University

Columbia University

Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED)

Program overview

The Columbia University Master of Science of Real Estate Development (MS.RED) program is an intensive, three term (one year) graduate program in real estate offered through Columbia University’s highly ranked Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. The program leverages its location in one of the great cities of the world, New York City, to teach its students three core tenets of urban real estate development: “the financial, the physical, and the legal”.

A.CRE Accelerator Members at this University

Total members: 27

University rank: 08

Last updated: October 1, 2023

Academic Information

Degree offered

Master of Science of Real Estate Development (MSRED)

Length of program

1 Year

Number of Credits Required

30 core credits + 15 elective credits.

Mode of learning

On campus

Unique real estate academic features

Center for Urban Real Estate (CURE): “CURE identifies, shares, and advocates solutions for a rapidly urbanizing world.”

Courses and disciplines/concentrations offered

Semester 1

Real Estate Finance
Real Estate Finance Concepts Tutorial
Real Estate Finance Tutorial
The Development Process I + Market Analysis
Site Planning and Support Systems for Development
Design for Development
Political Environment of Development

Semester 2

Real Estate Finance II
Real Estate Finance II Tutorial

Semester 2 Continuation

The Development Process II
Underwriting
Lease Analysis and Financial Metrics
Legal Principles of Real Estate
Real Estate Valuation and Investment Analysis

Semester 3

Real Estate Finance III
Real Estate Law
Capstone: Development Case Studies
Construction Management and Technology

Real Estate Extracurricular Opportunities

Notable traditions & events

Lunchbox Lecture Series: hosted by the RED Student Association, this weekly event provides real estate students at Columbia an opportunity to hear from and interface with real estate executives and industry thought leaders

Typically held every Monday
Notable speakers have included Marc Holliday, Marty Burger, and Mark McGoldrick
Companies recently represented at the event include Vornado, Silverstein Properties, SL Green, Thor Equities, Fortress Investment Group, Apollo, and Extell
An excellent opportunity to network with industry professionals and other real estate students at Columbia

Real estate extracurricular activities available

Clubs: Various real estate related clubs are available to join. A full list can be found here.
Center for Urban Real Estate (CURE)

Networking opportunities

Lunchbox Lecture Series: hosted by the RED Student Association, this weekly event provides real estate students at Columbia an opportunity to hear from and interface with real estate executives and industry thought leaders.
Career Programming: Speed networking with alumni, MSRED Alumni Mentorship Program, annual career fair (typically in February)

Recruiting

General info on roles students fill after graduation

Areas of Focus:A majority of graduates land jobs in development, but there is also a strong representation of MSRED grads in other areas of real estate (e.g. acquisition, finance, investment banking, private equity, affordable housing, consulting, and entrepreneurship).

Geographic Focus: The program is very NYC-focused, and so it’s not surprising that most domestic students decide to stay and work in New York. International students generally return to their home countries to work.

There is no hard data available on placement post-graduation, but here’s anecdotal information from a recent graduate:

“I found my current position about a month after graduation and started two months after graduation. A large majority find positions in the summer following graduation.”

About half of students seek internships during the school year to bolster their resume and potentially lead to full-time employment.

Average salary post graduation

$100,000

Hudson Companies
JP Morgan Asset Management
L+M
LCOR Developers
Mayor’s Office of Operations
Millstein Bros. Realty
Moody’s Investor Services
Mount Kellet
NYC Economic Dev. Corp.
Procida Development
Related Companies
Sapir Organization
Setai Group
SHVO
Situs Companies
SL Green
Steelcase
The Gale Company
The Marketing Directors
Tishman Speyer
Tishman Urban Corp.
Tony Goldman
Trump Organization

Common employers

AECOM
AIG International
APC Realty Advisors
Athena Group
AvalonBay Communities
Boston Properties
Brack Capital Real Estate
Browne Fino Davis
Carlyle Group
CIM Group
Citigroup Alternative Invsts.
Crescent Heights
CRG Realty Capital
Cushman & Wakefield
DDG Partners
Deutsche Bank Realty
Edward J. Minskoff Realty
Empire State Dev. Corp.
Ernst & Young
Forest City Ratner
Fortress Investment Group
GE Capital Asset Mgmt.
Goldman Sachs/UIG

Faculty and Research

Faculty & Staff for the Program

See a list of Current Faculty here.

Distinguished real estate faculty members or research areas

Christopher W. Munsell

Associate Professor

Noam Franklin

Professor & Milstein Chair of Urban Development

David Kruth

Adjunct Assistant Professor & Managing Partner

Mention any recent real estate research achievements or ongoing projects

Urban Land Institute recognizes partnership with Columbia GSAPP’s Real Estate Development among other institutions in educating the future diverse leaders in Real Estate.

Alumni Support

Real estate alumni networks and associations

Columbia offers:

Speed networking with alumni,
MSRED Alumni Mentorship Program,
Annual career fair (typically in February.)

Accreditations and Rankings

Top National Universities (2023-2024)

Ranking: 12

America’s Top Architecture Graduate Programs (2019-2020)

Ranking: 2

Awards or recognition

Glascock Associate Professor of Professional Practice Christopher Munsell featured in CTL’s online resource for incorporating Generative AI in Teaching and Learning: Faculty Examples Across Disciplines. (2023)

Columbia Partners With Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. to Open Alexandria LaunchLabs @ Columbia (2019)

New York’s leading real estate families, the Durst Organization, announced a $4 million gift to GSAPP (2012)

Financial Information

Tuition fees

$32,550 per term; three term program

Financial aid

Available.

Scholarships

Available.

General information

Where is the program housed on campus?

Center for Urban Real Estate (CURE): “The center offers GSAPP faculty and students a cross-disciplinary approach that integrates theory and practice to solve unique development problems.”