PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION VERSUS OFFICIAL ACCREDITATION. THE CASE OF THE MASTER OF REAL ESTATE SCIENCES OF THE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF VALENCIA (SPAIN)

Spanish Universities are developing an important process of reform due to the Bologna Agreement. Between the measures adopted are: the accreditation of the teaching staff, the accreditations of the faculties, degrees accreditations and the Universities.

Related to the Master degrees accreditations, it is becoming a new effect, which is the coexistence of two kinds of Master degrees at the Spanish Universities. Some Masters degrees accredited by a national institution and Master degrees are accredited just by a University.

The official Masters degrees are academic steps halfway between the Bachelor Degree and the Doctorate degree. This way, the official Masters degrees are mainly focused on doing research. In contrast, the professional Masters (Master degrees are accredited just by a University) are headed for the professionals of each sector, who also need to recycle their knowledge but they don’t have research interests.

This paper shows the particular case of the Master of Real Estate Sciences taught at the Center of Economic Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Valencia. (Now at its 10th edition)

The Master of Real Estate Sciences, it is a title accredited by the UPV, which was taught in joint partnership with Nottingham Trent University (UK). Also it is remarkable the fact that most of lecturers are professionals of the real estate sector.

The first edition of the Masters o Real Estate Sciences was in 2000-2001 at Polytechnic University of Valencia (INECO (Center for the Economic Engineering)). Since its first edition the Master received the accreditation of the Royal Institution of Charter Surveyors (RICS). The RICS accreditation explains the success and future of the Master of Real Estate Sciences in Valencia.

This study analyzes the differences between the process of accreditation of the Master of Real Estate Sciences by a professional institution as the RICS and the Spanish official process of accreditation carried out by the Spanish Ministry of Education.

Finally, there will be exposed the conclusions that made the Master Board not to apply for the official accreditation.