Master of Facilities Management

Admission Requirements | Core Units of Study | Option Units & Electives | Professional Development Courses | Career Profiles | Master of Commerce / Facilities Management

Facilities Management
Every organisation uses buildings of some sort and their occupation incurs recurrent costs for rent, rates, cleaning, energy consumption, water, security, etc, amounting in time to more than the capital cost of creating the buildings in the first place. Facility Managers have the responsibility of ensuring that their employers’ premises assist them in fulfilling their core business objectives, retaining their capital value through appropriate maintenance, as well as obtaining value from their day-to-day operating costs. This program recognises that the facilities manager requires an understanding of business finance and management information as well as the technical areas of buildings. Emphasis is placed on understanding the strategic objectives of the organisation, and the way that facilities contribute towards their realisation. You will be encouraged to direct your learning to your working situation where appropriate, through your assignments.

Program Coordinator: Dr David Leifer

Professional membership
Australian Institute of Building (AIB) has accepted graduates of the Masters program for corporate membership as Chartered Building Professionals if possessing the requisite professional experience. The Australian Institute of Building NSW Chapter Medal in Building is awarded annually to the outstanding graduate from the Masters program.

Admission Requirements

Masters and Graduate Diploma applicants should hold a bachelors degree. Graduate Certificate applicants should hold a bachelors degree or possess experience which is considered to demonstrate the knowledge and aptitude required to undertake the course.

Core Units of Study

Total credit points required

Graduate Certificate 24
Core 24, Options 0, Electives 0
Graduate Diploma 48
Core 24 Options 12, Electives 12
Master 72
Core 36, Options 18, Electives 18

Strategic Facility Management
DESC 9047, 6 credit points, semester 1, classes: intensive
This unit is an introduction to Facility Management. It is a management discipline,
and as such relies on the central topics of business finance, information systems,
and management.

Financial and Managerial Accounting
DESC 9049, 6 credit points, semester 1, classes: intensive
Facilities Management is a subset of business management and as such, no management can be exercised without first matching the need for resources against the resources available. This necessarily involves the financial and accounting information systems of the organisation, and the tools necessary to extract information in order to make informed decisions. The unit covers Managerial Accounting in its first half and Cost Accounting in the second.

Organisational Analysis & Behaviour
DESC 9071, 6 credit points, semester 1, classes: intensive
The aim of this unit is to provide an integrated approach to both micro and macro aspects of organisational behaviour. The unit examines actions at three different levels of analysis: the individual, the group and the organisation.

Operational Facility Management
DESC 9048, 6 credit points, semester 2, classes: intensive
The first part of the course looks at external constraints on Corporate priorities; including the theoretical issues influencing why an organisation locates where it does. The second part will take an overview of four of the major facility operational areas that are amenable to management; Security, Cleaning, Energy, and Repairs & Maintenance, which between them consume the major portion of facilities costs.

Project and Contract Management
DESC 9074, 6 credit points, semester 2, classes: intensive
An understanding of project management skills is an essential requirement for successful practice by professionals and managers engaged in creating and using buildings. The unit is designed to provide an introduction to the necessary skills and the fundamental principles and practice of them.

Risk Management
DESC 9183, 6 credit points, semester 2, classes: intensive
Organisations exist to fulfill missions. Everything they have to do to reach their goal carries an element of risk, therefore these risks have to be assessed. Risk must be examined and accepted by the most senior management and measures put in place to minimize it. This may involve taking out insurance, increasing security, having 100% redundancy, or any other innovative but practical solution. As organisations rely on their premises, Facility Managers must have an understanding of the risks associated with their organisations, and have programmes and procedures in place should the worst happen to ensure business continuity. The unit will work through the process of Risk Management addressing AS/NZS 4360:1999.

Option Units & Electives

Building Asset Management
DESC 9172, 6 credit points, semester 1 intensive

Service Provision
DESC 9112, 6 credit points, semester 1 intensive

Introduction to Building Services
DESC 9151, 6 credit points, semester 1 intensive

Energy Management in Buildings
DESC 9111, 6 credit points, semester 2 intensive

Computer Aided Facility Management
DESC 9113, 6 credit points, semester 2 intensive

Services Control Systems
DESC 9170, 6 credit points, semester 2 intensive

Building Construction Technology
See Building Services

Conservation Methods & Practices
See Heritage Conservation

Planning Procedures
See Urban & Regional Planning

Electives
Students are encouraged to choose electives from any graduate program. Students must refer to the web for timetables.

Just want to study one unit of study as professional development?

• For Professional Development courses click here

Career Profiles

Frank Riva

Frank Riva is the Regional Property Manager NSW/ACT for Qantas and completed the Facilities Management program to aid his promotion to his current position.

Can you give us a brief run down of your work background?
I’m responsible for the management of property and FM requirements for Qantas owned and leased portfolio of buildings, plant & equipment and services infrastructure in NSW and ACT. Including the overall strategy and planning for the capital replacement of major infrastructure and plant equipment servicing of these buildings and facilities. Other important attributes and responsibilities includes the leadership, direction, strategy, planning, implementation, delivery, life cycle optimisation and cost effective delivery to meet Qantas business objectives and compliance in-line with the relevant Statutory requirements, Codes and Standards.

What attracted you to the Facilities Management course?
The attraction to the course was to gain a better understanding of FM and to determine and utilise best practice FM strategies in ensuring company’s business target and goals are realised.

Where did you expect the course to lead you career wise?
The expectation was to be promoted to my current position where my new role is to lead and manage the FM Property team for NSW/ACT.

Was there any part of the course that your found particularly rewarding?
The most rewarding part of attending the FM course at USYD was the interaction and networking with other students and lecturers who were working in the FM industry. This interaction enabled me to gain a better insight in determining the main issues affecting the FM industry and therefore establishing strategies to achieve the desired outcomes.

On the completion of the course, did you find the skills you acquired useful in your work place?
Yes, the skills learnt were definitely useful in my current role, as most strategies that have been implemented came from the research and completion of the associated coursework assignments.

Is there any advice you would give to potential students contemplating this course?
My advice to other potential students who are either working or are planning to work in the FM industry is that they should make this course mandatory to complete. This course will open up minds to new and exciting ideas that can be adopted within their respective businesses to achieve set goals and objectives, by the use of learnt effective and efficient FM strategies.

My absolute endorsement for this course was during a recent restructure of my department, where all new and old staff in the restructured FM roles were given instructions that by accepting these new positions it was mandatory for them to complete the Graduate Certificate in FM at the University of Sydney. Ten of my staff are currently enrolled in the course and I will hopefully have all staff complete this course by end 2010.

Careers in Facilities Management

• Facilities Manager
• Facilities Planner
• Facilities Designer
• Asset Manager
• Facilities Operations Managers
• Facilities Planning Consultant
• Facility Management Consultant
• Facilities Engineer Venue
• Manager Event Manager

Master of Commerce / Facilities Management

The Master of Commerce/Facilities Management program is a path-breaking initiative in cross-disciplinary postgraduate education between the Faculty of Economics and Business and the Faculty of Architecture, Design & Planning. Integrating specialised study in facilities management with carefully tailored study in key areas of contemporary business thought and practice, the program offers facilities managers, general business managers and entrepreneurs alike a specially crafted and cohesive program of study that draws together knowledge from the fields of strategic management, business decision-making, project management, organisational studies, risk management, human resource management, accounting principles and processes, business law and marketing, and facilities management. Although built around a core of essential knowledge, the program also allows students scope to undertake advanced study in one of more areas of business practice.

For details of the Master of Commerce in the Faculty of Economics and Business please see: Faculty of Economics and Business website