Overview

Built for leaders

In a rapidly evolving and competitive industry, the need for visionary leaders who can drive change is growing. This specialist MBA is designed for ambitious professionals in the built environment seeking to accelerate their career progression to senior management, equipping you with the expertise to thrive as a global leader.

This accredited MBA blends core leadership and management principles with technical knowledge, equipping you with valuable tools to support your success in both local and international built environment sectors. Delivered 100% online, it empowers you to advance your career without disruption.

About this degree

Programme details

This online MBA is designed to equip you with the strategic leadership, management, and decision-making skills essential for excelling in senior roles. It will empower you to reflect on your professional experiences and navigate complex business challenges with confidence, applying innovative solutions within the context of the built environment.

Tailored for professionals from diverse sectors, our flexible pathways allow you to shape this MBA to align with your career aspirations. Whether you choose to specialise in a key area or broaden your expertise across the built environment, you’ll gain valuable insights and skills in leadership, management, innovation, entrepreneurship, and finance, inspiring you to lead with unwavering confidence.  

Combining expert-led theory and real-world application, this programme attracts an international network cohort of students. Through virtual networking, you’ll exchange insights and experiences with a diverse group of peers and gain fresh perspectives across a range of built environment industries.

Students who successfully complete the programme will also be offered the opportunity to be assessed for the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 7 qualification in Strategic Management and Leadership.

*CABE accreditation is available only when the following modules are chosen: Project Management in the Built Environment (PMA7PRM) and Procurement and Tendering (QSP7PRO).

**Survey conducted on UCEM MBA students and alumni in 2024

Structure

Modules you will study

Autumn

Whether you choose to focus on a specialty or extend beyond your sector, choosing the right modules is key. This MBA is designed for you to study 6 core modules (including the postgraduate project) and choose 2 electives from a range of options, selected to provide you with technical knowledge across the industry.

Year 1

Leading and Managing People

This module seeks to develop an understanding of the role that managers at different levels within the organisation have in relation to the leadership and management of the organisation’s employees. It explores the distinction between leadership and management and examines how different global organisations may require different management and leadership styles. It also encourages participants to interrogate both their own management and leadership styles and those of other managers with a view to ensuring the future sustainability of their organisation.

Strategic Management of Change

This module provides an integrated approach to corporate strategy and the management of change and innovation in a complex and uncertain business environment in the built environment.

Initially, consideration is given for frameworks to manage the long-term strategic direction of organisations within the built environment. Then essential marketing principles and models and the relevance of marketing strategies are explored. The remaining focus is then on enhancing understanding of, and response to organisational change through strategic concepts and associated factors. The determination of appropriate policies and strategies are explored within different cultural contexts to meet stakeholder interests.

Innovation and Enterprise

This module explores a number of innovation and enterprise models and importantly asks students to consider how they can help them and their organisation become more innovative in how they think, create, and implement fresh innovative approaches in the workplace.

The principles of enterprise and innovation are analysed in the context of different forms of organisation across the globe, in various commercial, public-sector and not- for-profit sectors, emphasising the importance and challenges of ‘social’ and ‘sustainability-led’ innovation.

Marketing supports innovation, and enterprise driving business growth and competitive advantage by exploring trends and customer needs in the external environment.

Knowledge Management

This module provides a blend of theory and current practice in knowledge management (KM) in a range of built environment organisations. Over the course of the module the importance of knowledge for organisational learning, as well as knowledge creation and organisational unlearning will be appreciated. Socio-cultural issues related to managing and sharing knowledge will be discussed in the second part of the module. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be discussed in the context of the aspect of knowledge management in a particular week. For example, the place and role of AI in knowledge creation and sharing.

A global perspective on knowledge management will be incorporated into selected weekly topics, and in summative assessments these KM principles will be applied to the circumstances and business management issues in the student’s own organisations, thereby enabling the organisation to fulfil its mission and strategic goals through effective knowledge management practices and processes.

Specific examples of sustainability will be considered, using appropriate elements from the UN sustainable development goals (SDG).

Year 2

Management of Finance

This module explores how quantitative concepts, methods, and skills can aid managers in the built environment sector in their planning and decision-making process. It assists students in modelling solutions to financial and business planning problems, thereby enhancing their ability to make more effective decisions that align with corporate objectives.

The first part of the module introduces the role and content of financial processes, both internal and external, to enhance understanding of this crucial aspect in decision-making. The second part focuses on how analytical concepts and risk analysis techniques can assist decision-makers and stakeholders in the construction and real estate industry. This section also emphasises the importance of complying with legal and ethical standards such as generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and international financial reporting standards (IFRS). This section also aims to address sustainable finance to fund projects with global impact. Sustainable finance for the built environment includes various sources that support green and energy-efficient projects.

AND

Elective 1 – Autumn options – one of:

Project Management in the Built Environment

Explore the strategic and organisational challenges of project management, focusing on the management of construction projects. Develop the variance of skillsets and professional disciplines required to manage, plan, and control the safe and compliant delivery of built assets, in the context of key project drivers.

OR

Contract Administration and Practice

Examine Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT), New Engineering Contract (NEC) and International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Standard Forms of construction contracts to enable you to interpret and analyse the key provisions for effective control and management of a contract.

OR

Planning and Development

Gain an introduction to planning law and the planning process relevant to property development. The property development process, including site selection, financial appraisal of the development sites and development funding, are also considered.

OR

Property Transactions

Explore the practice of estate agency, with a focus on the commercial property market in the UK. Examine the client-agent relationship during the contract for property agency, and learn how sales and property markets function. Gain an understanding of assessing prospective tenants and the dynamics of property markets as key functions of business planning. Reflect on UK arrangements and global comparators.

Postgraduate Project (start)

Build your research skills within the context of the built environment with the opportunity to conduct a self-directed research project that reflects the culmination of your studies. The topics selected are expected to reflect the current and critical issues that concern the built environment.

Elective 2 – Spring options – one of:

Project Management in the Built Environment

Explore the strategic and organisational challenges of project management, focusing on the management of construction projects. Develop the variance of skillsets and professional disciplines required to manage, plan, and control the safe and compliant delivery of built assets, in the context of key project drivers.

OR

International Construction

Gain an appreciation of the global construction arena and enhance your ability to recognise, analyse and develop many aspects of international construction, from health and safety and culture to business, resource management and constructing in tropical climates.

OR

Procurement and Tendering

This module examines the principles and applications of project procurement. It also develops your understanding of the effects of risk allocation on procurement choice and the impact this has on subsequent phases of the project cycle.

OR

Property Management

Develop your understanding of the principles of law and practice appropriate to the effective and efficient management of commercial property, both in the UK and globally. In business planning terms, this module examines key issues, such as strategic use of property, property performance evaluation, and life cycle planning.

OR

Investment Appraisal and Portfolio Management

Understand the key principles underpinning commercial property investment in international markets and explore the different styles and techniques of portfolio management and portfolio restructuring.

Postgraduate Project (finish)

Build your research skills within the context of the built environment with the opportunity to conduct a self-directed research project that reflects the culmination of your studies. The topics selected are expected to reflect the current and critical issues that concern the built environment.

Structure details

Students starting in the spring and taking two modules per semester must choose both electives from the spring elective pool, as not all electives are offered every semester.

For further information about programme content, or to see how modules are structured for those starting in spring, you can view the full programme specification which sets out aims, intended learning outcomes and assessment methods.

For further information on modules view our module descriptors. Please note that modules are subject to change.

Revalidation

To make sure our programmes are always high quality and relevant for our students we review and update our programmes on a regular cycle. This is known as “periodic review and revalidation” and this year our Postgraduate programmes will be going through this process. Therefore, the programme information presented here may change in Autumn 2025. Information about any changes will be published in Spring 2025.

Programme leader >

Programme leader

Alison Andrews

MRICS FHEA

Alison joined UCEM in August 2021 and is the programme leader for the MBA Construction and Real Estate programme and the academic delivery manager for Level 7 real estate, law and management. After graduating with a degree in land economics, Alison worked in industry and became a Chartered Surveyor, working initially in rating, then valuation and investment. Read more on Alison's academic profile.

Meet Alison >

Introduction Webinar

Join lecturer Alison Andrews in her programme introduction webinar. Here you can learn more about UCEM, online study and the course, and ask any questions you may have.

Lecturer Appointment

Ideal for those who have already attended the introduction webinar, this is a great opportunity to ask your specific questions to the lecturer one-to-one.

Online learning

The future of study

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Flexible study

Balance your study, work and home commitments, all while working towards your career goals

e-Library access

Full access to a comprehensive and valuable e-library with a wealth of resources to support your studies

Interactive

Study using a diverse range of interactive, modern and dynamic learning resources

Expert-led

Learning activities that have been designed by UCEM tutors and subject matter experts

Stay connected

Learn alongside a diverse community of students from all over the world

Time commitment and study breakdown

Studying two modules per semester requires an expected time commitment of 15-20 hours per week. If you study only one module per semester, the weekly time commitment will be less, depending on the module’s credit size. Most modules are typically 20 credits.

30

Directed study time (%)

35

Self-directed study time (%)

35

Assessment study time (%)

Careers

Where can it take you?

This MBA programme empowers both emerging and seasoned leaders in the built environment. It equips you with vital professional and technical skills needed to excel, whether you’re aiming to advance in your current role or seeking new opportunities in the field.

Graduates of this programme pursue diverse and rewarding careers, including roles in:

  • Construction programme management
  • Business management
  • Property development
  • Procurement and tendering
  • Real estate investment
  • Strategic change management

Memberships

The MBA is accredited by the following professional bodies. For more details about memberships, see the below links:

CABE chartered membership*
CIOB chartered membership
HKCPM membership
RICS chartered membership
CMI chartered membership

*CABE accreditation is available only when the following modules are chosen: Project Management in the Built Environment (PMA7PRMand Procurement and Tendering (QSP7PRO).

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