The Master in Real Estate Studies offers a unique one-year full-time academic programme to prepare you to provide innovative real estate solutions for inclusive, liveable and sustainable places.
Are you ready to make an impact in the dynamic world of real estate? Current societal challenges urge for real estate professionals who are trained in integrating financial, economic, geographic and spatial planning principles while understanding local institutional contexts. Our programme emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement, moving beyond just bricks and mortar to focus on the households and firms that shape real estate markets.
We seek committed applicants who recently finished their bachelor programme in the field of Social Sciences who want to make an impact in the world, and who want to apply their intellectual gifts to contribute to the real estate industry. You will be joining a diverse group of students and professionals who all share a passion for scientific rigour applied to solve complex societal issues in academic fields that impact the real estate industry.
We are proud to observe that our alumni work as real estate developers, managers, valuers, consultants, financiers, local policy makers, et cetera, holding positions of leadership in the real estate industry worldwide. Since 2016, the MSc. RES has a professional accreditation by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors underscoring our commitment to excellence.
MSc. RES is a selective master. See more information about the admission and selection procedure here.
If you are looking to do a two-year programme and are interested in undertaking research, you can combine MSc. RES with our top rated Research Master in Spatial Sciences.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Finance for Real Estate (5 EC) | ||||
| Optional course (5 EC) | ||||
| Real Estate and Land Supply (5 EC) | ||||
| International Real Estate Markets (5 EC) | ||||
| Real Estate Investment (5 EC) | ||||
| Master's Thesis Real Estate Studies (20 EC) | ||||
| Optional course (5 EC) | ||||
| Real Estate Research (5 EC) | ||||
| Real Estate Development (5 EC) | ||||
The optional courses listed in period 1a and 2a can be taken in any block of the academic year. For more information about the courses in this programme, please visit https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/master-info-frw/courses-master-real-estate-studies
One-year intensive Master programme UG's Master of Science in Real Estate Studies (MSc. RES) offers a unique one-year intensive educational programme in real estate to prepare you to become a leader in the real estate industry.
UG's MSc. RES offers 10 ECTS in optional courses where you are able to specialize in your field of interest (e.g. finance, economics, geography, planning, management, law).
Students have an option to pursue internships or other opportunities. However, there is little room in our programme for intensive 3 or 6-months internships as the programme is only one-year. Therefore, we highly encourage our students to combine an internship with thesis writing at a renowned firm in the field of real estate or other related fields that impact the real estate industry. Students who want to pursue intensive internships during the Master programme without combining it with thesis writing extend their programme, on average, with 6 months. Students also have an option to study abroad, but the same dilemmas often arise if one cannot combine it with thesis writing.
Real Estate Studies is a selective master and has a selective pre-master. There is a maximum of 45 students for the master and 12 students for the pre-master.
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture and Construction Engineering | All Universities of applied sciences |
Via a pre-master More information:For more information about the pre-master please see https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/pre-master/ This pre-master has a selection procedure. |
| Real Estate Management | All Universities of applied sciences |
Via a pre-master More information:For more information about the pre-master please see https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/pre-master/ This pre-master has a selection procedure. |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| International Business | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Real Estate Studies is a selective master. Please see the website https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/res-selection/ for the procedure. |
| Bedrijfskunde - Technology Management | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Real Estate Studies is a selective master. Please see the website https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/res-selection/ for the procedure. |
| Economics and Business Economics - International Economics and Sustainable Development | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Real Estate Studies is a selective master. Please see the website https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/res-selection/ for the procedure. |
| Spatial Planning and Design | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Real Estate Studies is a selective master. Please see the website https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/res-selection/ for the procedure. |
| Econometrics and Operations Research | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Real Estate Studies is a selective master. Please see the website https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/res-selection/ for the procedure. |
| Human Geography and Planning | All Research universities |
No additional requirements More information:Real Estate Studies is a selective master. Please see the website https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/res-selection/ for the procedure. |
Selection procedure for Master students: https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/res-selection/
Real Estate Studies is a selective master and has a selective pre-master. We have 45 places in the programme including several places for premaster students. Apply before May 1st via Studielink for the programme Real Estate Studies. You will receive the decision of the selection on or before June 1st.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
Real Estate Studies is a selective master and has a selective pre-master. There is a maximum of 45 students for the master and 12 students for the pre-master.
Admission and selection procedure Master Real Estate Studies:
https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/master-info-frw/mscres-admission-selection-detailedinformation-2023update.pdf
Admission and selection procedure Premaster Real Estate Studies:
https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/pre-master/pre-master-res-admission-selection-detailedinformation-2023update.pdf
You will receive the decision of the selection on or before June 1st.
Selection procedure for Master students: https://www.rug.nl/frw/education/res-selection/
Real Estate Studies is a selective master and has a selective pre-master. We have 45 places in the programme including several places for premaster students. Apply before May 1st via Studielink for the programme Real Estate Studies. You will receive the decision of the selection on or before June 1st.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| Nationality | Year | Fee | Programme form |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU/EEA | 2025-2026 | € 2601 | full-time |
| non-EU/EEA | 2025-2026 | € 21400 | full-time |
Scholarships: Check the Study in NL website for information about scholarships.
Students are expected to follow our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. For more detailed information about laptop requirements, please visit this webpagePractical information for:
Many graduates find jobs as market researchers or real estate consultants in a company, consultancy or government agency, or become a concept or property developer at a real estate investor. Graduate students find work as a research manager or portfolio manager at a real estate investor. Several people opt for an academic career at the university. In practice, graduates mostly do policy work, both in the private sector as well as at the local, regional and national government.
During the programme at the University of Groningen we offer support for your career preparation.
Throughout the year we offer support for practical career preparation and employability skills. Workshops are given about leadership, job interviews and how to present yourself. More information about the FSS Career Services.
See where our alumni end up in this graphic !
Professors of the MSc. Real Estate Studies programme have active research agendas in either the field of real estate or a field in Social Sciences that is related to real estate studies. Our publications are in top-level international peer-reviewed journals which align with the multidisciplinary profile of our programme. A few examples of the journals in which we have published in recent years are as follows: Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Economic Geography, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, Energy Economics, Sustainable Cities and Society, Regional Science and Urban Economics, Real Estate Economics, Housing Policy Debate, PLoS ONE.
The programme integrates the research, research topics and research
experience of the professors. They are passionate to share their
research in their course units. Students are encouraged to
participate in staff research interests for their real estate
projects in their courses and their Master’s thesis.
For more detailed information about the research agendas of our
professors, see
prof.
dr. Arno van der Vlist – Real Estate Economics
dr.
Sarah Mawhorter – Housing, Demography and Spatial
Planning
dr.
Michiel Daams – Geography of Real Estate Investments and
Land Use
dr.
Mark van Duijn – Urban Economics and Real Estate
dr.
Xiaolong Liu – Real Estate Finance and Climate
Change
dr.
Sara Özoğul – Planning and Property Market
Dynamics
I completed the master in Real Estate Studies at the University of Groningen in January of 2014. Before starting my master I studied Real Estate Management at the Hanzehogeschool. After my studies I started working at the international Real Estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield, I've been employed here for the last five years.
During the master programme in Real Estate Studies you will learn to approach real estate and the environment from an academic perspective. What I found interesting was learning to approach the practice of real estate from a theoretical viewpoint. Doing this allows you to find explanations for how we deal with questions regarding real etate issues. As a result of this approach you can see that many topics can be reduced to a number of basic theories which are still very relevant in practice when entering the real estate work force as a professional.
After graduating in January 2014, I immediately started working at the taxation department of Cushman & Wakefield in Amsterdam. I started out as a trainee to learn more about the necessary job skills. Next to this, personal development was an important aspect of the training. After 2,5 years I was ready to start at a more commercial function, so I switched to the Office Agency team at Cushman & Wakefield in which I advise occupants and owners when renting, buying and selling office real estate.
Looking back at the previous five years, I can conclude that I have strongly developed myself as a real estate professional regarding both job specific as well as personal skills. A personal highlight was winning the Real Estate Young Talent Award 2018. This is a yearly award in which five young professionals are nominated by an expert jury. After participating in public debates, writing blogs and gathering online votes I was the happy winner of this prize.
All in all this master programme has provided a strong and stable basis for a successful career in the Real Estate business.
- Tim de Vries
This infographic shows in which workfield alumni of the master's programme ended up, and is based on alumni who graduated between 2022 and 2024. As is visible, the majority of the alumni have found a job relevant to their field of study within 6 months since graduating.
