Gain a professional degree with exciting career prospects

If you are a school-leaver with good A-levels, or a mature student, who has been disappointed in your university applications, there is a more flexible and affordable alternative to the traditional route of a full time degree.

Distance learning can offer you a highly respected degree, acquired in your own time, while earning a salary and building work experience. The costs are therefore affordable, at £3600 a year*, and allow you to graduate with more work experience and much less debt than your full-time contemporaries.

Welcome to The College of Estate Management (CEM)

CEM provides opportunities to gain a professional degree, leading to excellent career prospects in the exciting and rewarding built environment. We have 4,000 students working in the property and construction sectors of 110 countries, and offer both degree courses and post-graduate qualifications that are accredited by professional bodies such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Building.

Explore your options - is it for me?

Which courses are most suitable for school-leavers?

We have six BSc degree courses which have been successfully completed by many school leavers. Subjects include: Building Services Quantity Surveying; Building Surveying; Construction Management; Estate Management; Property Management; Quantity Surveying.

Applications by 29 October for 01 December 2012 start. Time commitment 15-20 hours a week. Click here for course details.

Two other courses that may prove a good choice include our Diploma in Construction Practice and Diploma in Surveying Practice. These are designed for people with career experience in the built environment but limited qualifications, those working in a professional support role in construction or property, or those wishing to take the first step in changing to a career in construction or property.

Applications by 31 July 2012 for 01 September 2012 start. Time commitment 15 hours a week. Click here for course details.

How much will it cost me to study with CEM?

Our distance learning based courses are considerably less expensive than traditional full-time courses. Typically, one of our distance-learning BSc courses costs just £3,600* per year and the costs of living away from home and student loans are also avoided.

* Plus an initial registration fee of £305 in year 1.

CEM also offers a New Student Bursary Scheme, designed to assist those who are able to demonstrate financial need (applicable to all of the above named courses).

How does distance learning work?

Our virtual learning environment (VLE) provides innovative, online study resources and an online community which gives you contact with and support from both fellow students and staff throughout your studies. With these you benefit from a group learning experience, keep motivated and aren’t left to cope alone, meaning that you can enjoy many of the benefits of a traditional full-time college environment.

What are the main benefits?

• Gain a prestigious award
• Improve career prospects and work performance
• Attain membership of professional bodies
• Earn whilst you learn and offset fees while working
• Develop practical skills and build on workplace experience
• Obtain insights into the real estate industry in an international context
• Study via an innovative, online learning community
• Balance study with other commitments

Where might this take me?

Property and construction offers an amazingly diverse range of career options, with areas of specialism that could include: building construction/surveying; estate/property management; finance, investment and development; planning; project management; quantity surveying/cost management; sustainability and more.

Case Study

Why CEM?

Back in 2004 I was gaining a great deal of experience from my work and progressing well within the company, but I felt that I lacked the formal qualifications that were relevant to my career aspirations. Having looked at a number of institutions, CEM stood out – most of its courses were accredited by either CIOB and/or RICS and I soon realised that the College has a high standing within the industry, both in the UK and abroad.

Why distance learning?

Added responsibility at work had increased my hours so I chose distance learning to permit me to balance work, family and study. Time management is the key – get this right and you’re more than half way to succeeding. CEM’s structured deadlines keep you on track, while allowing flexibility to study your own way, e.g. I was able to work during the evenings, allowing me mostly free weekends, while others preferred evenings free and so worked at the weekends.

The course

Having learnt a great deal from the diploma, and gained in confidence, I realised that I wanted to continue studying to further enhance my career. On successful completion of the diploma I discussed my options with my Course Director and decided to enroll on to the BSc in Construction Management, having been advised that this would be a natural progression rather than a large step up in difficulty. I saw the degree as the perfect stepping stone for chartered membership. It allowed me to develop my own management, financial and economic skills, gave me the confidence to communicate with chartered consultants on their level and imparted a large amount of knowledge about the worldwide construction industry.

The benefits

The main benefit is that the knowledge gained can be directly applied to your job to deal with many everyday situations. It has certainly allowed me to become more commercially aware and my career has progressed in tandem with my studies.

As the course progresses, you may well find that your interest in specific areas grows. I personally enjoyed the law modules and, although they were far from easy, I have developed an ever-increasing interest in construction law and mediation. Since I started I have met more and more people who have also studied with CEM or have heard of its positive reputation. Lots of industry managers have studied with CEM and they recognise the hard work and dedication that distance learning involves, a factor which can only be of credit in an interview situation.

The support structure

My employer has been a constant support both financially and with regard to the face-to-face sessions. The company could see that I was growing as a construction professional and bringing more knowledge to the business. Clients were able to see what I had achieved and this reflected well on the company, demonstrating its commitment to professionalism and staff development. From CEM there is excellent communication from both tutors and students exchanging ideas through the virtual learning environment, which ensures that you don’t ever feel isolated.

On the personal front, I met my fiancée at CEM during a face-to-face session. Although we worked very differently, having someone around who appreciates what it’s like to study this way also proved a great support. My final year was tough, as the workload for both work and study was hard going, and my fiancée also gave birth to our wonderful son. Despite the pressure I got through it all and succeeded in achieving my degree with Honours.

The future

I have subsequently enrolled on to the RICS PGDip in Project Management, with a longer-term aim to progress on to the MBA in Real Estate and Construction Management to enhance my project management skills still further. I started at diploma level in 2004 and hope to complete my MBA studies in 2013, having thoroughly enjoyed learning and developing with the College thus far. I would advise anyone who is determined to succeed at the highest level in the industry to study with CEM as you will be learning from the best.