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School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering

BSc (Hons) Property Management and Real Estate with Sandwich placement

BSc (Hons) Sandwich 4 years

Spend a full year working in real estate before you graduate. Four years, one paid industrial placement, a degree aligned to RICS and CIOB standards.

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Spend a full year working in real estate before you graduate. Four years, one paid industrial placement, a degree aligned to RICS and CIOB standards.

Award
BSc (Hons)
Start date(s)
14 September 2026
UCAS Code
N231
Course specifications
View course spec
Course length
Sandwich (4 years)
Campus location
University: City Campus
School
School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering
UCAS points calculator
Open Points Calculator

Why choose this course?

7th in the UK for Architecture, Building and Planning (Daily Mail University Guide 2027)

Choose the sandwich route and you'll spend the whole of Year 3 working in the property sector — not a two-week taster, a genuine, credit-bearing year in industry — before you come back to finish your degree. It's the difference between reading about how a surveying practice or property management firm runs and actually being part of one.

You'll still get everything the standard course offers: teaching from the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, ranked 7th in the UK for Architecture, Building and Planning (Daily Mail University Guide 2027), a course closely aligned to RICS and CIOB standards, and the same grounding in property law, construction, valuation and sustainability. The sandwich year sits on top of that, not instead of it.

  • A genuine year in industry, built into the degree: Your Year 3 placement is a 40-credit, core part of the course — not an optional add-on you have to apply for separately once you've enrolled.
  • Get ahead on your route to Chartered status: A year working alongside qualified surveyors and property professionals gives you a head start on the practical competencies assessed as part of the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) after graduation.
  • Turn a placement into a job offer: Placement students often return with a live network of industry contacts and, in some cases, the offer of a graduate role waiting for them.
  • Still built on real properties and real clients: Site visits, real subject properties and practitioner-led case studies run throughout — the placement year adds to this, it doesn't replace it.

What's unique about this course?

A lot of universities offer a placement year as something you bolt on afterwards, subject to separate application and availability. Here, the Industrial Placement is written into the course structure as a core, credit-bearing module from the moment you enrol — so it's a decision you make once, at application, rather than something you have to chase down in your second year.

  • Your placement informs your final year, not just your CV: Because the placement sits between your second and final year, you come back to your dissertation and final-year modules with real workplace problems to draw on, rather than starting from a blank page.
  • Two kinds of learning environment, not just one: You'll still take the same first-year multidisciplinary cohort as the 3-year course — studying alongside construction, surveying and digital construction students — before your placement adds a fourth, entirely different kind of learning environment: a real employer's.
  • Classroom, workshop and workplace: You'll graduate having sat in lectures, negotiated in workshops, and done the actual job — a combination that's hard for a three-year graduate to match on a CV.
  • Two placements, not one: On top of your Year 3 placement, you're still guaranteed the standard Professional Development Placement built into every Wolverhampton degree — so you leave with two distinct periods of workplace experience, not one.

What happens on the course?

This is a four-year version of the standard degree, with one significant difference: an entire year, in the middle, spent working in the property sector.

Years 1 and 2: the same strong foundations

Your first two years mirror the standard route — construction technology, law and procurement, digital construction tools and business economics in Year 1, then investment appraisal, residential property management and construction law in Year 2, alongside your guaranteed short placement. This is where you build the technical grounding you'll need to make the most of Year 3.

Year 3: the Industrial Placement

This is what sets the sandwich route apart. You'll spend the year working in a professional environment — a surveying practice, property management firm, developer or similar — appreciating current working practices and applying what you've learned so far to real problems in the workplace. Where it's appropriate, this year can also count towards the professional membership requirements of relevant industry bodies, though you should confirm the specifics with the module team before you start.

  • Credit-bearing, not just experience for its own sake: A structured, 40-credit module in its own right, assessed on your professional competence rather than a conventional exam.
  • A genuine route into employment: Recent students have used this year to build the contacts and reputation that led directly to a graduate job offer.
  • You have real choice over where you go: Placements can be local, national or, in some cases, international — the choice is shaped by the opportunities available and what suits your career plans.

Year 4: bringing it all together

You'll return to finish the degree with corporate real estate, commercial property management, contract administration and dispute resolution, and sustainability — plus a substantial dissertation. Many sandwich students choose a dissertation topic shaped directly by something they encountered on placement, giving their final piece of independent research a genuinely practical edge.

Placements on the course

This course gives you two distinct placement experiences, not one.

  • Your guaranteed Professional Development Placement: Every Wolverhampton undergraduate is guaranteed a Professional Development Placement, embedded in your second year. It's a short, structured period of professional experience — in-person, remote, hybrid or virtual — linked to a credit-bearing module, and it's built into every on-campus degree as standard.
  • Your 12-Month Industrial Placement: Sitting between your second and final year, this is a substantially longer, 40-credit placement giving you extensive hands-on experience and a much deeper insight into your chosen part of the property sector than a short placement can offer.

A placement of this length can be undertaken locally, nationally or, in some instances, internationally, depending on the opportunities available and the requirements of the course. During it, you'll be doing similar work to a normal employee of the organisation — giving you genuine insight into the profession, the chance to build crucial personal skills, and a network of contacts that will follow you into your career.

Please note that fees apply to the sandwich placement year, in line with the University's standard fee structure for sandwich placements — see the Course Fees and Finance section below for current rates.

The Careers Employability and Success team, based at The Workplace on City Campus, constantly searches for new placement opportunities on your behalf. If you find an opportunity that interests you, or you've already secured one yourself, they're on hand to support you through it.

Employability on the course

The clearest case for this route is the one made by the numbers: without work experience, 52% of graduate employers rate a candidate's chances of receiving a job offer as 'not very likely' (ratemyplacement.co.uk). A full year in the property sector changes that calculation considerably.

  • Get paid to gain experience: Placement students are often paid for their year in industry, with average placement salaries around £20,300 a year nationally, and closer to £22,000 in London.
  • A placement can turn into a graduate offer: Many employers use placement programmes as an informal recruitment pipeline — impress them over the year and you could be fast-tracked into a graduate scheme.
  • Build a professional network before you graduate: A year in a real workplace builds the network of industry contacts that job-hunting from a standing start simply can't match.
  • Practical experience you can point to: You'll return to your final year with practical experience to reference in interviews, dissertations and RICS APC evidence alike.

Graduates from this course move into the same range of roles as the standard route, including:

  • Commercial Property Surveyor, Residential Property Manager and Real Estate Appraiser roles, where employers consistently value candidates with a demonstrable year of hands-on sector experience.
  • Facilities or Asset Manager, Planning and Development Surveyor, and Investment Analyst (Real Estate) positions, many of which are the kind of employer your placement year could be spent with.
  • Estate Agent or Lettings Negotiator roles, and — for many graduates — a direct route back into the organisation where they completed their placement.

Course Modules

Module: 4CN006
Credits: 20
Period: 1
Type: Core

The module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of various methods of communication used in business and industrial environments; and introduce the built environment student to the world of your specific discipline

Module: 4CN016
Credits: 20
Period: 1
Type: Core

This module has two educational aims; First, it aims to introduce you to the study of economics in the context of the built environment in the UK. It examines the basic economic principles that underpin and influence the operation of the built environment and construction sectors in the UK and to develop your understanding of the sources, disposition and control of capital for construction companies and in the development of real estate. Secondly it aims to apply your knowledge of viable construction projects as a member of a group tasked with planning a built solution.

Module: 4CN027
Credits: 20
Period: 1
Type: Core

The principal aim of this module is to introduce the student to the initial and preparatory professional skills which are aligned to their relevant built environment professional discipline.

Module: 4CN041
Credits: 20
Period: 1
Type: Core

The aim of this exciting module is to introduce students to how emerging digital technologies are being implemented in the construction industry. The construction sector is undergoing a digital revolution and emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics are shaping the next generation of the built environment. Within the module you will explore these new tools and methods of working, including understanding the concepts and principles, developing knowledge of when they are used and gain some hands-on experience of implementing new technology.

Module: 4CN001
Credits: 20
Period: 1
Type: Core

The principal aim of this module is to develop an understanding of the English legal system, building regulations and law of contract; and introduce the legal aspects of procurement, tendering procedures, forms of contract as applicable to construction projects.

Module: 4CN002
Credits: 20
Period: 1
Type: Core

The module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of low rise construction, provide an introduction to common construction materials and environmental interactions

Module: 5CN001
Credits: 20
Period: 2
Type: Core

The purpose of this module is to enable you to develop and apply principles and applications of construction technologies related to high rise structures, commercial and industrial buildings. Aspects of civil engineering and building services technology will also be investigated

Module: 5CN022
Credits: 20
Period: 2
Type: Core

There is a dual aim to this module. The first aim is to develop your knowledge and application of the legal framework in which the built environment, property and construction industries operate. The second aim is to build on existing, and further develop knowledge of health and safety in the built environment, raising your awareness of the legal, personal and organisational responsibilities built environment professionals have. These aims will be achieved by the study of the legal frameworks from which legislation and other controls stem and contextualising them into a built environment context.

Module: 5CN016
Credits: 20
Period: 2
Type: Core

This module aims to develop your ability to identify the investment aims of different categories of investors and to analyse the investment instruments which meet those needs. It achieves this through the introduction of non-discounting and discounting methods of investment appraisal; developing an understanding of the elementary theory of property investment and development appraisal and to making use of computer spreadsheets as a means of presenting, analysing and solving investment problems.

Module: 5CN046
Credits: 20
Period: 2
Type: Core

This module addresses the changing role of the construction professional, concentrating on the professional practice demonstrated by a competent building surveyor and/or a property manager. It introduces and applies the main principles of these disciplines to the student.

Module: 5CN014
Credits: 20
Period: 2
Type: Core

The aim of this module is to develop your knowledge and understanding of the role of the property manager and the principles of residential property management. It does this through the study of the importance of the contract between landlord and tenant other material that will impact on that relationship eg legislation, case law

Module: 5CN010
Credits: 20
Period: 2
Type: Optional

The principal aim of this module is to develop your understanding of the key professional relationships between the various disciplines involved in the management of construction projects. This includes the development of team working skills through completion of a group based project where you are brought together into teams within which as set of structural/interrelated tasks are undertaken in order to develop your personal attibutes. self management, communication and problem solving skills in a team environment.

Module: 5CN045
Credits: 20
Period: 2
Type: Optional

This module studies the art of Leadership in the context of the built environment. It attempts to differentiate between leadership, management and teamworking using theory and practice. It explores the aspects of leadership relating to people, problem solving, behaviour, communication and 'doing things right'. The content of the module will allow students to appraise themselves and to use the methods demonstrated to assess others in many contexts. It exploits the traits of a leader and the importance of the situation.

Module: 5CN025
Credits: 40
Period: 3
Type: Core

The module aims to introduce you to the world of work and associated professional competence. It allows you to appreciate current practises and seek to appreciate current working practises and seek solutions to real life problems in the workplace. Where appropriate it allows you to commence relevant professional organisation membership requirements but you should seek guidance at the outset with the module team

Module: 6CN034
Credits: 40
Period: 4
Type: Core

This is the dissertation project module for undergraduates in the Built Environment. It aims to develop your ability to research and report on a subject related to your degree course. The subject area and research question will demonstrate your understanding of formal research practices and provide a research report that starts at the project identification stages and follows the process to its conclusion and recommendations.

Module: 6CN022
Credits: 20
Period: 4
Type: Core

The principal aim of this module is to enable you to evaluate principles of commercial property management, specifically the lease. During the module you will: expand upon the area of commercial leases using legislation, case law and comparable evidence; analyse and evaluate relevant information; negotiate covenants on behalf of landlord or tenant during in-class workshops and enhance communication skills by negotiating rent reviews and lease renewals on behalf of either landlord or tenant

Module: 6CN011
Credits: 20
Period: 4
Type: Core

The principal aim of this module is to provide you with an understanding of the legal framework within which construction firms and projects are managed and techniques for resolving disputes often encountered. You will develop skills necessary to analyse construction contracts and case law and develop an understanding of good practice in the administration of contracts.

Module: 6CN003
Credits: 20
Period: 4
Type: Core

The principle aim of this module is to develop your understanding of the strategic imperative of real estate as corporate asset and to examine its contribution and value to overall corporate strategy. It also aims to analyse strategy choices in ownership and use of real estate resources of corporate entities.

Module: 6CN012
Credits: 20
Period: 4
Type: Core

This module enables you to explore the requirements of sustainable development to see how these affect and influence the range of environmental services required in sustainable construction and, furthermore, it highlights the impact of such services on the internal and external environment.

Potential Career Paths

You!

Commercial Property Surveyor

Residential Property Manager

Real Estate Appraiser

Facilities or Asset Manager

Planning and Development Surveyor

Investment Analyst (Real Estate)

Estate Agent or Lettings Negotiator

Manages, values, and advises on offices, retail, and industrial properties. Involves leasing, investment sales, and client portfolio management.

Oversees rental properties or housing developments, handling tenants, maintenance, budgets, and legal compliance.

Provides market valuations for property sales, development, mortgages, or taxation—often working with banks or survey firms.

Manages the operation, maintenance, and long-term planning of physical buildings—often for corporate offices or public institutions.

Assesses land and property for redevelopment, working on feasibility, planning permission, and project appraisals with developers or local councils.

Works in property investment funds, analysing trends, forecasting returns, and managing acquisition portfolios.

Sells or rents residential or commercial property, often acting as the main point of contact between buyers/tenants and owners.

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

You'll be based at our City Campus within the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, with built environment teaching drawing on our Springfield site — a £120m development that is Europe's largest construction centre of excellence.

  • Ranked 7th in the UK for Architecture, Building and Planning (Daily Mail University Guide 2027).
  • A dedicated Careers Employability and Success team actively sources placement opportunities for built environment students, rather than leaving you to find one entirely on your own.
  • Taught by practitioners as well as academics, with real industry links feeding directly into your placement options.
  • Positioned in the West Midlands, close to a genuinely varied property market — from regional regeneration schemes to major commercial developments — that also shapes where local placement opportunities tend to arise.

You'll graduate with the same professional foundation as the standard course — sharpened by a year of putting it into practice:

  • Professional judgement tested in practice — a year in a real organisation means your decision-making is shaped by actual consequences, not just case studies.
  • End-to-end asset management — understanding a built asset's lifecycle from inception to end of life, including sustainability, informed by having worked with live assets.
  • Resource management, valuation and digital costing — skills you'll have applied on real files during your placement, not just in seminar exercises.
  • Financial analysis and investment appraisal — grounded in genuine market conditions rather than idealised examples.
  • Technical property knowledge — how structural and non-structural building components interact, reinforced by direct site experience.
  • Critical evaluation of property practice at the level expected of a chartered surveyor, cost manager or construction manager.
  • Workplace-tested professional ethics and practice, having operated inside a real organisation's standards and expectations for a full year.

Location Mode Sep intake Fee Year
Home Sandwich £9790 per year 2026-27
International Sandwich £17600 per year 2026-27

The University is committed to a transparent fee structure, with no hidden costs, to help you make an informed decision. This includes information on what is included in the fee and how fees are calculated and reviewed.


If a tuition fee is not showing, we may not offer this intake for this course. Please check the start date information on the course finder for start dates.

  • 96 UCAS points
  • A Levels - grades CCC / BCD
  • BTEC L3 Extended Diploma or OCR Cambridge L3 Technical Extended Diploma - grades MMM
  • Access to HE Diploma (60 credits) of which a minimum of 45 must be at Level 3 (96 UCAS point equivalence, minimum 45 credits at merit)
  • T Levels with an overall grade of Pass and a minimum grade of C in Core.

 

Use the UCAS Tariff calculator to check your qualifications and points

Students must usually have studied for a minimum of two years post GCSE level. However, we will consider applications from mature students who do not have two years of post-16 study, where they have relevant work experience. Please see http://wlv.ac.uk/mature for further information.

If you've got other qualifications or relevant experience, please contact The Gateway for further advice before applying.

International entry requirements and application guidance can be found at http://www.wlv.ac.uk/international/apply

English language requirements also apply

Tuition Fees Loan (Home Fee Status):

Most students will be able to apply for a loans to pay for these subject to eligibility. To find out more information please refer to the government Student Finance website.

Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as having Overseas Fee status. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)


Self-funding:

If you don’t want to take out a loan to pay your fees or if you aren’t eligible to receive a loan, you might want to take advantage of the University’s scheme to pay by instalments: See How to pay.

For more information please contact the Gateway.


Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

If your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund.

for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Bursaries and Scholarships:

In addition the University also offers a range of Bursaries and Scholarships packages

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Online

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