Information about the degree program Real Estate and Construction Management (B.Sc.)
Structure of the program
The degree program is module based. A module is a subject-specific teaching unit for which the typical student workload is stipulated by an according number of credit points (credits). The performance evaluation (grade) is based on this same system.
The schedule and content of modules can be found in the module description handbooks.
Module overview
1st semester
The subject provides basic knowledge of the Real Estate industry. Who are the current real estate players? What is the market situation? What examination processes need to be considered when buying a property? You will learn the legal and economic basics of the real estate market and find out important facts about sustainable real estate management.
The lecture Fundamentals of IT/CAD introduces you to the basic terms and concepts of information technology. We deal with computer hardware, networks, software and its development, as well as specific application-oriented topics such as data security and data protection.
The basics of computer aided design CAD are taught. In practical courses, you will learn how to create precise and evaluable 2-dimensional drawings using the AutoCAD program.
The lecture imparts knowledge about the criteria of comfort in residential and non-residential buildings, physical principles of heat transfer, requirements for winter and summer thermal insulation, moisture protection, in particular according to DIN 4108-2 and the GEG. Furthermore, the module includes knowledge of the influence of climatic conditions on the building at the respective location, so that after the module has been papered, statements on the behavior of humid air are possible and can be displayed with the corresponding changes in state in the hx diagram.
The module also teaches skills for the assessment and credits of building components according to building physics criteria and environmental aspects, as well as the basics of advanced modules for the energy balancing of buildings.
The subject of construction technology introduces students to the complex relationships between building materials and their characteristics. You will acquire knowledge of their technological processing and their proper use in buildings. In the first regular semester, we deal with natural stones, the many possibilities of concrete, screeds, binders and silicate wall-building materials.
In construction , you will learn to understand different building materials and their construction methods. It is about technical relationships but also design aspects. How are building materials processed? What structures and appearance do they create? How does the building construction affect the planning of a building project? We always look at the connection between function, form and construction.
In the soft skills subject, we deal with changing topics in which we react to current developments in professional practice. Possible topics include rhetoric, international marketing (taught in English) or computer-aided design (CAD) techniques.
2nd semester
The subject Project Management Basics teaches basic legal concepts for the preparation and organization of construction projects. You will acquire comprehensive knowledge of contractual relationships with mutual performance obligations on the part of both contracting parties. We deal with different types of contracts - purchase agreements, loan agreements, rental agreements, planning agreements, service and work contracts, etc.
In business administration , we deal with the basic principles of business accounting. Core topics include the principle of profitability, legal forms of business, profit and cost comparison and double-entry bookkeeping.
The technical equipment of a building has a significant influence on its quality of use and life cycle costs. It determines the energy consumption and therefore the ecology of buildings. In the subject of technical building equipment , you will acquire knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. We deal with heating and cooling technology and create energy balances for buildings. The lectures are supplemented by practical laboratory experiments, for example on heat supply or system hydraulics.
The subject of construction technology focuses on the scientific and engineering fundamentals of building materials, their characteristics and technological processing in construction planning and execution. You will gain knowledge of concrete and its repair, metallic materials (steel/non-precious metals), glass, bituminous materials, as well as wood and its damage patterns.
The subject of construction enables you to independently develop detailed and work planning for a small-scale object (such as a detached house). You will learn to combine and apply your knowledge of construction technology, technical building equipment (TGA), computer-aided design (CAD) and other subjects. You will learn about the connections and interactions between the key areas of construction and technology, form, material and design. The main topics are foundations, pitched and flat roofs, ceilings and floors, as well as stairs.
In the soft skills subject, we deal with changing topics in which we react to current developments in professional practice. Possible topics include personnel management, green space management or subject-specific English.
3rd semester
You will acquire basic project development skills from the project idea to controlling. We will teach you about real estate management approaches, project development stakeholders, sustainability processes, real estate due diligence, market research analysis and much more.
The subject of Business Administration provides knowledge of investment appraisal and profitability analysis. You will learn the fundamentals of financial mathematics and deal with model-theoretical assumptions and dynamic methods of investment appraisal.
You will acquire knowledge in planning and designing in three-dimensional space and train your object-related spatial thinking. You will learn how to create, modify, join and attribute intelligent BIM objects. We deal with BIM-compliant construction process chains and BIM implementation in the project and in the company. We implement concrete project examples as part of practical courses in the Nemetschek Allplan system.
This subject deals in detail with the influence of technical building equipment on the quality of use and life cycle costs of buildings. The main topics are ventilation and air conditioning technology, sanitary engineering, sprinkler and fire extinguishing technology, electrical engineering, building automation and communication networks.
Laboratory experiments on ventilation technology, installation technology and lighting complement the lecture series.
Facility Management Basics deals with operational and strategic FM as well as operational FIM. You will learn to differentiate between the real estate life cycle phases and to calculate the life cycle costs of buildings.
Building theory supports the design process. It teaches the basics, facts, requirements and necessities for the proper design and function of various types of buildings. You will learn how buildings and operational processes are organized in a sensible way. And we deal with the logic of typical organizational structures and building systems. One focus is the transformation of existing buildings into new forms of use.
In the subject of law , we deal with the fundamental values of the German legal system and their impact on everyday legal practice. You will learn to distinguish between public and private law and to assess the practical consequences of this distinction. The core topics are public building law, FM law with its typical contractual forms of building management and private building law.
It deals, for example, with the legal regulations governing land use, the necessity of issuing building permits and types of contracts as well as their proper conclusion and termination.
4th semester
They acquire knowledge of project development, taking into account regional and urban economic conditions. Students learn to understand complex, realistic structures of project development in existing buildings and consider their dependencies from an Economics, technical, legal and economic perspective. The module focuses on the conception of a complex project in existing buildings.
The construction or repair of buildings is carried out in cooperation with a large number of specialist planners and tradespeople. Students learn how to structure and organize complex construction projects - from credit financing to tendering for services, coordinating deadlines for the various trades and invoicing for services rendered.
The following competencies are taught in the module or, after completing the module, students will be able to:
Explain Facility Management (FM) and recognize and characterize the different directions of interpretation and parties involved, characterize Facility and Real Estate Management and CREM, differentiate the real estate life cycle phase and calculate life cycle costs, apply the FM model according to DIN EN 15221 and identify the operational and strategic performance levels, describe the design, describe the design, control and development tasks of FM processes, identify and calculate the space inside and outside a building, derive a space requirement program from the user processes and workplace requirements, describe facility services, use service level agreements as an instrument for FM and derive the required findings using key figures / benchmark reports.
Students acquire a general overview of the most important development trends in the digital transformation of the Real Estate industry as well as their opportunities and challenges in practical implementation. They acquire the ability to apply Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the real estate life cycle and to integrate this method logically into company processes. Students work in a team and are able to analyze the interim results independently in discourse. They acquire the ability to present the results of their work, to defend their point of view on the basis of their own reflection and to critically scrutinize working methods, develop them further in relation to problems and transfer them to new fields of application. Students are able to understand and communicate three-dimensional building information models geometrically and alphanumerically in an interdisciplinary context in order to use them for visualization, simulation, analysis and optimization.
In this module, you will acquire basic knowledge of project development. What characteristics does a property have? What is the demand situation? Which user groups come into question? How can Geographic Information Systems be used sensibly, for example to determine topography, standard land values or the expected noise levels in the surrounding area? You will develop and review concepts for the development of a property and its positioning on the market using specific examples.
The elective modules can be chosen from a catalog of different subjects according to individual interest. Examples of subjects are:
Digitalization in the real estate life cycle
Business start-up
Building automation
Project development
Management theory
Real Estate Evaluation
Studium generale
5th semester
You will learn to determine the construction and usage costs of components and entire buildings. You will analyze the effects of different planning and execution variants on life cycle costs. Using static and dynamic methods, you will calculate the Economics using time and period-related key figures. You will compare different planning and execution variants of buildings in terms of their Economics.
You will learn about all aspects of planning a construction project - from the initial project idea, the search for a suitable plot of land or existing property, design planning and planning permission, construction according to architectural design, budget and schedule control, to the start of regular building management after completion.
The module deals with key aspects of energy supply and the global climate. It explains the connections between energy consumption and global warming and the appropriate use of finite fossil fuels. You will learn about technologies and potentials for using renewable energies and find out how they work and how they can be used. Illustrative examples are used to determine planning scenarios for the sustainable energy supply of different types of buildings.
After completing the module, students will have knowledge of digitalization in FIM, knowledge of the various possible applications in FIM as well as the ability to select, know and present the various solution approaches (ERP, CAFM, IWMS) and the ability to acquire data in FIM
You have the ability to determine costs and benefits as well as knowledge of the introduction of CAFM using a structured process model including system selection and the creation of system criteria.
Students know the meaning and definition of sustainability and ESG in relation to the Real Estate sector.
Students know which specific criteria for ESG-compliant real estate and investments must be examined, evaluated and assessed and how the necessary data is collected, processed and secured. Furthermore, students will have recognized the complex interrelationships of ESG in relation to the environment, social issues and corporate governance and will be able to work towards ESG conformity.
The elective modules can be chosen from a catalog of different subjects according to individual interest. Examples of subjects are:
Digitalization in the real estate life cycle
Business start-up
Building automation
Project development
Management theory
Real Estate Evaluation
Studium generale
6th semester
The professional lab is an integral part of the Bachelor's degree program. It enables you to put your theoretical knowledge to the test in practice and opens up prospects for your future career. Activities in all areas of construction and real estate management are possible - with independent companies, authorities, associations or scientific institutions.
In your Bachelor's thesis, you will work independently on a complex project in the field of Real Estate and Construction Management. You show that you can apply theoretical and practical knowledge. The topic of the thesis can be chosen in consultation with the supervising professors.
In the colloquium, you present the results and scientific findings of the topic of your Bachelor's thesis. This takes the form of a short presentation with the support of modern media. The presentation is followed by a scientific discussion that deepens and reflects on the findings.
