Overview
The MSc Programme
The MSc in Facility and Environment Management, FEM, covers the provision and management of facilities and support services that sustain high performing organisations in both the public and the private sector. The course has extensive links with professional bodies particularly BIFM, CIBSE, and RICS, together with building occupiers and facility management suppliers, and draws on the latest innovations in expertise and ideas that are leading developments in the FM field.
The taught modules are delivered through a series of interactive, small group discussion, seminars, visits and self-directed work all supported by UCL's Moodle based e-learning portal. Bartlett staff are assisted by distinguished external contributors to achieve a multi-disciplinary perspective in facility management. Since 2010, the course has a global perspective, with parallel programmes delivered in London and Singapore. Students in the two locations have opportunities to meet virtually and share leading edge perspectives on green and sustainable FM operations through the Moodle portal and shared seminars.
Established in 1992 as the
first MSc course in Facility Management in England, the course attracts
facility professionals with a
variety of experience and backgrounds from all levels of management across a
variety of sectors - office, healthcare, retail, education, sports and
residential.
Past graduates of the course have found that the 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
The course is accredited by:
- Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The RICS provides free student membership to those joining the course for the duration of their studies.
Kevin McGill, 2010 RICS Student Award, London
The course is also affiliated with the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).
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.
Core Modules
Term 1:
Modules are taught on Wednesdays.
Introduction to Facility Management BENVGFE1
Module Tutor: Peter McLennan
Management Concepts for Facilities BENVGFEB
Module Tutor: Professor Michael Pitt
Term 2:
Modules are taught on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Environment Management and Sustainability BENVGFEC
Module Tutor: Dr Ljiljana Marjanovic-Halburd
Service Operations Management BENVGFED
Module Tutor: Professor Michael Pitt
Space and Workplace Management BENVGFEE
Module Tutor: Professor Alexi Marmot
Facility Management Law BENVGFEF
Module Tutor: Peter McLennan
Optional Modules
Term 1:
Modules are taught on Thursdays.
Asset Management and Capital Projects BENVGFEG
Module Tutor: Dr Fuzhan Nasiri
Facility Management Finance and Governance BENVGFEH
Module Tutor: Peter McLennan
Dissertation
Term 3:
Facility and Environment Management Dissertation
BENVGBE1
Tutor: Peter McLennan
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.
Paul Cooper (left), education director at Balfour Beatty WorkPlace awards the first prize of £1,500 to UCL's Michael Harbour (right) Estates and Facilities Director for West London NHS Trust, for his work on FM leadership in the NHS.
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
Ashley Dabson is Visiting Professor at the Bartlett. Dr Dabson is a Chartered Surveyor, Chartered Town Planner and a member of the British Institute of Facility Management, with extensive experience of asset, facility and change management in corporate real estate.
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
Please click through to the UCL graduate prospectus page for this course, from where you can find information on application fees, eligibility, tuition fees, scholarships, and then complete the online application process.
Applicants should also review the faculty specific admissions information and the FAQ on admissions.
Opportunities
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.
2010 Graduands (left to right), S Umoren, B Mills, P McLennan (Course Director), D Musk and J Hathaway.
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/