REMRPR: Rural Professional Practice

Module code: REMRPR

Module provider: Real Estate and Planning; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

ECTS credits: 10

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Mr Nick Millard, email: n.r.millard@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 25 March 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module explores the market for and valuation of rural property (mainly in England and Wales), the underlying law that impacts on value and the issues to be taken into account in farm agency. In rural practice, advice on valuation has always been needed to aid decision making by landowners, farmers, rural businesses, lenders and others. This has become even more relevant in the light of the changing demands on rural land for farm diversification, leisure and recreation, nature conservation, renewable energy, communications and other infrastructure and residential development, among others.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

• Analyse the market for rural property and the key influences on the supply of and demand for rural asset classes.
• Review and apply the principal valuation methods and approaches adopted in the valuation of agricultural and other rural property.
• Evaluate the impact of farm tenancy legislation on the valuation and management of rural property
• Explore the principal methods of marketing rural property and critically analyse the adoption of those methods in various scenarios. 

Module content

• The ownership and occupation of rural land and property
• The rural land market
• Farm valuations with vacant possession
• Farm valuations subject to tenancy
• Rural property agency – sales
• Rural property agency – lettings
• The legal framework governing rural valuations
• Rural commercial lettings
• Compulsory purchase

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures and seminars, for which students will be expected to carry out preparatory reading. Students will be encouraged, through guided discussion, to develop their oral communication skills through mini case studies in seminars. 

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass the module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Case studies will be used in seminars to improve understanding of application of statutory codes and valuation techniques in practice. In addition, there will be an opportunity for formative feedback on progress with the written assignment mid semester.

Reassessment

Additional costs