Housing Studies (Full-time) MSc/Postgraduate Diploma/Postgraduate Certificate

www.dass.stir.ac.uk

Housing is fundamental to wellbeing, yet only a small proportion of staff have a professional qualification. Our housing programmes contribute to improving housing services and systems. Our experienced team are committed to professional education in housing.

The full-time Diploma in Housing Studies offers a unique combination of academic study and quality professional work experience for those seeking a fast track to a career in housing.

Programme Objectives

This two-year programme is aimed at graduates wishing to pursue a career in housing. It combines academic and practical study and ensures that you gain the ability to be competent and effective housing practitioners.

On successful completion of the Diploma, you will have satisfied most of the practical requirements for corporate membership of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). The Chartered Institute of Housing is the professional body for housing and validates the Stirling housing studies programme.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants for the programme should be graduates, although non-graduates with relevant work experience will be considered.

English Language Requirements

If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency such as a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (minimum 6 in each skill) or TOEFL 577/233/90 (Paper/Computer/Internet).

Funding

For information on possible sources of funding, visit: www.stir.ac.uk/postgraduate/finance

Modes of Study

Full-time: 1 year

Programme Start Date

September

The course team comprises

• Dr Madhu Satsangi, Programme Director
• Fiona Russell , Admissions Tutor
• Dr Isobel Anderson, HPPU Director
• Dr Douglas Robertson, Head of Department, Applied Social Science
• Joe Crawford, Teaching Fellow
• Jenny Tate, Teaching Fellow

Department of Applied Social Science

Structure and Content

The Postgraduate Diploma is taught over four academic semesters, with the year one practice placement running until late June. In year one, you will study:

• The Provision of Housing Services: This module explores the broad context for the provision and consumption of housing in the UK.
• Issues of Sustainability and Housing Development: This module examines the processes for housing development, design and construction in relation to the physical and social environments.
• Housing Policy and Strategic Planning: This module covers the theory and practice of the policy process, including legislation; and strategic management for housing organisations.
• The Management of Housing Organisations: This module explores organisation and management theory and practice for housing, its application to the work environment and the delivery of housing services.

Year one also includes an introduction to reflective practice in housing work and 20 weeks of work experience in a landlord organisation.

In year two you will study:

• Research and Information for Housing: This module examines the information requirements of housing organisations, the application of information in practice, and the value of research.
• Paying for Housing: This module identifies how housing is paid for in the socially and privately rented sectors and in home ownership.
• Issues in Housing Renewal and Community Regeneration: This module explores theory and practice in housing renewal, regeneration and the development of sustainable communities.
• Housing, Health and Wellbeing: This module examines both the links between housing, health and wellbeing and the importance of inter-professional working.

In year two you will undertake a 10-week specialist research or policy placement with a relevant housing organisation. You will also undertake a final reflective practice module, which includes a residential field trip and an advanced professional skills block. The work placement programmes are linked to the practical requirements of the Chartered Institute of Housing. Students successfully completing the Diploma may proceed to the MSc by undertaking original research.

This can be completed either: on a full-time basis within three months of the end of the taught programme; or by re-registering for a further year, on a part-time basis. Students who do not complete the Diploma programme may be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate.

Delivery and Assessment

In year one you attend classes for a minimum of two days per week during the Autumn semester. Teaching comprises lectures, seminars, and professional skills development exercises, including group work. The remainder of the working week is available for private study and completion of assignments.

During the Spring semester of year one you attend a work placement, full-time for 20 weeks, during which time you attend the University one day per week for six weeks. Autumn semester commences with a teaching block on housing research and information followed by a research/policy focused placement, for 10 weeks full-time. You also attend the University one day per week for six weeks. Spring semester of year two is a combination of taught classes two days per week, a residential field trip and an advanced professional skills block.

Assessment on the Diploma programme is continuous and takes a variety of forms – written and oral, individual and collective, academic and professional. Work placements are assessed through a series of practice reports and a reflective practice diary. Support for the MSc is delivered through a combination of personal supervision and learning materials accessed through WebCT. It is assessed through a dissertation of 15,000 words.

Timetable

Shadowing Housing Professionals

You may wish to contact local housing organisations in your area about the possibility of shadowing housing professionals. You could approach employment agencies about the possibility of temporary work. You could also apply to become a member of a housing association.    

Recommended Reading

Please contact the admissions tutor about recommended reading

Career Opportunities

Stirling housing graduates normally move immediately into employment and experience rapid career progress with a strong track record in the sector. Potential career opportunities include management and development in housing organisations, specialist research, and development of policy and strategy. Increasingly, there are also opportunities linked to key government initiatives and policy areas.

The following links will give you an opportunity to browse some of the employment opportunities in the sector today.

http://www.cih.org/careers/whyhousing/index.html
http://www.housingscotlandtoday.com/jobs
http://www.evh.org.uk/content/default.asp?page=s4_6

Research Opportunities

Our researchers, including postgraduates, form a network of research connections across the Department. Much research is underpinned by study of policy formation, implementation and the evaluation of services e.g. in social work and health-related fields. We also undertake basic and strategic research, emphasising relevance to users. We have significant strength in both quantitative and qualitative research. We aim to provide you with the necessary support and supervision to complete a PhD within three years.

Our research strategy and ethos emphasise the communication of research findings to various audiences, including policy-makers in local government, practitioners and service users. The promotion of research-based policy and practice is greatly assisted by our wide-ranging and close links with policy-makers and practitioners at local, national and international levels.

We currently have more than 30 ongoing research projects, including:

• Food Practices in an Institutional Context: Children, Care and Control (ESRC)
• Coordination of Programmes in Children (Department for Education and Skills)
• Someone to talk to: Public Views and Experiences of Emotional Support in the UK (ESRC)
• The Family Life Project: A Qualitative Longitudinal
• Study of Children’s Experiences of Family Life in the Context of Parental Drug Use (Department of Health)

Find out about these projects and others at: www.dass.stir.ac.uk

Doctor of Applied Social Research (DASR)
This programme is for professionals who may need to commission, evaluate, direct, administer or design research into aspects of the applied social sciences. It is directed towards analysis of policy, practice and the development of professional practice. Taught modules focus on aspects of social science research, also emphasising the critical understanding of research and research methods.

RAE Rating

The UK-wide Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) confirmed the quality of the work being done by our researchers. 85% of the University of Stirling’s research has been judged to be internationally excellent and internationally recognised, with the top 10% of that judged to be world class.

View the full outcomes of Stirling’s RAE performance

Use the online enquiry service to find out more or to request a prospectus.

If you are ready to apply you can fill out an online application form now.