Introduction
The Real Estate program prepares students to be leaders in the real estate industry and provides the quantitative and qualitative tools necessary for their roles in shaping the future of the industry. It also provides an introduction to the real estate sector for students in other fields who nevertheless recognize the importance of real estate for all sectors of the economy and seek to understand it.
The Real Estate concentration consists of one required course and three CUs of electives. The required course focuses on real estate finance and investment analysis, whereas the electives explore a variety of issues related to real estate. These include development, the economics of real estate markets, urban fiscal policy, real estate law, entrepreneurship in the real estate sector, housing markets, the relationship between government policy and private development, real estate data analytics, and international real estate markets. Students who are not concentrating in Real Estate can take any of the courses as long as they have completed the prerequisites.
To keep students informed of current issues in Real Estate, the Real Estate Department partners with the Samuel Zell & Robert Lurie Real Estate Center, which sponsors conferences, seminars, and special programs on vital public policy issues relevant to the field. The Zell/Lurie Center also assists with career mentoring, networking opportunities, and additional resources for students dedicated to pursuing careers in the real estate industry.
Curriculum
The Real Estate Department’s curriculum offers courses for students of all levels and areas of interest. Click here for descriptions of these courses and past syllabi.
Entry Courses
These courses provide introductions to a broad array of real estate topics. They are a good fit for students with an interest in developing a foundation in real estate before deepening their knowledge or for students wishing to gain a general knowledge of the real estate sector to become well-rounded and high-functioning investors and business executives.
- REAL/FNCE 2090 – Real Estate Investment: Analysis and Financing
- REAL 2050 – Global Real Estate: Risk, Politics and Culture
Topics Courses
These elective courses delve deeper into specific areas of real estate from different lenses, many of which are cross-disciplinary in nature. Students can take these courses to broaden their perspective on real estate or related topics, or to drill down into their interests.
- REAL/BEPP 2080 – Housing Markets
- REAL 2150 – Urban Real Estate Economics
- REAL/FNCE/ BEPP 2300 – Urban Fiscal Policy
- REAL/BEPP 2360 – International Housing Comparisons
- REAL 3700 – Real Estate Data Analytics
Courses for Students with a Real Estate Concentration or Other Students with a Deeper Interest in the Real Estate Industry
Students with a serious interest in pursuing real estate as a career should take courses from this category. They are focused on topics and skills that are central to a career in real estate and provide the deepest level of understanding of the industry in order to equip students to become successful and impactful leaders.
- REAL/LGST 2040 – Real Estate Law
- REAL 2400 – Advanced Real Estate Investment and Analysis
- REAL 3210 – Real Estate Development
- REAL 3750 – Real Estate Disruptions
- REAL 3960– Real Estate Entrepreneurship
To discuss the Real Estate program in depth, click here for the contact information for the Undergraduate Advisor.