MSc Rural Estate Management - September 2027 entry

You will study four modules in the first (autumn) semester followed by four modules in the second (spring) semester, and complete your research project by the end of September. You will attend lectures and group tutorials. There is also a range of practical sessions and visits to local farms, commercial properties and rural estates where owners, occupiers and their professional advisors can provide additional insights into the management of rural property. 

Assessed coursework features strongly throughout the course. Examinations will take place in January and June. Prior to starting the MSc, students receive reading lists and study material so that they can develop a basic grounding in study areas with which they are not familiar. 

The primary mode of delivery for the course is classroom-based, with in-person attendance at our Cirencester Campus. However, here at the RAU, we are always looking for ways to better support our students, and recognise that a number of our students may be working or have caring responsibilities alongside studying, making it difficult to attend every teaching session in person. As such we offer flexibility for accommodating absence from taught modules on an occasional basis, offering alternative digital formats for weekly learning, pending prior discussion with your programme leader and related module leaders. Please note that remote delivery is not the norm and this course is not delivered as distanced-learning. 

For international students on a student visa, you are expected to attend your classes in person as remote delivery is not an UKVI authorised mode of attendance for the taught elements of your course and therefore non-attendance would affect your student visa.

The teaching sessions for taught modules are normally timetabled on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week for the full year (both semesters), with an additional half-day for full time students in the first semester for the Research Skills module, this is likely to be scheduled on a Tuesday. The arrangement aims to allow you to fulfil other commitments you may have, such as work, family and other interests, or offer more flexibility with longer commutes to campus.

For part-time students the sessions are timetabled on one day per week only, Thursdays in year 1, Wednesdays in year 2.

If you are interested in studying this subject but cannot commit to the full MSc programme it is also possible to study for a Certificate or Diploma in the subject.

Please note, Visa students must be full-time (a min of 15 hours per week) and will need to attend all sessions in person due to UKVI visa requirements.

The modules available for this MSc course are shown below. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Modules

• Integrated Agricultural Systems
• Land and Estate Management Strategy and Professional Practice
• Planning and Development
• Rural Land and Property in Society
• Research Skills:
• Farm Business and Enterprise Management
• Rural Property Law
• Management of Woodlands and the Natural Environment
• Rural Valuation Practice
• Dissertation

A description of each module can be found here.

Disclaimer information

The University has established various rules and regulations that you must agree to and follow if you accept an offer to study with us. View our full disclaimer notice.

• Rural estate management
• Land and property consultancy
• Valuation
• Residential sales and lettings
• Entrepreneur / business management
• Utilities and compulsory purchase

"Completing the MSc Rural Estate Management course at the RAU has given me a solid foundation from which I have been able to develop the beginning of my career, providing a grounding in various competencies. Since graduating, I have hit the ground running with my career as a Graduate Surveyor at Batcheller Monkhouse in West Sussex."

Luke Davis, Graduate

We welcome applications from applicants with non-standard qualifications who are able to demonstrate knowledge, experience (in farming, property or countryside management) and skills developed in the workplace or elsewhere and which are relevant to the programme of study. Applicants will need to use their personal statement to provide further details supported by a CV. All non-standard applications will be considered by the Programme Manager on a case-by-case basis and applicants can expect that an interview may be required as part of the admissions process.

If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our English language requirements for the level of study. For postgraduate taught programmes this is IELTS Academic min. overall 6.5 with no element below 5.5 (or equivalent). English language tests usually have a validity of two years from the date the test is taken.

Offers will typically be made in line with the academic requirements set out above. Offers can be conditional or unconditional. An unconditional offer will be made to applicants who have already met the conditions and provided evidence that conditions have been met. Where academic or language requirements have not yet been fulfilled, applicants will receive a conditional offer stating the requirements that must be met. 

2027-28 Applicants

For the academic year 2027-28 the tuition fees for the MSc are:  

Tuition fees may be subject to an inflationary increase each year as set out in our Access and Participation Plan.

For full details, please visit the fees and funding webpage.

Please note:  International students can study on a part-time basis only if they are in the UK with a different type of visa (other than Student Visa/Tier 4 General) that allows them to undertake part-time study and their visa does not expire prior to the end date of the proposed course of study.

Scholarships

The University offers a range of generous fee waivers and bursaries. To find out more about the scholarships, awards and bursaries available, please visit the scholarships webpage.