About this course
Property development and planning is fundamental to the growth of the property industry – from scheme proposal, site identification and analysis, through to design, viability, finance and marketing. Our course has been developed to enable you to focus on adding value to land and property, as an adviser, consultant or developer of the future.
You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of areas including spatial and urban design, site appraisal, sustainability, planning and development consultancy and management of the development process. Alongside more specialist and technical knowledge you'll focus on business planning, client care and negotiation and develop the core surveying competencies required in industry.
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Learn from the experts — Land and Property Management at NTU is ranked 2nd in the UK for Teaching Quality (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2025). -
Study in the heart of Nottingham — one of Europe’s top 25 student cities, and home to over 75,000 learners (QS Best Student Cities, 2025). -
2nd most sustainable university in the world (UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2024). -
The course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), meaning it matches industry-specific needs and represents your first step towards becoming a Chartered Surveyor.
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What you’ll study
This course equips you to oversee the entire development process, from site identification and analysis, design, viability and finance; through the planning system; and ultimately to the delivery of a development scheme.
Year One
- Professional, Academic and Business Skills (20 credits)
- Surveying Skills (20 credits)
- Construction (20 credits)
- Economics and Valuation (20 credits)
- Law (20 credits)
- Planning and Land Use (20 credits)
Year Two
- Valuation (20 credits)
- Concepts and Practice in Planning (20 credits)
- Property Management and Agency (40 credits)
- Property Development: Principles and Practice (20 credits)
- Employability and Commercial Awareness (20 credits)
Year Three
- Sandwich placement year or Study abroad
Final Year
- Development Consultancy (40 credits)
- Planning Consultancy (40 credits)
- Research Project (20 credits)
- Heritage and Conservation (20 credits)
Professional, Academic and Business Skills (20 credits)
- This module provides you with an introduction to academic study, to the built environment professions, and to the nature of the work carried out by surveyors.
Surveying Skills (20 credits)
- This module will provide you with an introduction to practice and surveying skills, which will be developed throughout the course of your degree and in the workplace.
Construction (20 credits)
- This module introduces you to a range of technical, practical and environmental principles involved in the construction of a range of traditional and non-traditional buildings.
- It provides a framework for understanding the environmental impact of buildings and introduces the concept of building pathology, which examines why buildings fail.
Economics and Valuation (20 credits)
- This module introduces property economics and the links between the economy and the property market, as well as giving you a overview of property valuation.
- By the end of the module, you will be able to use economic concepts and the theory of supply and demand to explain activities in the construction and property market.
Law (20 credits)
- This module introduces you to the English legal system with a focus on civil law affecting the property industry. You will gain an understanding of how this law operates and an introduction to how it impacts on society and the property professions.
Planning and Land Use (20 credits)
- This module introduces the concepts and principles of the planning system.
- The content of the module is underpinned by the concept of sustainable development, and it considers the impact of climate change on how cities will evolve and adapt in the future.
Valuation (20 credits)
- In this module you will develop knowledge and understanding of the different approaches to the valuation of property, and examine the application of different techniques employed in the valuation process.
Concepts and Practice in Planning (20 credits)
- This module develops an integrated understanding and application of the concepts that guide the development of land and buildings in urban and rural areas in the UK.
- With a key focus on sustainability, you’ll explore creating sustainable cities and communities and affecting issues such as health and wellbeing, affordable and clean energy, and life on land.
Property Management and Agency (40 credits)
- This module provides an introduction to the principles, procedures and practices of commercial estate management, property agency, and landlord and tenant law.
- You will develop an awareness of the interrelationship between property agents, asset managers and their various clients, and the implications and application of marketing within the property industry.
Property Development: Principles and Practice (20 credits)
- This module introduces you to the development process and the commercial drivers behind it. You will examine the roles of various participants in the development process and how they affect its end product.
Employability and Commercial Awareness (20 credits)
- This module provides guidance for gaining, and preparing for, employment within the property sector.
- You will be introduced to the requirements for the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence and the principles of employment law, Health and Safety at Work regulations, and related procedures.
Sandwich placement year
In your third year, you'll have the opportunity to take a year-long full-time placement. This will give you real, hands-on experience and open up exciting opportunities for your future employment. Many students return to their placement company after graduation.
Recent placement destinations have included Lambert Smith Hampton, Barker Storey Matthews, Gleeds, Tarmac and Savills, and more. The majority of these roles come with a salary, with some students earning up to £24,000 for their year. Roles have included local land charges officer, land buyer, land surveyor, planner, survey assistant, and many more.
The majority of companies are RICS-accredited, which means the year counts towards your RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and becoming a Chartered Surveyor.
Study abroad
If you're studying on our sandwich route you can also opt to study abroad for a full academic year, or for a semester, during Year Three. This is an optional and additional period of study that complements your degree at NTU as an alternative to taking a work placement.
This is an exciting opportunity to experience a different national culture, teaching and learning styles and subjects in an international environment. The destination university must be a year abroad / exchange partner of NTU or member of a formally recognised scheme such as the International Student Exchange Programme (ISEP).
Our NTU Global and student mobility team will support you in finding the right opportunity from one of the many international partners available around the world.
Successful completion of a period of international study will earn you a standalone award – an International Study Certificate (minimum six weeks) or the International Study Diploma (minimum 36 weeks).
Development Consultancy (40 credits)
- This module provides you with the opportunity to undertake practical application of planning and development-related skills, with particular emphasis on the development process.
- This is, as part of the final stage of the degree, designed to integrate the range of skills and attributes developed throughout the course.
Planning Consultancy (40 credits)
- Adopting a ‘real-world’ approach, on this module you’ll undertake practical application of planning-related skills within a project-based setting.
- You will undertake work such as planning site appraisals, preparing outline planning applications, and exploring planning related topics.
Research Project (20 credits)
- This module requires you to investigate a topic of your choice in an extended project.
- You will critically analyse existing literature, recommend and apply suitable research methods, analyse data, and produce conclusions and recommendations.
Heritage and Conservation (20 credits)
- This module will develop your knowledge and skills in relation to architectural history and conservation and heritage philosophy and practice.
- You will learn how to identify different architectural styles, appraise culturally significant buildings and places and manage proposed uses and associated interventions in line with current legal, technical, and procedural considerations.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
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How you're taught
You’ll learn through a mix of:
- lectures - covering the key theories
- seminars - smaller-group sessions perfect for learning key skills and collaborative working
- project work - develop your team working skills, as well as self-directed study with the support of NOW, our virtual learning environment.
Outside of the timetabled sessions you will need to undertake self-directed independent study. This will include preparing for lectures, researching, completing coursework, and directed reading to expand your knowledge.
A placement year may be taken between year 2 and year 3 of study.
Study trips
In the second and final year of your studies, you may have the opportunity to go on a field trip.
Field trips and study visits are an important part of your learning. Trips may include site visits and visits to practices, museums, exhibitions and events. Where a trip is mandatory it will be aligned to your modules and inform project work, and substantive costs – including travel and accommodation – will be paid for by the school.
Optional trips may also be organised which can provide additional opportunities to enhance your knowledge and experience. Optional trips may incur a cost to the student. A valid passport and any associated visas will be required for any trips outside of the UK. Where there are unforeseen circumstances outside of our control, trips may not run.
How you're assessed
People excel in different ways, and we want everybody to have the best possible chance of success. You will be assessed through:
- coursework, will consist of group and individual projects, formal reports, presentations, and essays
- projects, such as research projects, and individual and group presentations
- exams, including formal exams and written tests.
Careers and employability
Our course is designed to prepare you to succeed in the property industry, through work placements, working on real projects from industry, input from industry professionals, and regularly updated course content.
Where do Property Development and Planning graduates from NTU work?
NTU has a strong property alumni community, with many graduates working in senior positions in leading national and international companies.
Recent BSc (Hons) Property Development and Planning graduate destinations have included:
- Barratt Homes
- Berkeley Group
- Croudace Homes
- Innes England
- JLL
- Knight Frank
- Persimmon Homes
- Sainsbury's
- Savills.
Graduate roles include land acquisition surveyor, graduate surveyor, and trainee manager.
Becoming Chartered with the RICS
The RICS accreditation enables you to progress to Chartered Surveyor status once you have completed your studies. To become a Chartered Surveyor, you'll need to complete at least two years of relevant professional work experience – the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). If you undertake a sandwich placement, this will normally count as the first year of your professional work experience (only for RICS), however at least 12 months of study must take place on a graduate training scheme. Find out more about how to complete your APC and become RICS qualified.
This course is designed to prepare you for future employment in a number of the RICS APC pathways, which could include:
- Planning and Development
- Commercial Real Estate
- Residential
- Valuation.
Employability team
Our expert Employability team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice. You can benefit from this service at any time during your studies, and for up to three years after completing your course. Our Employability team run a series of events throughout the year specifically for Property Management and Development students, including our Built Environment Jobs Fair, bringing our students together with prospective employers.
Find out more about career options in the property industry on the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors website.
Excellent placement opportunities
BSc (Hons) Property Development and Planning students have the opportunity to apply for a year-long work placement (minimum of 36 weeks in one or more organisations). This will give you real, hands-on experience within the industry, opening up exciting opportunities for future employment. Our sandwich route offers this year-long placement option, with a total course length of four years.
NTU is 1st for the number of UG students studying Architecture, building and planning (HESA, 2021/22).
Professional qualification
Successful completion of the 36 weeks leads to an extra qualification of Diploma in Professional Practice, which will further enhance your CV.
NTU Enterprise
You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise, NTU's purpose-built Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, a support centre to help students create, develop and grow their own businesses.
Campus and facilities
Facilities for Property students
The majority of your lectures and seminars will take place in the Newton building on our City Campus.
Take a look at the industry-standard facilities we have at the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Industry-standard software
You will have the opportunity to use and familiarise yourself with our industry-standard software, including:
- digital mapping
- development appraisal
- property and environmental risk information
- industry-standard information systems and databases.
IT resources
Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the City site, with PCs providing access to Microsoft Office, email, web browsing, networked file storage, and high-speed online printing services (with a free printing allowance for each student).
Books and library resources
In the library, you will have access to an extensive and diverse range of books and periodicals that focus on specialist areas within the Built Environment. The library's OneSearch system provides access to all our electronic resources, journals and books.
Within the library there is a liaison librarian who has specialist subject knowledge. They can offer detailed help in finding and using print and electronic resources and also support on things such as Harvard referencing and research skills.
Entry requirements
UK students
Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent).
Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent).
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Additional requirements for UK students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
Contextual offers
If you don’t quite meet our entry requirements, we might be able to make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and your individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer, and we get data from UCAS to help make these decisions. We do this because we believe everyone with the potential to succeed at NTU should have the opportunity to do so, no matter what barriers you may face.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
Academic entry requirements: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent). We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Additional requirements for international students
If you need help achieving the academic entry requirements, we offer a Foundation preparation course for this degree. The course is offered through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC) based on our City campus.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
Sign up for emails
Sign up to receive regular emails from the International Office. You'll hear about our news, scholarships and any upcoming events in your country with our expert regional teams.
Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
