BSc (Hons) Rural Land & Business Management

The programme is designed to fill a particular need in training rural property and business advisors who wish to qualify as Chartered Surveyors and Fellows of the Association of Agricultural Valuers. 

This undergraduate course will run over two calendar years as an accelerated degree, getting you into employment faster and reducing the time to qualify and tutition costs. It will follow a block teaching module where students will attend campus one week in every four. The programme will draw on established practice in teaching professional skills, combining technical sessions focused on developing a sound theoretical grounding with practical exercises to enable learners to apply those skills effectively on behalf of clients. The content will reflect the demands and experiences of combining study with employment.

The demand for skilled professionals in this area has never been greater as the rural economy is forced to adjust to global challeges. Whilst 84% of the UK population live in an urban environment, 70% of the country is rural land use, whether for traditional uses including agriculture and forestry or modern technologies such as renewables. These assets are owned by a wide range of farmers, landed estates, traditional and financial institutions, utility and other companies, charities and the public sector. They all require management and technical advice delivered by rural practice professionals across an increasingly diverse range of activities.

The programme aims to provide learners with:

• A thorough knowledge and practical understanding of resource use and the industries key to the rural economy

• Strong technical skills in key disciplines, including valuation, law, finance, business appraisal and building construction

• Effective consultancy skills enabling them to identify and appraise issues on behalf of clients and deliver solutions to property and business challenges

• The skills to work towards personal, academic and career targets including achieving full membership of both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and CAAV (Central Association of Agricultural Valuers)

Year 1

Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.

• Introduction to the Rural Economy (15 credits)
• Introduction to Farming Systems (15 credits)
• Building Construction & Management (15 credits)
• Introduction to GIS (15 credits)
• Integrated Project 1 (30 credits)
• Valuation Principles & Practice (15 credits)
• Applied Valuation (15 credits)
• Integrated Project 2 (30 credits)
• Property Agency & Marketing (15 credits)
• Rural Property Law (15 credits)

Year 2

Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.

• Sustainable Business Management (15 credits)
• Business Planning & Performance (15 credits)
• Rural Property Taxation (15 credits)
• Infrastructure & Compulsory Purchase (15 credits)
• Advanced Valuation (15 credits)
• Management of Environmental Resources (15 credits)
• Project Investment & Feasibility (15 credits)
• Strategic Rural Asset Management (15 credits)
• Research Methods and Statistics (15 credits)
• Honours Project (30 credits)
• Rural Planning & Development (15 credits)

Minimum of five GCSEs, including Maths and English Language at grade 4 or above plus satisfactory Level 3 qualifications.

We consider a range of Level 3 qualification with UCAS tariff points.

• A Level: three subjects (BCC) – minimum of 104 UCAS tariff points
• C&G Advanced Technical/BTEC: Level 3 Extended Diploma (1080) at DMM
• C&G NPTC/C&G Advanced Technical/BTEC  - Level 3 Diploma (720), Extended Certificate (360) and 90 Credit Diploma (540) acceptable when accompanied by other Level 3 qualifications.
• International Baccalaureate: 26 Points overall
• Access to Higher Education: 104 Points (45 credits at level 3, of which 21 must be awarded at Distinction and 15 at Merit or higher.

We also consider alternative qualifications at Level 3, such as OCR Cambridge Technical, AQA Tech-Level, and a range of international qualifications at Level 3 equivalent.

Please note: This is a vocational degree  and we would also consider applications from:

• those over 21 with relevant industry experience
• enthusiastic and committed students from other backgrounds; and
• students embarking on their career with property consultancies and sponsored by their employers