Real Estate students from the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) in Cirencester have started their courses with a first-hand insight into the process that goes into meeting the country's demand for new houses.

36 students from the BSc (Hons) and MSc Real Estate courses visited Newland Homes' 39-home New Town Park development in Toddington and found out more about the process the developer takes in building new communities, including identifying and purchasing land, designing the homes and the site layout, building the properties and finally sales and marketing.

The Real Estate course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and, typically, graduates enter employment with firms of surveyors to undertake the two-year Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and qualify as Chartered Surveyors.

Andrew Billings, Newland Homes' Land Director and Royal Agricultural University Cirencester graduate, said: "We have a close relationship with the Royal Agricultural University and also have former students on our team. By bringing the students onto an active site early on in their studies allows them to see how the theory they will be learning in the coming months is applied in real life. The new homes sector is still vibrant and with many opportunities for those looking to have rewarding careers, whether that's in land, design, build or marketing."

Peter Smith, BSc (Hons) Real Estate course manager, said: "We really value the close relationship we have with firms in professional practice, such as Newland Homes, in providing real live case studies, which help to reinforce classroom teaching. Both the BSc (Hons) in Real Estate and the MSc Real Estate programmes at the RAU in Cirencester are courses designed to enable graduates to enter general / mixed practice.

"The curriculum is broad to facilitate a wide range of subjects and disciplines, so that students can see what is available to them out there in the real estate workplace, before specialising later. Students on both programmes find graduate employment in both the rural and non-rural sectors, and could finish up working for firms and organisations in both the UK or overseas as chartered surveyors.

"The practical nature of the courses develops a problem-solving mentality amongst our students in a career that, in essence, equates to a project management of ideas. Introducing first-year students from day one in their studies to housebuilding and construction, project management, valuation, town and country planning, and how houses are marketed and sold is an invaluable experience. I would like to thank Newland Homes for hosting the visit and giving us so much support over the years."

New Town Park in Toddington is an exclusive architect-designed development in extensively landscaped grounds, offering four and five-bedroom detached homes, as well as three-bedroom semi-detached properties. The homes have been carefully designed in cul-de-sacs to ensure each home's privacy and to make the most of the views across the neighbouring countryside. Prices currently start at £630,000 for a five-bedroom double-fronted 'Broadway' home.

For more information on New Town Park and Newland Homes, visit www.newlandhomes.co.uk/toddington.