Overview

Facility and Environment Management MSc

Our Facility and Environment Management MSc, fEm, is committed to taking an international lead in research and education in global, sustainable facility management. Our MSc covers the provision and management of facilities and support services that sustain high-performing organisations in both the public and private sector. Our MSc draws on the latest innovations in expertise and ideas that are leading developments in the FM field.

What will I learn?

Our MSc seeks to explore and apply abstract management concepts to practice-based problems, including explorations of FM roles and structures, energy modelling and management, and mapping FM processes for improvement. The open nature of the assignments allows our participants to theme their exploration throughout the programme or they can be taken as individual developments related to current operational issues. Assignments have direct relevance and applicability to participants' roles within their organisations.

Why should I study this degree at UCL?

The UCL Bartlett is the UK's largest multi-disciplinary Faculty of the Built Environment, bringing together dozens of scientific and professional specialisms required to research, understand, design, construct and operate the buildings and urban environments of the future.

Past graduates of the course have found that our MSc has a direct impact on:

• Positive career opportunities through promotion and increased managerial responsibilities
• Increased earnings
• Internationally recognised and accredited academic qualification

Professional Accreditation

Our course is accredited by:

• Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). RICS provides free student membership to those joining the course for the duration of their studies.

• International Facility Management Association (IFMA)

Our course is also affiliated with the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM).

Contact details:
Teaching Programme Manager, send an email

Structure

All MSc students must successfully complete 180 credits to obtain the degree of MSc in Facility and Environment Management. This is comprised of a taught programme of 120 approved credits, plus the MSc Dissertation (60 credits), Students must complete six compulsory FEM modules and two FEM optional modules, or two other compatible modules available from the Bartlett MSc Built Environment programmes, which should be considered at application. Coursework is associated with each module and examinations are required in two of the core modules. All modules are 15 credits.

Study Options

Availability: Full-time 1 year (flexible 2-5 years, for students in full-time employment)

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of eight core modules (120 credits), and an original dissertation (60 credits).

A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits, full-time nine months) is offered.

Content

Core Modules

Introduction to Facility Management BENVGFE1
(15 credits, Wednesdays, Term 1)

This module introduces the background to the development of facility management, its scope, intentions and value. Futures in Facility Management are considered with professional development and integrating effects.

Management Concepts for Facilities BENVGFEB
(15 credits, Wednesdays, Term 1)

Organisational behaviour is explored in this module by considering contemporary concepts in management. Techniques and approaches for managing quality, risk and strategy are also covered.

Environment Management and Sustainability BENVGFEC
(15 credits, Thursdays, Term 2)

This module is concerned with the management of energy and other sustainability issues within the remit of the facility manager. This includes issues such as climate change compliance, carbon footprinting and environmental management accreditation schemes.

Service Operations Management BENVGFED
(15 credits, Thursdays, Term 2)

Service operations management is used as a framework for analysing soft and hard service provision. This framework is used to explore maintenance and systems elements and their management.

Space and Workplace Management BENVGFEE
(15 credits, Wednesdays, Term 2)

This module outlines the key issues related to managing the spatial resource of organisations. This includes operational issues such as: the development of space standards, relocation management and space planning.

Facility Management Law BENVGFEF
(15 credits, Wednesdays, Term 2)

This module is concerned with the practical issues related to the management of statutes, in employment, health and safety and contract law.

Facility and Environment Management Dissertation BENVGBE1

Students are required to submit a 10,000 word report on a subject agreed with the Course Director. (60 credits)

Examples of recent reports include:

Optional Modules

Asset Management and Capital Projects BENVGFEG
(15 credits, Thursdays, Term 1)

This module explores the general management issues related to developing capital projects from design briefing and design management through whole life costing.

Facility Management Finance and Governance BENVGFEH
(15 credits, Thursdays, Term 1)

The general concepts of capital and revenue expenses together with standard capital appraisal techniques are reviewed together with the practical applications in PFI/PPP.

Module Assessment

Modules FE1, FEB, FED, FEF, FEG and FEH are assessed through course work only. Modules FEC and FEE are assessed through course work and unseen written examination normally held in early May. This coursework is marked internally by two members of staff, and a selection is reviewed by the External Examiner, who is appointed to ensure that the marking is fair and the standard of the degree is equivalent to Masters Degrees elsewhere in the UK University system. The whole examination process is overseen by a Board of Examiners made up of the Internal and External Examiners. They meet in June to approve the Module results and again in November to approve MSc Report and re-sit results, as well as awarding the appropriate degrees.

The coursework is seeks at one level to explore and apply abstract management concepts to practice based problems within the facility management sector. This includes: explorations of FM roles and structures, applications of organisational behaviour concepts to operational problems, energy modelling and management, mapping FM processes for improvement and a number of other practice related assignments. The open nature of the assignments allows for a participant to theme this exploration through-out the course or to take the assignments as individual developments related to current operational issues.

MSc Dissertation

Students who have successfully completed the 120 credits taught part of the course normally continue onto the MSc Dissertation (BENVGBE1). The Dissertation is an original 10,000 word project based on research work undertaken by the student. Successful completion of the MSc Dissertation will result in the award of the MSc. The Dissertation is to be completed by 15 September within the academic session by full-time students and in the 2nd year for part-time students. Students can choose their own topic for the Dissertation providing it relates to an aspect or issue of facility management. The report is supervised by a member of staff, but is largely self-directed. You can develop a topic to: assist your career development, investigate a work related problem, or develop a particular area of interest. By the end of Term 1 you should have already firmed up the topic, the aims and objectives, the problem statement and a practical methodology for the study. This past year Balfour Beatty Workplace have sponsored a Prize for the two best student Dissertations projects from UCL's MSc Facility and Environment Management programme. Last years winner can be seen in the photo below.

Staff

The MSc facility and environment management course is supported by a number of full-time staff as well as drawing on experts within the UK and Singapore FM sector. These include:

Peter McLennan: Course Director
Module tutor: Introduction to Facility Management BENVGFE1, Facility Management Law BENVGFEF, Facility Management Finance and Governance BENVGFEH, Facility and Environment Management Dissertation BENVGBE1
Send Peter an email

Dr Ljiljana Marjanovic- Halburd - Senior Lecturer
Module tutor: Environment Management and Sustainability BENVGFEC
Send Ljiljana an email

Professor Alexi Marmot
Module tutor: Space and Workplace Management BENVGFEE
Send Alexi an email

Dr Fuzhan Nasiri - Lecturer
Module tutor: Asset Management and Capital Projects BENVGFEG
Send Fuzhan an email

Professor Michael Pitt
Module tutor: Management Concepts for Facilities BENVGFEB, Service Operations Management BENVGFED
Send Michael an email

Christopher Hedley is Visiting Professor at the Bartlett and managing director at IPD Occupiers.

The course is supported by many eminent guest lecturers drawn from the vast pool of talented FEM professionals in both London and Singapore, who contribute their latest thinking on FEM theory and practice to our students.

Guest lecturers in the past year include:

Ed Baldwin, Partner, EC Harris

Philip Booth, Dept of Actuarial Science, City University

John Chaffe, Alanbrooke Consulting

Marc Hanson, Partner, Ashurst, FM Contract Law

Barry Holt, European Director National Safety Council

Joseph ONG, Facilities Manager, Keppel FMO Pte Ltd

Applying

Entry requirements

The normal minimum qualifications are a second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

A second acceptable qualification is a degree of lower than second-class Honours standard, with some knowledge, demonstrable competence, and a skill set related to facility management practice. Applicants without a first degree and who have substantial work experience in the field, may be admitted after passing a special qualifying examination. Details of this route can be obtained from the Bartlett's Graduate Faculty Office.

As the programme is designed to enhance the knowledge base of practitioners in facility management, it is useful for candidates to have some knowledge, demonstrable competence, and a skill set related to facility management practice, in addition to the above requirements.

How to apply

You may choose to apply online.

The deadline for applications is 2 August 2013 for full-time attendance and 5 September 2013 for flexible attendance. Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

Who can apply?

The programme is directed at facility professionals, as well as architects, service engineers, surveyors, building scientists, interior designers, management professionals and property administrators wishing to acquire a specialist qualification within facility management. It attracts participants from a wide range of professional backgrounds at all management levels, including office, healthcare, retail, education and residential.

What are we looking for?

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

why you want to study Facility and Environment Management at graduate level

why you want to study Facility and Environment Management at UCL

what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme

how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme

where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

The majority of graduates are engaged at a senior level in facility management operations, consultancy or design. Some students use the MSc as a foundation for subsequent MPhil/PhD research. The programme has helped participants to improve career prospects and keep ahead of developments in this field.

Applicants should also review the faculty specific admissions information and the FAQ on admissions.

Careers and Employability

The majority of UCL's MSc FEM graduates are engaged at a senior level in Facility Management operations, consultancy or design. There is clear evidence that the course has helped participants to:

• improve career prospects

• extend personal skills and decision making capabilities while continuing to work

• achieve an internationally recognised qualification, accredited by RICS and the BIFM

• keep ahead of developments in the facility and property management field.

Graduates from the course report career benefits which include:

• salary increases between 10-100% on completion of the course

• accelerated promotion, typically 3 to 5 years ahead of previous expectations

• access to senior position interviews and related job opportunities

• mid-career opportunities to change direction or sector

• professional recognition by employers and clients in the UK and worldwide.

In addition, the course provides a neutral venue for informal discussion amongst the participants that contributes to practice based solutions. As a number of participants have pointed out, it is one of the unexpected benefits of the MSc experience.

There is also a wider careers support network that provides advice and short courses on career related matters. This can be found at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/

FM Advisory Board

Purpose

The Advisory Board is an independent body that brings together industry, academia and public sector. It is composed of distinguished members of the UK’s Facility Management and Estates community. The members are appointed by UCL on an honorary basis for an initial term of three years and can be renewed for up to two additional terms. The Board is chaired by Christopher Hedley, Managing Director of IPD Occupiers. The main purpose of the Board is to inform the research approach, identify research needs and advise on the design and content of the teaching, CPD and Executive training programmes offered.

Panel members

Christopher Hedley, CHAIR – visiting Professor for UCL’s MSc facility and environment management and managing Director of IPD Occupiers (2013/14 – 2016/17)

Ed Baldwin Partner, EC Harris. Ed Baldwin is partner in EC Harris, an International Built Asset Consultancy and graduate of UCL’s MSc in Facility and Environment Management (’96). (2010/11-2013/14)

Geoff Prudence, Chair CIBSE FM Group and Essex County Council
. Geoff Prudence is Chairman of CIBSE FM Group, Chair BIFM Data Centre Network and former Head of Facilities Management Services, Essex County Council. (2011/12-2014/15)

Simon Grinter, Head of Facilities and Squares Management, Greater London Authority, Simon is responsible for the GLA’s accommodation portfolio including Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Gardens and pan London civil contingency planning and a graduate of of UCL’s MSc in Facility and Environment Management (’96). (2010/11-2013/14)

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