With the booming real estate industry, master’s degrees related to real estate have become increasingly popular among international students who want to tap into the lucrative real estate sector in US. When it comes to top quality education in real estate, the following prestigious American universities stand out and deserve a close look. Columbia University’s Master of Science in Real Estate Development integrates foundational skills in real estate with a holistic approach to urban development. The program spans three semesters and creatively combines specialized real estate competencies with an overall approach to urban development. MIT’s one-year Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) is a rigorous, intensive, multidisciplinary, and application-oriented program that investigates every facet of the real estate field. Cornell University’s two-year Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate provides a cross-disciplinary curriculum drawing from nearly every college at Cornell. The program is tailored for ambitious real estate professionals early in their careers. At New York University, the MS in Real Estate Development and MS in Real Estate at the NYU School of Professional Studies offer a curriculum that examines real estate disciplines in both breadth and depth. The programs provide flexibility in pace and content customization.
Columbia University’s holistic real estate education integrates finance, physical, and legal dimensions
Columbia University’s Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) spans three semesters and takes an integrated approach, building real estate development education on three core global principles – the financial, the physical, and the legal. The intensive Summer Semester covers real estate finance, construction technology, market analytics and other foundational subjects. The Expansive Fall Semester offers particularly extensive curriculum in finance, history of development and real estate law, plus significant elective opportunities. Finally, the Integrated Spring Semester enables a cross-disciplinary portfolio of independent and supervised research and coursework like capstone projects, complex financial and economic modeling, and public policy analysis. The holistic integration gives students a comprehensive understanding of the real estate development process. Applicants from diverse educational backgrounds are encouraged, especially those with some background in development-related fields like architecture, finance, law, urban design, historic preservation, civil engineering, or urban planning.
MIT MSRED investigates all facets of real estate through a rigorous, intensive, cross-disciplinary program
MIT’s prestigious one-year Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) program is widely considered the first of its kind in the US. Established in 1983, it investigates every facet of the real estate field through a rigorous, intensive, multidisciplinary and application-focused curriculum. Echoing MIT’s charter to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology and other areas, the MSRED program effectively applies academic discoveries to practical problems just as MIT’s world-renowned School of Engineering has done. The cross-disciplinary curriculum offered by MSRED leverages strengths from MIT’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Engineering, Department of Economics, and Sloan School of Management. This allows the program to examine all areas impacting real estate, from design and development to construction, management, finance and law. The program also incorporates a summer term for students to pursue internships or other practical opportunities. The median age of students in this program is around 30 years old.
Cornell University’s two-year MPS in Real Estate provides broad-based business education for real estate professionals
Cornell University’s two-year Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Real Estate offered by the Baker Program in Real Estate takes an expansive approach that leverages nearly every discipline at Cornell. This comprehensive curriculum is tailored for ambitious real estate professionals early in their careers. The 62-credit program dedicates 38.5 credits to core real estate courses, 4.5 credits to leadership and management, 12 credits to a chosen concentration, and 7 elective credits. Students take a professional summer internship between the first and second year. Concentrations offered include Real Estate Consulting and Market Analysis, International Real Estate, Property and Portfolio Management, among others. Students can also craft a customized concentration with advisor approval. No specific background is required for admission, but relevant real estate experience is preferred. The broad-based business education equips students with multidisciplinary knowledge spanning finance, management, law, design, and more.
NYU’s MS in Real Estate Development and MS in Real Estate provide customized curriculum with flexible pacing
New York University’s School of Professional Studies offers both a MS in Real Estate Development (MSRED) and a MS in Real Estate. The MSRED provides students with a rigorous foundation in real estate finance, law, construction, design, market analysis, and the development process. Students can customize concentrations in areas like sustainable development, global real estate, or the business of development. The program can be completed in as little as 13 months or a more typical 2 years. Similarly, the MS in Real Estate examines all real estate disciplines in both breadth and depth across topics like finance, valuation, management, law, and more. Students choose two concentrations, like Real Estate Finance and Investment or Real Estate Asset Management. The 42-credit curriculum also allows pacing flexibility. No specific background is required for either program, but relevant experience is highly preferred. The programs leverage NYU’s location in New York City and draw heavily on instructors working in the field.
For students interested in real estate, Columbia, MIT, Cornell, and NYU offer top quality graduate programs featuring multidisciplinary curriculum, opportunities for specialization, and flexibility. Their stellar faculty and locations provide access to industry connections and hands-on learning.