Why choose a Degree Apprenticeship?  

Based in the beautiful Shropshire countryside, Harper Adams University is the perfect place to study.  Offering many degree courses ranging from Business, Agriculture, Veterinary physiotherapy and of course, essential to the Armistead Barnett business, Rural Enterprise & Land Management (REALM).

With 1,569 acres, the campus itself hosts dairy, sheep, pigs & Arable farms, complementing all the degrees with huge hands-on practical learning.

Focusing on REALM, Harper offers three forward thinking routes to becoming a Chartered Surveyor, the classic degree route, part-time degrees and a relatively recent addition, the degree apprenticeship.  The university leads the way in this field, offering the five-year apprenticeship course working in conjunction with businesses nationally. 

Rural Enterprise & Land Management is a RICS, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, accredited course.  The apprenticeship course runs over five years and students’ study over 20 modules completing exams and coursework, whilst working for established Chartered Surveying companies like Armitstead Barnett. Students attend university for one week per month from September to March on a condensed learning pattern of lectures. 

Being based in the Cumbria Office, working alongside Mark Barrow and Emma Hodkinson, this allows me to learn all aspects of surveying.  A large benefit of the course is learning the content and being able to apply the knowledge in the workplace and vice versa.

Having joined Armitstead Barnett in September 2021, I have already been introduced to a wide range of work and I am sure this variation will continue to broaden.  The range consists of different types of valuations, tenancy matters, property sales, the occasional livestock market, the list goes on!  I enjoy accompanying colleagues on client visits too, getting an insight into the job out of the office and learning alongside professionals.

During the final two years of study at Harper Adams, students can begin their RICS Assessment of Professional Competence set to take their assessment shortly after completing the university course.  In simple terms, after five years of study and working through the degree apprenticeship scheme, I should be a qualified Chartered Surveyor!