Architecture & Real Estate Management, Bachelor of Arts

Admission requirements

The Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM) is a state-recognised, private university of applied sciences. Therefore, students must meet at least the same formal admission requirements that would be necessary for enrolment in a comparable course at a public university. The formal prerequisite for admission to a bachelor’s degree programme at FHM is the general or specialised university entrance qualification. Professionals with corresponding vocational qualifications can also begin their studies. Possible entry routes to study*:

• Proof of university entrance qualification (general university entrance qualification, etc.)
• General university entrance qualification
• Specialised university entrance qualification
• Master craftsman*
• State-certified technicians
• Master craftsman candidate with specialised university entrance qualification
• Business administrator in skilled crafts
• Business administrator (Chamber of Industry and Commerce, IHK)
• Graduates of two-year technical college programmes
• Specialist consultants and specialist purchasers
• State-certified business administrator
• Vocational qualification (school leaving certificate + at least 2 years of training** + subsequent at least 3 years of job-related professional experience)

*Verification of university entrance qualification according to the state law of NRW
**If the training is in a different field, an entrance examination is required

Details

For architecture enthusiasts with market insight

Skyscrapers, detached houses, commercial buildings, half-timbered or prefabricated houses – as a graduate of the Bachelor's degree programme in Architecture and Real Estate Management, your passion lies with real estate of all kinds. The course was developed to meet the demands of the changed professional conditions for architects: the focus of the profession is no longer solely on designing, planning and supervising new construction projects. The internationalisation of markets and the accelerated structural change have brought about profound changes and new dynamics in the real estate sector. Above all, economic and technical aspects, sustainable building management and a “healthy” lifecycle of properties, buildings and facilities have gained significance. Through the combination of design-planning and real estate management course content, you will be trained at the Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM) to become a specialist in architecture and the real estate industry. From project development to construction project supervision and marketing to facility management – in your future job, you will form the crucial interface between pure architectural offices and building management. In addition to industry-related business management know-how, you will above all acquire solid knowledge of architecture and real estate trading. This will enable you later to plan and oversee the restructuring (replanning and new use) of an existing property as well as to sell real estate and sites profitably with the right marketing strategy. As an architecture and real estate manager, you will be responsible, for example, for the purchase and sale, letting or leasing of commercial, residential or special-purpose properties. The handling of facility management processes is also conceivable. The challenge here is to consider and manage buildings, associated land and their operational processes as a unit. This means, for example, optimising operating and running costs sustainably through the use of sustainable building concepts, coordinating the maintenance of technical equipment (such as lifts) and preserving the value of buildings and facilities over the long term. The Architecture and Real Estate Management degree combines the technical-constructive course content of a classical architecture programme with the forward-looking business management issues of the real estate and facility management sector.

The full-time degree: 

A classical full-time degree is the standard route for most (technical) school leavers. It lasts three years and is divided into trimesters (three blocks of four months per year). In total, you complete nine trimesters during your three years of study. At the end of each trimester, there is an examination and assessment phase. During your studies, you will complete a six-month practical phase, the so-called “SiP” (Studium in der Praxis – Study in Practice). This is an integrated compulsory internship, which you carry out at a company of your choice either in Germany or abroad. The SiP phase starts after your first year of study and runs from October to March. During this time, you can apply the theoretical knowledge you acquired in your first year of study in practice and gain real-world experience. After the internship, you will write a scientific paper on a topic from your time at the internship company. Once this first hurdle is overcome, there follows another year of study at the FHM, packed with practical projects. At the end, the bachelor phase awaits you.

The part-time top-up degree: 

You have already completed a commercial apprenticeship and are planning your next career step? Then the FHM Top-Up degree will lead you to your academic qualification alongside your job in the shortest possible time! The part-time course offers you the opportunity to earn an academic qualification while fully maintaining your current job. In this study model, you can balance work, family and lectures timewise! The special feature of this degree is that the content of your vocational training can be partially credited towards the degree. This significantly reduces both the duration and the costs of your studies. With the bachelor’s degree, new job prospects open up for you that would not be possible without an academic qualification in this form. In addition, you will have academic progression options, which open the way to a master’s degree and also to a doctorate. Lecture-free periods are during the Christmas and Easter holidays as well as from September to mid-October.

For the following vocational training professions, a reduction of the study duration to 3 years is possible:

• Real estate agents
• Real estate specialists
• Clerks for property and housing management