The course

The REALM (Rural Estate and Land Management) courses provide a first step on the route to qualification as a chartered surveyor. All prospective chartered surveyors must complete the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) offered by RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), and the programmes provide the academic foundation for candidates wishing to pursue the rural APC.

The postgraduate diploma (PgD) and MSc programmes are both validated by RICS under the RICS-Harper Adams University Partnership agreement, recognising the high regard in which the courses are held. The PgD in particular, is one of a very small number of courses in the country to have this distinction with regard to the rural APC, which is why you are required to study 12 modules (180 credits) rather than eight (120 credits). The postgraduate certificate provides a route for students who may fall short of our exacting entry requirements to get up to speed before transferring to either the PgD or MSc programmes.

Modules cover the main areas required for professional practice, in particular providing the necessary legal foundations for practice, and covering the all-important areas of the UK planning system, land tenure, rural valuation, primary production in agriculture and forestry, countryside and environmental management. A wide choice of modules means that you can tailor the programme to your own requirements.

The PgD programme is particularly popular with part-time students, often graduates who are able to combine suitable employment with study and progression through the APC.

Employment prospects in rural practice are good, and successful graduates have gone on to a wide range of jobs in recent years on rural estates and with local and national firms of rural surveyors and agricultural valuers. Feedback from students shows that the intensive modular structure is well-received, along with the practical slant of many of the assignments. This is underpinned by the professional standing of many of the tutors, who are active with the profession at the highest levels nationally and act as Assessors for the APC.

How will it benefit me?

The MSc/PgD will enable you to analyse a range of stakeholder interests and their influence, generally and site specifically, in rural land management. You will become competent in a range of techniques for rural land management and appraisal, be able to appraise the value and worth of rural land, and review the role of property in organisations.

Students also become skilled at evaluating and exploiting the latest developments in technology, and developing performance indicators in rural estate management and strategy. You will learn to formulate land management strategies which meet objectives for sustainable management while taking into account legislature, regulations, ethics and morals, the environment, amenities and commercial needs.

You will also learn to evaluate how previously implemented land management strategies have achieved their objectives, and adapt them to new requirements within an evolving economic, social, legal and political framework, with due regard to developments in sustainable development and biodiversity. You will become competent in professional methodologies used by chartered surveyors to manage and appraise rural land and property.

MSc students carry out an independent research or development project to advance their understanding of a particular issue in rural land management, or to resolve a specific and novel technical problem facing rural land managers in practice.

Careers

Most students join the course with the intention of proceeding to professional qualification as a chartered surveyor. This is indicated by the designatory initials MRICS (Professional Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).

Harper Adams alumni are to be found working for private firms of surveyors, as well as organisations like Natural England, the Country Land and Business Association and conservation organisations. Past students have also obtained jobs in estate management, including with the National Trust.

Many Harper Adams students study part-time while employed in relevant work. This means that for some of their modules they are able to use projects at work as part of their assessment.

Course structure

Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) credits

(60 credits)

*optional modules

Postgraduate Diploma (PgD) credits

(180 credits)

**Guide for student to aid decisions for module choices. See Option Choices below.

Alternatively, up to 60 credits may be drawn from any modules designated as M level in the Harper Adams Postgraduate Module Portfolio, subject to availability and individual agreement by the Postgraduate Courses Manager.

Master of Science (MSc) credits

(120 credits from the PgD programme plus)

Option Choices

The RICS accredited REALM programme (PgD/MSc) has been designed to meet the requirements of individuals entering or progressing within the rural chartered surveying profession. Whilst the programme is designed to allow students to navigate their own path of study depending on their areas of interest, we are often asked for advice on the modules which support core chartered surveying practice. In addition to the mandatory module Research and Information Skills, for those studying the Postgraduate Diploma (12 modules) we would advise you to consider choosing the recommended modules (see above).

Machinery of Government is considered a key area of learning and only those with a recent Law degree should consider omitting this module. We would advise law graduates to review the content of the module as those who take it find it a beneficial introduction of the course with coverage of relevant areas unlikely to have been encountered before. The twelve module PgD offers the opportunity to gain a strong grounding in a range of subjects.

Those with a cognate undergraduate degree (such as Agriculture related) or those who have extensive work experience may prefer the MSc route. We suggest that the following modules would be very valuable within the MSc programme:

• Research and Information Skills (mandatory)
• Machinery of Government
• Land Tenure Systems
• Planning Law and Policy
• Agricultural Tenancies
• Rural Asset Valuation and Appraisal
• Rural Estate Taxation and Planning
• Forestry and Woodland Management or Rural Building Design and Appraisal

If you have any queries about the above, please contact Carrie de Silva, the Postgraduate Coordinator for the Land Management area.