CIH work with recognised educational institutions to draw on the combined benefits of academic and practical expertise in the pursuit of excellence in housing management.
As the professional body for people who work in housing, we validate or approve university undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes to facilitate routes to chartered membership status (CIHCM).
We work with organisations to validate and support programmes which positively contribute to the mission and values of the institute.
Any application must demonstrate the benefit to staff undertaking a programme and its contribution to the wider housing profession.
Please contact us if you are interested in getting your programme validated or recognised by CIH. You can contact us by emailing award.organisation@cih.org or calling us on 02476 851 773.
Please include details of the programmes you want to be validated/recognised).
Postgraduate qualifications
CIH have validated postgraduate housing programmes which fully meet the requirements of our specification for chartered membership.
Please contact a centre for more details of their programmes and information on applying.
Name of CIH validated courses:
Means of delivery: blended (currently)
Whether you’re a recent graduate in a related subject, or a professional working in the field, this innovative, accredited course will allow you to investigate the latest issues and developments in housing, regeneration and urban management and join the path to becoming a Chartered Town Planner.
As part of your course you’ll:
- Learn how you could help shape our world into a better place on this reflective course designed for modern housing professionals, or those aspiring to work in the sector.
- This course will have a strong strand of professional development embedded throughout your modules and will develop your skills and knowledge, so you can understand contemporary and relevant critiques of the current housing sector.
- Your studies will address both academic and practical perspectives, covering topics such as the ways different groups co-exist in urban areas, how to use legal frameworks, leadership, professional ethics and tenants’ law. In your final year, you will be able to tailor your studies to meet your professional aspirations.
- Develop expertise in leadership and management, community engagement and spatial planning
- Learn to appraise and implement policy while keeping a critical eye on the contemporary housing and regeneration field
- Be entitled to free student membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute and access a concessionary membership rate with the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Name of CIH accredited courses:
Means of delivery: Weekly face to face (when Scottish Government Guidance allows and it is safe to do so), with some blended learning, until then online only.
The programme has recently been redesigned to reflect the rapidly changing nature of the field and the changing demands faced by housing professionals in a post-pandemic policy landscape. The programme delivers a highly regarded professional education in housing and has been developed in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Housing to deliver their professionally accredited postgraduate qualification.
It is suitable for people working in housing who wish to develop their career, or people who are new to the sector and wish to enhance their skill set. Students can study part-time or full-time. On successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma programme students may, subject to performance, transfer on to the MSc and produce a dissertation based on their research.
In addition to a set of core housing studies courses (to the value of 80 credits) students have the opportunity to select from a range of additional courses (of 40 credits) in: regeneration; private rented sector; devolved UK housing policy; international comparative housing; housing, inequality and society; evidence and policy analysis; urban conservation and urban design.
Name of CIH accredited courses:
- PG Dip/MSc in Housing Studies (part-time, working in housing)
- PG Dip/MSc in Housing Studies (with internship, full-time and part-time options)
- MSc in Housing Studies (Dissertation Only)
Means of delivery: blended learning – mainly online with occasional on campus teaching.
The University of Stirling programme provides a postgraduate-level accredited course appropriate to the learning needs of graduates/graduate equivalents interesting in developing their careers in housing. We have been delivering blended learning for over a decade, and our innovative teaching involves a combination of on-campus and live online sessions. Learning materials are recorded for students unable to travel to campus or join us live, thereby supporting flexible learning. The team’s close links to housing practice, combined with their research experience, ensures full engagement with the professional housing sector. There are also opportunities to attend external events and guest lectures from housing practitioners.
Undergraduate qualifications
CIH have validated undergraduate housing programmes which fully meet the requirements of our specification for chartered membership.
Please contact a centre for more details of their programmes and information on applying.
Name of CIH accredited courses:
BSc Community Development and Leadership
Also accredited by the English Standards Board for Community Work, the Community Development and Leadership BSc course combines the disciplines of social policy and sociology to provide a comprehensive view into issues that affect communities and look at how we can prevent them. It’s linked to degrees in social work and youth studies to offer a wide range of learning experiences and job opportunities. The course also provides a strong focus on employability and includes a placement. The leadership element of the course provides a springboard for working in management roles.
BSc Social Work
Also accredited by Social Work England, this demanding Social Work BSc degree will enable you to practise as a social worker. You’ll benefit from our extensive links with statutory organisations, local authorities and the voluntary sector, as well as from the experience our lecturers bring to the classroom.
BSc Health and Social Care
Our Health and Social Care BSc (Hons) degree is designed to help you develop the confidence, knowledge and skills required for a professional career in the health and social care sector. The programme is aligned to the standards specified by Skills for Health (the Skills Council for the NHS) and on completion of the course you’ll be able to demonstrate to prospective employers that your advanced skills conform to the National Occupational Standards (NOS).
Name of CIH accredited courses:
- Foundation Degree in Housing and Communities (part-time)
- Level 4 Senior Apprenticeship Housing/Property Management
Means of delivery – face to face teaching with opportunities for online and blended learning if required.
The overall aims of the Foundation Degree in Housing and Communities which also satisfies the requirements of the Senior Housing and Property Manager Apprenticeship Standard are to:
- To provide a challenging, stimulating and vocationally relevant academic programme of study.
- To meet the development needs of housing organisations and professionals and to facilitate housing staff to be awarded chartered membership of the industry professional body, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).
- To develop students’ knowledge, skills and professional behaviours to satisfy the requirements of housing employers and the standards of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).
Name of CIH accredited courses:
Means of delivery: blended (currently)
Whether you’re a recent graduate in a related subject, or a professional working in the field, this innovative, accredited course will allow you to investigate the latest issues and developments in housing, regeneration and urban management and join the path to becoming a Chartered Town Planner.
As part of your course you’ll:
- Learn how you could help shape our world into a better place on this reflective course designed for modern housing professionals, or those aspiring to work in the sector.
- This course will have a strong strand of professional development embedded throughout your modules and will develop your skills and knowledge, so you can understand contemporary and relevant critiques of the current housing sector.
- Your studies will address both academic and practical perspectives, covering topics such as the ways different groups co-exist in urban areas, how to use legal frameworks, leadership, professional ethics and tenants’ law. In your final year, you will be able to tailor your studies to meet your professional aspirations.
- Develop expertise in leadership and management, community engagement and spatial planning
- Learn to appraise and implement policy while keeping a critical eye on the contemporary housing and regeneration field
- Be entitled to free student membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute and access a concessionary membership rate with the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Name of CIH accredited courses:
- BSc Housing Studies
- HNC Housing Studies
- Diploma Housing Studies
Our courses challenge those working in and exploring housing as a career to think about housing in a deeper way. With a focus on applied knowledge, students engage with the broader external factors and concepts which impact on everyday service delivery. Looking at the housing system as a whole, we explore topics such as regeneration, homelessness, and inequality and apply these to practice. Our assessments build skills relevant to the workplace, and enable development as a reflective practitioner. Our strong relationship with the housing sector ensures that students hear about current best practice and build links with other professionals.
