Our degree apprenticeship courses
We currently offer a range of degree apprenticeship courses. For the full range of courses visit our apprenticeships page for applicants or for business partners.
Course summary
Buying and renting property for professional or personal purposes is one of the most important – and expensive – decisions for a business or individual to make. Real estate offers a dynamic and exciting career requiring a skillset combining economic, interpersonal, management, planning, public policy and sales expertise.
| Duration | Start date | Location | Entry level | End Point Assessment Organisationn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 years | September 2024 | Marylebone Campus, Central London | Level 4 | RICS |
Accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), our degree covers all aspects of real estate, including buying and selling, valuing, developing, planning, managing and investing in various property markets – commercial, industrial and residential.
Our professionally oriented course has been designed with input from major employers, capitalising on our excellent industry contacts, which include Barrett Homes, Savills and British Land. With the headquarters of many major property firms close by, our central London location enables us to invite a wide range of professionals to give guest lectures and regularly contribute to the course. They provide work placements, content for coursework and help with assessment, providing a valuable practitioner perspective.
We arrange various site visits, so you can experience real-life estate strategies and see developments from construction through to completion. In the past, for example, students visited Lendlease’s nearby Elephant Park development, part of a £2.3 billion regeneration programme on 28 acres of land in the centre of Elephant and Castle. There are also optional international field trips, which have previously included visits to Brookfield Properties and Cushman and Wakefield in New York, as well as Savills in Malaysia and Hong Kong.
The course will allow you to complete the academic requirements of membership status of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Course structure
The following subjects are indicative of what you will study on this course.
At level 4, we'll introduce you to theories, concepts and practices surrounding the development, ownership and management of real estate assets.
Right from the start, we'll introduce real-world projects and case studies, also visiting construction sites, which in the past have included Marble Arch Place, the exciting new development that includes a spectacular 18-storey, 54-apartment residential building overlooking Hyde Park, Mayfair.
Subjects of study include:
- Introduction to Building Technology
- Introduction to Government and Law
- Introduction to Planning and Sustainability
- Introduction to Property
- Introduction to Property Economics and Property Accounting
As the course develops, we consider what knowledge of valuation techniques and procedures is enhanced and widened to include more detailed consideration of when particular methods and techniques should be applied. A greater understanding and linkage with RICS Guidance Notes and Practice Statements is made. The Landlord and Tenant perspective relevant to commercial property valuation is developed and key aspects considered in detail. Valuation techniques and approaches are explored in more detail, together with the risks inherent.
Subjects of study include:
- Housing Law and Practice
- Commercial Practice
- Planning Practice
- Property Business
- Residential Practice
Among other topics, we consider the property and planning law and practice of countries other than the UK. You'll analyse European legal systems and case studies illustrating international planning processes and procedures, including Lendlease's Elephant Park and Lendlease’s developments in Asia. We also look at some of the current issues and challenges for professional practice, such as The RICS APC pathway.
Your studies culminate with the Development Project, in which you source a development opportunity and carry out valuations of all types of property.
Subjects of study include:
- Development Project
- Global Practice
- Professional Practice
- Property Management
Accreditations
The Real Estate BSc is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the world's leading professional body for qualifications and standards in land, property, infrastructure and construction. Successful completion fulfils the academic requirements to become a professional member with the designation MRICS after gaining experience in the workplace and passing the Assessment of Professional Competence.
The University of Westminster is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) as a partnership university.
Programme specification
For more details on course structure and modules, and how you will be taught and assessed, see the programme specification.
To request an accessible version of the programme specification, please email [email protected].
Download the Programme Specification
Entry requirements and eligibility
Our apprenticeships are only available to those employed as part of an agreed apprenticeship scheme in a related role, who are aged 18 or over on the first day, are not in full-time education and meet the ESFA funding eligibility criteria. Further details are available on our How to apply page.
- A Levels – BCC to BBB (104 to 120 UCAS Tariff points)
- International Baccalaureate – 104 to 120 UCAS Tariff points from the IB
- BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM to DDM
- BTEC Diploma – D*D to D*D*
- Access – 104 to 120 UCAS Tariff points from the Access course
In addition to the above, it is a requirement that all applicants can demonstrate competency at a Level 2 standard in English and maths. This will be assessed during the application process, as part of the initial assessment stage.
It is a mandatory requirement, that in order for an apprentice to reach End Point Assessment, they must hold a Level 2 achievement in English and maths and be able to provide a copy of the original certificate of achievement.
Current acceptable evidence can be found on the Education and Skills Funding Agency's list of acceptable qualifications for English and maths requirements.
Those who are able to demonstrate competence at Level 2 but who are unable to provide evidence of prior attainment, such as a GCSE at grade C or 4 and above in English and Maths, will be required to obtain this during their first year of the apprenticeship. The University of Westminster will support any apprentice this affects, by facilitating an option to study for Level 2 Functional Skills English and maths with a partner organisation, in order to meet the requirement to progress to year two of the apprenticeship.
Fees
Employers who pay the levy are able to use their available levy funds to cover the training and assessment costs. Employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy share the cost of training and assessing their apprentices with the government – this is called 'co-investment'. Non-levy paying employers will contribute 5% towards the cost of apprenticeship training and the government will pay the rest (95%) up to the funding band maximum.
University module retakes are not included in apprenticeship levy funding. Employers will be charged separately. The current fee is £1,540 (price per 20-credit module).
Any Apprentice who is referred at the End Point Assessment (EPA) will be able to resit the EPA on a maximum of two further occasions. The EPA resit fee includes an additional year’s access to the RICS Assessment Resource Centre and one reassessment. Any resits are payable by the employer outside the levy. The EPA resit fee is £450 per apprentice per resit.
Careers/professional development
Real estate is a dynamic, sociable and high-earning profession. It encompasses most areas of commercial (industrial, office and retail) and residential property. This course gives a thorough understanding of all aspects of real estate, designed to prepare you for employment as surveyors and property advisors.
Transferable skills and competencies are embedded and developed throughout the course. For example, a professional standard of presentation is required for all coursework, which must meet high standards of written English. Projects and studies based on real-world cases help students learn how to solve problems and act with realistic constraints on time, information and resources.
Course Leader
Nicholas Vosper
Senior Lecturer
Nicholas joined the University in 2016, having worked as a professional building surveyor and building control surveyor in the property and construction industry for 22 years.
He holds a BSc (Hons) in Building Surveying, an HNC in Construction Management, an Electrical Commissioning Engineer and Postgraduate Certificate in Education.
Nicholas teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the areas of construction technology, building services, sustainability and surveying. He helps to organise the Construction and Property Careers Fair and speed interviewing events, select students for the Women in Property awards, and also oversees the Duke of Edinburgh scheme.
Teaching and assessment
This is how you can expect to be taught and assessed at the University of Westminster. Your apprenticeship will include additional requirements, agreed in partnership with your employer, designed to develop and evidence your skills in the workplace.
How you'll be taught
Teaching methods across all our undergraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application.
Learning typically falls into two broad categories:
- Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
- Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision
How you'll be assessed
Our undergraduate courses include a wide variety of assessments.
Assessments typically fall into three broad categories:
- Practical: examples include presentations, videos, podcasts, lab work, creating artefacts
- Written exams: end of semester exams
- Coursework: examples include essays, reports, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertations
Course location
Our Marylebone Campus has benefitted from a multi-million-pound refurbishment resulting in new workshops, digital studios and development of the Marylebone Library. The campus is home to Westminster Business School and our award-winning Architecture, Planning and Tourism courses.
For more details, visit our Marylebone Campus page.
Contact us
We are keen to establish new relationships with employers from a wide range of sectors and welcome enquiries.
For more information please contact our dedicated apprenticeships team on:
+44 (0) 207 911 5027
[email protected]