Housing Studies PgCert/PgDip/MA

Modules

The first year concentrates on housing policy and the changing role of the housing professional. You'll examine housing and planning issues, and running the social business.

In the second year you'll explore housing economics and finance; housing law; and the interrelationship of housing and health. During the second year students you'll complete a comparative study of the UK and Dutch housing systems on a European study visit to the Netherlands.

Year 1

• The new housing professional
  This unit will explore the evolution of housing policy and housing organisations, the changing parameters of housing management and its development as a profession.
• Housing law
  This module will equip you with an update on key developments in housing law with an emphasis on case law and policy. The module will identify current legal and policy issues affecting tenants, homeless people and those in housing need. Topics examined will include Landlord and Tenant rights and obligations, maintenance obligations and possession actions. Equality legislation and practice will be embedded into each of these areas.
• Running the social business
  This module examines the role of social landlords within a rapidly changing policy environment. You'll obtain a detailed understanding of what challenges are faced by social businesses: their legal framework and regulation, the nature of management within different types of social landlords, the underlying housing policies which are transforming their influence and the main features of their operation. This will include the necessary organisational responses to the increasingly commercial environment in which social landlords must operate, such as business planning and strategic management, the assessment and management of risk, and changes in the management ethos of housing associations prompted by both commercial considerations, policy pressures from central government and regulatory bodies.
• Planning for housing
  The module provides an introduction to the issue of strategic planning for housing. It focuses on the process of preparation, communication and implementation of strategic housing plans. The political context (i.e Localism Act etc.) is considered, and the importance of prioritising sustainability objectives during the process of development and implementation of strategic plans is emphasised. The issue of housing developments’ quality is also considered and attention is given to the application of tools for evaluating this quality.

Year 2

• Housing, health and social care
  This module will explore and examine the relationship between housing, health and social care policy and the impact on housing organisations and professional practice.
• Comparative housing and study visit
  The module is designed to help you to develop an understanding of the strengths and limitations of cross national comparison in Housing Studies and apply these in a project. It involves a five day residential trip to Amsterdam.
• Economy and housing finance
  This module covers basic economic theory and its application to housing markets and housing finance in the UK from a housing business perspective.

Year 3

• Dissertation
  The dissertation module provides you with the opportunity to carry out an independent piece of research of a demanding nature, investigating in depth a subject which is related to you specialist studies within their degree programme. Each student will submit a dissertation of between 15,000 – 20,000 words.

The PgCert award requires completion of 60 credits, which you'll complete in the first year. For PgDip, an additional 60 credits are required in the second year. For full MA award, you'll complete the dissertation during your third year, achieving 180 credits.

Modules are assessed by a range of coursework, design and practice based projects, presentations and a dissertation. There are no exams on this programme.