Masters in Real Estate and Development Programs Online

As real estate transactions have become increasingly more complex in the past several years, many real estate firms now prefer to have college graduates and even master's degree holders as their employees. Whether your interest is in real estate brokerage, development, law, architecture, or planning, a masters in real estate can open more career opportunities to you in this highly competitive industry. Below are the top online colleges offering masters in real estate or similar degree programs.

MBA: Real Estate	Marylhurst University : Marylhurst University's MBA program in real estate studies helps students increase their career options in an unpredictable market by expanding their knowledge of real estate law, property values and insurance. Expert instructors teach how to understand real estate trends, how to lead your own sales team, and how to enhance your career as a broker, appraiser or investor.
MS: Property Mgmt	Drexel University : Drexel University's Master of Science in Property Management is intended for experienced managers without previous degrees in property management or real estate. Every class involves strong research and analytical skills, and the program emphasizes experiential learning opportunities and strategic decision-making. In addition to core courses, students can select electives based on their professional interests.
MS: Real Estate Mgmt	New England College : New England College's MS in real estate management is designed to craft compelling candidates for jobs in real estate agencies, consulting, corporate and residential development, and property management. Students learn about contract management, customer relations and project management, earning their degrees in less than two years by taking one class at a time.
MBA: Financial Planning	Jones International University : Jones International University's MBA in Financial Planning program is designed for those pursuing careers as financial planners or investment advisors. Students learn estate planning, investments, taxation, real estate and insurance, as well as how to use professional investment and portfolio management tools. Personal finance issues are also covered, including estate and retirement planning and budgeting.
MS: Financial Planning	Golden Gate University : Golden Gate University's MS in financial planning is intended for students who wish to become financial planners, investment advisors or money managers, or who want to learn more about estate planning, insurance, taxes, and real estate for personal use. While all necessary coursework can be completed online, some classes are also offered in classrooms.
MS: Personal Finance	College for Financial Planning : The College for Financial Planning MS in personal financial planning satisfies the educational requirement for the CFP Certification Examination. The comprehensive program includes courses in risk management, insurance, investment planning, income tax, retirement and estate planning and portfolio management for personal financial planners. Electives in areas like women & financial planning, money & banking, and global economics round out the curriculum.

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What is a Master's Degree in Real Estate?

A masters in real estate gives you the ability to go above and beyond the career opportunities for a real estate agent. A masters in real estate revolves around studying the economy, property value, location, finance, some architecture and urban planning. This is a degree sought for those who wish to move up in the corporate world of real estate or work as a real estate developer. A masters in real estate in relatively new, with most colleges and universities introducing these programs in the early 1980s.

Graduate school for real estate is a common catchall during a down economy for those with a bachelors degree in business or real estate. During the 2000s, we saw a need for more qualified candidates to work in the real estate field, which possibly could have prevented economic crisis such as the housing bubble. Opportunities will be available for those with a masters in real estate in the next decade. These positions will revolve around strategic planning for real estate investors and home owners who are looking for long term homes. There are now some MBA programs that have an emphasis on real estate for this very purpose. Remember you do not need a masters in real estate to sell commercial or residential real estate or appraise property. There are many different career paths one can take with a masters in real estate.

What kind of job or career can I have with a masters in real estate?

Developer

This position involves developing land, whether it’s commercial or residential properties. Most developers stick to either commercial or residential properties. You may be in charge of developing a subdivision, a shopping strip or a downtown high rise. An extended background in architecture is also needed for this. Some may get their undergrad degree in architecture, gain work experience and then go back to school for a masters in real estate. A masters in real estate is beneficial as a developer because you’re able to assess the land you’re working with and gauge the market properly, giving you an edge when negotiating deals and choosing jobs to take on.

A developer has many responsibilities, which can include finding the right land for a project or making a project work on a designated piece of land. You should have excellent communication skills and realize a developer works many holidays and weekends to get a job done completed on time. You should also be able to delegate responsibilities so a project goes as smooth as possible and your client is happy with the work. In 2010, the average salary for a land developer in the U.S. was between $92,000 and $100,000.

City planner

A city planner plans the layout for a city and any government-owned property within that city. A city planner also works on existing cities and how they can be improved upon, such as making facilities go green or implementing new techniques to save water, energy or other resources. City planners also work with draft zoning and play a hand in where roads are developed. This position is slated to grow a little under 20% through 2018. This is a difficult job to get, as most city planners stay in their position for a long time, but with the baby boomer generation, many will be retiring at relatively the same time. Most of these jobs will revolve around green building and public projects, such as libraries and parks. You may have an undergrad degree in city, urban or regional planning before obtaining your masters in real estate to snag a position as a city planner. The vast majority of city planners do have a masters degree of some type. 66% of city planners are employed by the government.

City planning works with computers and technology in a major way, so it’s important you’re well-versed in these areas. All drafting is done with computer software and data for the geography of You need a background in engineering or architecture, as well as real estate to be a successful city planner. The average salary for a city planner is about $62,000.

Real estate director

In this position, you analyze property for a company or individual. These may be investment properties or potential places of business for the company or individual. This is a natural stepping stone for those who have a background brokering deals in selling and buying real estate. You may have a bachelors degree in real estate or have a real estate license with a bachelors degree in business or finance.

This is not a booming market, but it is set to grow by 8% through the next decade. Many companies will be more careful about where they are investing their money for new places and areas of business. Bringing in a fresh, knowledgeable set of eyes is beneficial because it will save the company money in the long run. It is the same for individuals who buy and sell residential real estate for profit. In many cases you work for yourself, which means you must be disciplined, organized and have exceptional people skills to network and build a healthy roster of clients. This can be a job that requires many hours besides the standard 9-5. Clients will need you to work according their own schedules much of the time and this may be outside of normal work hours and include weekends and holidays. This position also requires you to be comfortable with researching areas you aren’t familiar with to give your client the best assessment of a property. It also requires driving to meet clients, visiting properties with clients and doing extensive research on an area you may not be familiar with. In 2008, the average salary for a real estate manager was around $74,000.