dissertation (60 credit points)
OR
BU592Y Professional Work Placement (60 credit points)*
*Students choosing BU592Y Professional Work Placement will be responsible for finding their own work placement in a real estate organisation, based in the UK or internationally. The student will be responsible for ensuring that they are eligible to work in the chosen country and comply with all visa regulations. The professional work placement must be agreed by the Business School.
- Asian Cities (BU595K)
-
60 Credit Points
Students travel to Asian cities (such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo) over approximately thirty days in the summer term. This intense program involves daily meetings and seminars with key real estate investment and development professionals. Students will complete a project report based on the contents of the tour.
- Real Estate Dissertation (BU5955)
-
60 Credit Points
The dissertation is an independent piece of work. The choice of topic is largely your own but approval must be obtained from the course coordinator and your dissertation supervisor. The dissertation should contain a large degree of original work and allow you to demonstrate in depth the skills and knowledge you have acquired on the MSc. The dissertation should be around 15000 words in length. You will be expected to show competence for independent work and to demonstrate a clear definition of the problem or subject area to be studied and the formulation and expression of a logical, workable solution.
- Professional Work Placement (BU592Y)
-
60 Credit Points
The student will be required to successfully secure a suitable work placement in a real estate organisation based in the UK or internationally. The student will be required to complete a period of real estate relevant work experience (minimum 150 hours) plus complete a report examining connections between theories, principles and professional practice in real estate. The work placement may be paid or unpaid. Where the student does not hold a UK passport, it will be the student’s responsibility to check whether they are eligible to work in the UK given visa regulations. Similarly, where approval is given to work experience taking place outside the UK, the student is responsible for ensuring they are eligible to undertake the placement in accordance with all relevant visa regulations.
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page. In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips.
| Fee category | Cost |
|---|---|
| UK | |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | £11,900 |
| Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year | £11,900 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year (University of Aberdeen Graduates *) | £7,000 |
| Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year (University of Aberdeen Graduates *) | £7,000 |
| EU / International students | |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | £26,250 |
| Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year | £26,250 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year (Self-funded Students *) | £18,250 |
| Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year (Self-funded Students *) | £18,250 |
Fee Information
Students going on the 5 city Asian tour will be expected to fund the trip. The approximate cost is £5000.
Funding Opportunities
Alumni Discount Scheme - we are pleased to offer a 20% discount for postgraduate tuition fees to all alumni who have an undergraduate degree from University of Aberdeen.
Please note that the Aberdeen Alumni Discount cannot be claimed in conjunction with any other scholarship award.
Scholarships
All eligible self-funded international Postgraduate Masters students starting in September 2025 will receive an £8,000 scholarship. Learn more about this Aberdeen Global Scholarship here.
To see our full range of scholarships, visit our Funding Database.
How You'll Study
Field trips to London or a European city and Asian cities provide insights from key players in the international real estate business. Beyond the fieldwork, learning involves a mix of lectures, seminars, tutorials and research.
Learning Methods
- Field Trips
- Field Work
- Lectures
- Research
- Seminars
- Tutorials
Assessment Methods
By course work, group work, presentations, by written examination or by a combination of those, as prescribed for each course.
Why Study Real Estate?
- The Business School is EQUIS accredited, placing it among a select group of globally recognised institutions. Out of over 15,000 business schools worldwide, only around 200 schools across 45 countries have attained this distinction.
- The MSc Real Estate holds accreditation from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which allows graduates to progress on to the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).
- The University of Aberdeen has been ranked 18th in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2026).
- The University of Aberdeen Business School has been ranked 3rd in the UK, 6th in Europe and 26th in the world for its real estate research (EduRank 2025).
- We have also ranked 1st in the UK for Student Positivity in Business Studies (National Student Survey 2025).
- You do not need a real estate or business background to enrol in this programme; this MSc is open to students with a wide range of backgrounds, who want to fast-track a career path into the real estate profession.
- With a community of over 130 nationalities at the University of Aberdeen, students are immersed in an environment that enables international discourse creating truly global exchanges, generating deep insights that spark innovative change.
Entry Requirements
Qualifications
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
Our minimum entry requirement for this programme is an undergraduate degree at UK Honours level (or a degree from a non-UK institution which is judged by the University to be of equivalent worth).
Please enter your country or territory to view relevant entry requirements.
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
Eligible self-funded Postgraduate Taught (PGT) students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Eligibility details and further information are available on our dedicated page.
Aberdeen Global ScholarshipEnglish Language Requirements
To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 6.0; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 21; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 169; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
Document Requirements
You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.
- Degree Certificate
- a degree certificate showing your qualifications
- Degree Transcript
- a full transcript showing all the subjects you studied and the marks you have achieved in your degree(s) (original & official English translation)
Careers
Our graduates achieve notable employment success with many enjoying lucrative careers spanning surveying, investment, property valuation, planning and development, and property management. Indeed from Edinburgh and London to Frankfurt and Shanghai, our former students are now forging strong, rewarding careers with major surveying firms across the globe.
Career Opportunities
- Commercial Surveyor
- Estate Agent
- Investment Advisor
- Investment Analyst
- Planning Analyst
- Property Consultant
- Property Manager
- Surveyor
Industry Links
Our business connections mean we provide opportunities to network with, present to, brainstorm with and do work for industry, including;
- the chance to have your work seen by eminent members of your profession
- work and network with employers from a range of national and multi-national companies through our visiting speaker programme
- ‘live’ projects for and site visits to prestigious companies or institutions
- project work and workshops with visiting lecturers and industry specialists
Accreditation
Accreditation and world-wide recognition from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) allows graduates to proceed to the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).
The Business School is EQUIS accredited, placing it among a select group of globally recognised institutions. Out of over 15,000 business schools worldwide, only around 200 schools across 45 countries have attained this distinction.
This degree holds accreditation from
What our Alumni Say
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Our Experts
You will be taught by and have access to a number of experts, many of whom are internationally renowned within their respective fields. These will include members of The Centre for Real Estate Research.
For more details on academic experts and those who will be teaching within your programme discipline please visit the People section of the Business School website.
- Programme Leader
- Fiona Stoddard
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
Features
The University of Aberdeen, established in 1495, is Scotland’s third oldest and the UK’s fifth oldest University. The university’s ancient campus reflects its long-standing academic tradition, with historic buildings such as King's College, which dates back to the 15th century. This blend of ancient architecture and modern facilities creates a unique atmosphere where students can experience the best of both tradition and innovation.
Aberdeen City
Named Scotland's Safest University City (Unbroken Britain Survey, Provident Financial, 2018) and is in the top 10 in the UK for places to live and work (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2018).
Affordability
Aberdeen has been named the top UK city for affordability (QS Best Student Cities 2026). In 2024, StuRents reported the average price of a student private rental property in the Granite City was just over £96 a week.
World-class facilities
We invest heavily in our facilities and learning resources, ensuring our students have access to everything they need to help them succeed in their studies - from the stunning Sir Duncan Rice Library, to Aberdeen Sport Village, and beyond.
Find out moreGet in Touch
Contact Details
- Address
-
Business School
University of Aberdeen
MacRobert Building
King Street
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX