The Master in Real Estate (MRE) degree program teaches students the foundational knowledge, technical skills, and methods of thinking required for any real estate project as well as for real estate that advances beneficial spatial, social, and environmental outcomes.

For nine on-campus months from late August to the end of May, students take a mixture of required and elective courses, including a development project-based course that simulates the multidisciplinary, holistic, collaborative, and transactional environment in which real estate projects are successfully created. The two-month off-campus Practicum places students in a cooperating private for-profit, private not-for-profit, or public organization to work on socially and environmentally beneficial projects. Students subsequently return to the GSD for several days to complete a paper and reflect on their Practicum experience through presentations and discussions. All MRE students will have a faculty advisor to guide them on curricular and extracurricular matters.

Students who enter the MRE program with advanced knowledge in specific areas may place out of a limited number of courses and substitute others drawn from a curated list. Cross-registration is available in eligible courses offered by the Harvard Business School, the Kennedy School, the Law School, the T. H. Chan School of Public Health, the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the College. Students may also cross-register in eligible classes at MIT and Tufts Fletcher School.

The following courses constitute the approved Master in Real Estate degree curriculum. Courses and requirements are subject to change based on ongoing assessments by the faculty.

• 4 units Real Estate Development and Finance
• 4 units Urban Economics and Market Analysis
• 4 units Design and Design Thinking for Real Estate
• 4 units Real Estate, Society, Environment
• 4 units Elective

• • 4 units Construction Management, Project Management, New Technologies

• • 4 units Advanced Real Estate Development and Finance
  • 4 units Public and Private Development
  • 4 units The Development Project
  • 4 units Real Estate Law
  • 4 units Elective

• • 2 units Negotiation
  • 2 units Leadership, Entrepreneurship
  • 12 units Practicum

Practicum

Scheduled for the summer following the nine months of in-residence education at the GSD, the Practicum places students in a cooperating private for-profit, private not-for-profit, or public organization in the United States and elsewhere to work on socially and environmentally beneficial projects. The MRE program works with students and cooperating organizational partners to create matches that satisfy the interests of both parties. During the Practicum, students meet periodically as a group and individually with MRE faculty to examine their experience. They will also prepare memoranda discussing their work. Following the Practicum, students return to the GSD for a several-day concluding session to reflect on their Practicum engagement through presentations and discussions. Students must also submit a final report. A stipend covering expenses is provided.

Interested in the MRE program?

For general inquiries about the Master in Real Estate program, please email [email protected] or call 617-495-6120 Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM EST. If you would like to be entered in our database and receive future mailings, please fill out the Contact Form.