The University of Manchester has launched a new part-time master’s degree in the Middle East for people working in the real estate industry and associated professional services, or working professionals with an interest in building a career in real estate. The MSc Real Estate programme is delivered in a part-time blended learning format, suitable for working professionals, with the opportunity to join regular face to face course conferences with faculty and peers, in Dubai. The new programme is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and is taught by a team of leading academics experienced in the global real industry.

The MSc Real Estate has been designed to meet the needs of professionals in a dynamic global industry which is facing a range of issues such as rapid urbanization and the challenge to urban planning; climate change and energy sustainability; digital transformation (prop-tech) and changing end-user lifestyles and expectations. Cities in the region are proving to be resilient and dynamic real estate markets, according to the JLL City Momentum Index 2020 which ranks Dubai 14th and Riyadh 18th among the 130 cities in the index. World Expo 2020 is a major driver in infrastructure development in Dubai and residential and commercial real estate developers continue to build pipelines and deliver new projects.

The MSc Real Estate programme combines academic excellence with the development of transferable skills that are essential for a career in real estate in the private or public sector, internationally. It is designed as an intensive fast-track conversion course for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The key themes are commercial awareness, globalization, and sustainability, understanding the role of real estate in society, business, and the end-user. Students in the Middle East are likely to be working in real estate or a related field, such as banking, real estate finance, or development.

Students on the new master’s programme will be able to choose from a range of study units covering topics such as the fundamentals of real estate, markets and property cycles; responsible property investment and finance;  methods of property valuation;  strategic asset management, risk management and sustainability; emerging future trends in urban development in global cities; the future ‘smart’ city in a global context; understanding of land use policies and making the best use of land resources. There is also an opportunity to conduct practice-based research on a topic related to the course. In addition,  all students have the opportunity to attend face-to-face course conferences twice a year – hosted at Dubai Knowledge Park – providing opportunities for team working, networking and mentoring to underpin the academic content.

Professor Selma Carson FRICS FCIArb FHEA, Programme Director for the MSc Real Estate at The University of Manchester, comments: “The real estate sector is at the heart of many local and regional economies and is one of the world’s largest industries, attracting investment and talent, and creating wealth and career opportunities. The built environment is also at the core of the quality of life for all communities but is being challenged. Recent research has highlighted the need for real estate professionals to add value by providing leadership in providing solutions rather than just traditional technical skills. The changing nature of real estate requires new skills, from hospitality to data analytics. This is the essence of our MSc in Real Estate and we aim to help our students develop the necessary skills, knowledge and professionalism to compete effectively in a challenging regional and global market. The programme is designed as an intensive fast-track conversion course and combines academic excellence with the development of the transferable skills that are essential for a successful career in real estate.”

The new master’s programme is the latest in a growing portfolio of blended Masters degrees for working professionals offered in the region through The University of Manchester’s Middle East Centre in Dubai, which includes the Global Part-time MBA, and a new blended learning MA Educational Leadership in Practice.

The MSc Real Estate is open for applications and will start in September 2020.