Educating yourself to boost your career
Education can be the gateway to a better career and more personal satisfaction. For years, AGBeat has advocated for real estate education, and few take more steps than the required hours for licensing. Continuing your education can provide you with a more stable foundation in an unsure and wavering economy and real estate market and make for a better consumer experience- Realtors are trusted with a person’s biggest investment and should be as educated, if not more educated than a stock broker. With that in mind, here are nine universities that offer on-campus master’s degrees for real estate professionals.
John Hopkins – This is a Master of Science degree in Real Estate and is a part-time program. This program was designed for working professionals—so they can work full-time and still continue their educations. The Edward St. John Real Estate Program at John Hopkins University is geared toward mid-career real estate professionals who have about three to five years of professional experience. Areas of study include real estate investment, management, and development. This part-time MS degree is offered in Baltimore during the spring and Washington DC during the fall.
University of Washington – The Master’s of Science in Real Estate program at the University of Washington is a full-time two-year degree for professionals looking to advance their core knowledge and training. With a required 72 graduate credits, this program’s main focus is to help graduates earn and maintain leadership positions in the modern real estate industry and enable students to solve market-based problems.
University of Texas – Arlington – The University of Texas offers both a Master’s of Science in Real Estate degree and a Real Estate Certificate program. The MSRE program requires 36 completed class hours and does not require a thesis. Courses are offered in the evenings on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, which is perfect for working professionals and can be completed in one year. The University of Texas also has two study tour programs—one in Texas and one in New Zealand or Australia.
Georgetown – The Master’s Degree of Professional Studies in Real Estate is for those wanting to advance in the corporate world or for those whose goals are to be a part of the entrepreneurial world. Areas of study will include ethics, savings and loans crises and the Great Recession, foundations of real estate finance and the current market, and a final capstone course. Students can even choose to focus on international real estate or construction management, depending on their interests and career goals.
DePaul – Based in Chicago, Illinois, DePaul University’s Master of Science in Real Estate program is a total of twelve classes, and it takes a year and a half to complete for part-time students and a little under a year for full-time students. Unlike many of the other universities, DePaul offers two master’s programs: MBA in Real Estate, Finance, and Investment and MS in Real Estate. Both programs are perfect for students interested in the real estate industry.
University of Florida – The Nathan S. Collier Master’s of Science in Real Estate is a full-time program that last ten months. Enrolled students are mentored by the Bergstrom Center’s Real Estate Advisory Board and the Real Estate Alumni Association. Some required classes are Intro to Real Estate, Real Estate Law, Professional Writing and Communication, and Real Estate Appraisal, which make for a balanced and in-depth education.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT’s Real Estate MS program is a one-year program that is quite intensive and fast-paced. To graduate from this program, students are required to take eight courses and complete a thesis project. Its focus is the study of real estate theory and practice and is considered one of the most rigorous programs in the country. According to MIT’s website, graduates with Master’s of Science in Real Estate go on to become world-renowned developers, entrepreneurs, planners, policy makers, and brokers—to name a few.
University of San Diego – With a full-time program of ten months and a part-time program lasting twenty-two months, the University of San Diego’s goal is to teach their students the skills needed by all real estate professionals, including business writing, negotiating, decision-making, interpersonal skills, and knowledge of current real estate technology. Also, a large focus of the curriculum is based on values, morals, and the responsibility of every professional in the real estate industry. A dual MBA/MSRE degree is also offered.
Cornell – Cornell University offers a two-year Master’s of Professional Studies in Real Estate program that is specifically designed for those who are in the early stages of their real state careers. Cornell also offers a full-time real estate faculty, and it’s one of the largest in the nation. Topics of study include real estate development, architectural design, real estate management, and career management. The Cornell Real Estate Council is another resource for all students in the real estate field, which is the largest university-affiliated real estate network in the United States.
Choosing the right Master’s in Real Estate program can mean the difference between a robust, ever-growing career and one that just falls flat. Because the real estate market isn’t as healthy as it has been in years past, furthering your education through the right graduate coursework can give you the edge you need to secure additional clients and be given more clout in your industry. And that’s a worthy goal for every real estate professional.
