Master of
Science
(Real Estate)
Department of Real Estate
Vision: To be the global leader for real estate education and research centred in Asia
Mission: To develop leaders and advance knowledge for the global real estate industry
Head’s Message
The Department of Real Estate at NUS is recognized internationally as one of the strongest research
groups in Asia in the real estate academic field. We aspire to make a significant contribution to the body
of knowledge concerning the value and management of the built environment at the national, regional
and international levels.
Our Master of Science (Real Estate) [MSRE] programme has established itself since
1990. 24 intakes and close to 600 graduates later, we continue to attract a great
diversity of students from different backgrounds who have passion, confidence and
a burning desire to advance. Our programme is an exciting place to study and will
assist you to either enhance your real estate learning experience or to allow you to
bridge the gap between a different background and real estate.
Find out for yourself and become part of our community. I look forward to
meeting you!
Professor Deng Yongheng
Provost’s Chair Professor
Professor of Real Estate and Finance
Head, Department of Real Estate
Programme Director’s Message
Asia today has one of the most dynamic real estate markets globally, with perhaps
the best prospects for growth over the next 20 years. Recognizing this potential and
capitalizing on our unique strengths as Asia’s leading real estate group, we have
revamped and expanded our MSRE programme in 2014 to ensure a broad-based
and holistic approach to real estate education. Our focus on Asia sets us apart from
other real estate programmes elsewhere and would help prepare our students to
better navigate an increasingly complex but exciting field.
Associate Professor Lum Sau Kim
Programme Director
Department of Real Estate
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NUS
A global, research-intensive
university
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27216
10210
4361
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Faculties/Schools
across
campuses
University-level research
institutes and centres
undergraduates
graduate students including
PhDs from nearly
A Brief History
countries
NUS has successfully attracted top
scholars and students from all over
the world.
The Department of Real Estate was established in
1969 when degree courses in both building and
estate management were first offered in the then
Department of Building and Estate Management. This
was subsequently called the School of Building and Real
Estate. In June 2000, the Faculty changed its name to
the School of Design & Environment. As a result of this
change, Building and Real Estate were established as
separate departments.
Contributing to Singapore and Beyond
The department is the largest real estate department
in the world with 29 full-time professors, associate
professors, and assistant professors plus 5 part-time/
adjunct professors. Our faculty come from premier
institutions around the globe and provide a wealth of
academic research and field expertise to our students.
NUS has risen to:
• 21st place in the 2014 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
•the top position among Asian Universities (2014 Quacquarelli
Symonds (QS) University Rankings: Asia)
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What the MSRE Offers
Quality Teaching
The MSRE programme is taught by well-qualified
and experienced faculty from the Department of Real
Estate. The teaching approaches incorporate the best
of traditional and innovative methods using problembased learning, case studies, applied projects, industry
guest speakers and seminars.
State-of-the-art Knowledge & Tools
Our faculty members are involved in cutting-edge
research in their respective areas of specialization in the
real estate discipline. In addition, MSRE candidates can
attend seminars by research students, faculty members
and visiting professors.
Networking
The small class size and seminar format stimulate active
participation, interaction and exchange of ideas among
the candidates and the faculty. Candidates working in
various sectors of the real estate industry contribute to
the learning process by sharing their practical knowledge
and experiences.
The Master of Science (Real Estate) [MSRE]
programme at the National University of
Singapore offers a broad-based professional
education at the graduate level in the field of
real estate. The programme aims to prepare
candidates for advanced real estate careers in
business, consultancy, research or public service,
or in preparation for further academic training by:
1
Providing exposure, at an advanced level,
to the wide range of issues that reflect the
principal areas of specialization in the real
estate profession
2
Stimulating an awareness of the issues
involved in international real estate
3
Developing analytical and methodological
skills that are critical for management,
decision-making and problem-solving roles
International Perspective
The MSRE programme is committed to developing
a global perspective. In addition to our strong team
of international faculty, we regularly invite eminent
professors from overseas to conduct special elective
seminars on current real estate issues. Course applicants
are also carefully selected to ensure a good mix of local
and overseas students.
Programme Flexibility
The modular structure of the MSRE programme allows
students to design their specific individual learning.
Whilst mandatory core requirements are imposed to
ensure academic rigor, candidates will have significant
flexibility to vary the pace of their programme and to
select elective modules in their areas of interest. In
addition to the taught modules, candidates can also
undertake a dissertation or case study module under the
personal supervision of a faculty member.
4
Programme Structure
Admission Requirements
The course structure was comprehensively reviewed in
2014 to provide an up-to-date programme that is both
relevant in its coverage of industry skillsets while being
grounded in academic rigor. Candidates would now
enjoy richer course content and have greater choice in
terms of the modules offered.
Applicants should have
With effect from the AY2014-15 intake, candidates
will be required to complete a 40-modular credit [MC]
programme comprising five essential modules that
collectively account for 20 MCs and up to five elective
modules which contribute another 20 MCs. Candidates
can select three to five elective modules from among
the list of electives offered (see next page). They can
also accumulate elective modular credits from crossprogramme modules offered in other departments on
campus (subject to a maximum of 2 modules).
•A TOEFL/IELTS score if their medium of undergraduate
instruction is not in English
One of the core modules, RE5001, is taught via fullday sessions, lasting one week, in the week before
the start of semester in year one. Other modules are
typically offered as evening classes, typically two to four
times per week. Some elective courses may be offered
on full-day sessions as well. The full-time programme is
integrated with the part-time programme.
Candidature Period
The minimum and maximum candidature period
depends on the status of the candidate, i.e. full-time
or part-time.
•At least a bachelor’s degree with honours in a relevant
discipline
•At least two years of relevant practical experience
after their first degrees
At the point of application, GMAT/GRE scores are not
compulsory. For all coursework programmes, additional
requirements may be stipulated later, e.g. when
prospective applicants come from universities whose
academic standards are not known. These may include
GMAT/GRE scores.
Application Period
The annual intake is in August and ALL applications must
be submitted ON-LINE during the application window
from 15 October to 15 January through this site:
sde.nus.edu.sg/acad/SDE_Grad_ByCoursework.html
The System will not accept LATE applications. Please
note that only ONE graduate programme application
within the School of Design & Environment will be
considered for each application round.
Graduation Requirements
Minimum
Maximum
To successfully graduate, candidates are required to
FULL-TIME
2 Semesters
4 Semesters
PART-TIME
3 Semesters
6 Semesters
•complete and pass a 40-MC programme comprising
five essential modules of 4 MCs each and 20 MCs of
elective modules
On average, the course requirements can be completed
in one year for full-time candidates or in one and a half
years for part-time candidates.
•attain a minimum Cumulative Average Point (CAP) of
3.0 (B- grade)
•achieve the above within the candidature period
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MSRE Modules
The curriculum aims to provide a strong foundation in
the economics of strategic real estate decision-making
while allowing sufficient flexibility for candidates to
develop their interest in other specialized areas. Core
knowledge is delivered through the essential modules
while the electives offer candidates a range of applied
disciplines within the real estate job spectrum.
Essential Modules
• RE5001 Real Estate Development - a full-day induction
module for one week in August that must be taken
before any other modules
• RE5003 Real Estate Investment
• RE5004 Real Estate Economics
• RE5005 Real Estate Finance
• RE5013 Urban Policy & Real Estate Markets
Elective Modules
• RE5000 Dissertation*
RE5011 International Field Study
One of the highlights of the MSRE programme is our
international field study module which takes the class
for a first-hand look at foreign real estate markets.
Students are exposed to and must study the unique
institutional features, market trends and investment
opportunities there.
In the past, our students have been to:
• Shanghai, China (2006)
• Beijing, China (2007)
• Hong Kong SAR & Macau SAR (2008)
• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (2009)
• Jakarta, Indonesia (2010)
• Seoul, South Korea (2011)
• Bangkok, Thailand (2012)
• Taipei, Taiwan (2013)
• Ho Chi Minh & Danang, Vietnam (2014)
The international field study trip will be held during the
Recess Week of Semester 2 of each academic year.
• RE5006 Portfolio & Asset Management
• RE5009 Commercial Real Estate Appraisal
• RE5010 Special Seminar
• RE5011 International Field Study
• RE5014 Real Estate Investments Trusts & Property Funds
• RE5015 Spatial Information Systems (SIS) for Urban
Planning
• RE5016 Real Estate Securitisation
• RE5017 Real Estate Case Study*
• DEP5101A Qualitative Methods of Urban Analysis
• DEP5103A Quantitative Methods for Urban Planning
• DEP5104 Urban & Regional Economics
Fees & Costs
Information on the annual fees payable can be found at:
http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/edu/gd-fees.html
* Students who opt for the case study module cannot take the
dissertation module
REDAS Gold Medal
Note that candidates can also select up to a maximum of
2 cross programme/faculty unrestricted elective modules
of 4 MCs each that are offered outside the Department
of Real Estate.
The Real Estate Developers Association of Singapore
(REDAS) Gold Medal is awarded to the best graduating
student in each year. To be considered for the award,
candidates must have a minimum CAP score of 4.5.
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Student Profile
The MSRE programme values diversity. Every year, we strive to have a balanced student body with candidates from
a wide range of professional backgrounds. Our graduates have come from a rich mix of countries including:
• Australia
• Singapore
• Dubai, UAE
• Japan
• Britain
• South Korea
• France
• Malaysia
• Canada
• Switzerland
• Hong Kong SAR
• Myanmar
• China
• Thailand
• India
• Philippines
• Columbia
• USA
• Indonesia
• Serbia
Testimonies
“My experience with the NUS MSc (Real Estate) programme has been very positive. The
thing I appreciated most has been the networking with fellow industry professionals. I
have been able to build lifelong relationships with people from various professions and
various countries.”
Chad McLaughlin
Winner of REDAS Gold Medal
Canada
“I really appreciated the fact that all the professors teaching us have really good knowledge
and professional experiences, which led to interesting classes. There was a really good
interaction between the professors and students and the professors were all the time open
to questions.”
Mathieu Demandolx
France
“This program is comprehensive and provides a variety of information about real estate
business. The group projects contribute to critical thinking and let us apply our own
creativity and logical thinking to achieve the objectives.“
Wanwiwa Tuwawit
Thailand
“Taking the MSRE programme at NUS was a great experience from many perspectives. From
the diverse exposure to an international mix of students, and from varied backgrounds,
it is easy to appreciate how all-encompassing and international the field of Real Estate is.
For individuals aspiring to be asset managers, developers, policy makers, fund managers,
etc., the class is definitely a good way to get a broad-based grounding in the many aspects
of Real Estate through many knowledge and experience sharing opportunities with both
faculty and fellow students.”
Wong Hsien Xiong
Winner of REDAS Gold Medal
Singapore
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For more information, visit our website at:
http://www.rst.nus.edu.sg/programme/mre/
Department of Real Estate
School of Design & Environment
National University of Singapore
4 Architecture Drive
Singapore 117566
Tel: (65) 6516 4033
Fax: (65) 6774 8684
www.rst.nus.edu.sg