Taubman College

Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development

Requirements

Real estate development is an interdisciplinary field. Therefore, courses for the certificate come from the University of Michigan's Business, Law, Urban and Regional Planning, Natural Resources and Environment, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Urban Design, and Engineering Schools. Students are eligible to apply either as (1) a University of Michigan graduate student or (2) as a real estate professional on a stand-alone, certificate-only, basis. Applicants have to be a graduate of an accredited four-year college or university. We welcome applications from real estate professionals in the Detroit metropolitan area who are not currently enrolled at UM. Most of our UM graduate students are enrolled in urban planning, business, law, urban design, architecture, public policy, natural resources, and social work.

Certificate students must complete a total of 17 credits hours. Enrollment will be limited to 60 students in the program at any one time.

Course requirements

Students are encouraged but not required to have completed a course in microeconomics before beginning the certificate. Students will complete the following requirements (see courses page for specific course offerings):

NEW: A 7.5 credit real estate-oriented MAP project is eligible for double-counting two of the required 3 credit courses.

  1. An introductory real estate development overview course
    The aim of these courses is to give students an overview of the process of real estate development from conception to completion before they enter courses that deal with detailed aspects of development.
  2. At least three credits in real estate finance and investment
    These courses provide understanding of how real estate is financed and why investors are interested in real estate. Students will learn about the role of real estate finance in capital markets and about the structure of financing for real estate projects.
  3. At least three credits in real estate and land use law
    These courses provide background in the legal structure that encourages, discourages, and controls different types of real estate development. These courses provide the background for understanding why jurisdictions regulate development and how regulation can enhance the quality of development.
  4. At least three credits in real estate in the urban development context
    These courses encourage students to consider what constitutes desirable development that enhances the quality of life.
  5. At least three credits in design and implementation
    These courses aim to give students background in complex areas of design and implementation of real estate development projects.
  6. An integrative seminar
    This two-credit, course will address special topics in real estate with the goal of giving students an opportunity to study specific issues in a seminar setting and to share ideas among all those in the certificate program.

Please review the Real Estate Certificate Requirement Checklist (PDF 22KB). This should be filed with Stacey Shimones, 2150 Art and Architecture.

An integrative, applied, "capstone" real estate project course is highly recommended but not required

Certificate students enrolled in programs that require a final, integrative project for a master's degree (such as such as the M.S. and M.L.A. in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment and the M.U.P. in urban and regional planning) should seek to design their projects around real estate development.

Counting credits from a single course toward both the certificate and another degree

Students in a master's program may double count no more than one-sixth of their master's credits but not to exceed one half of the certificate program provided they are courses from the approved certificate curriculum.

For example:

  • M.U.P. 48 x 1/6 = 8 credits can be double counted
  • M.U.D. 39 x 1/6 = 6 credits can be double counted

Please review double counting rules and guidelines (PDF 15KB).

Residency rule

Rackham has a nine-credit residency rule for the certificate. This means students must register for at least nine certificate credits under Rackham registration and may not count these nine credits toward their other program.

Formally structured dual degrees: M.U.P./M.Arch., M.U.P./M.B.A. and M.U.P./J.D.

Formal dual degree students will be able to double-count credits for the Real Estate Certificate Program. That means that these students can add the Certificate for an additional nine credits, rather than 17, double counting eight credits. It is important that you consult with your advisors on dual enrollment. Further information.

Student-initiated dual degrees: M.U.P./M.S.W., M.U.P./M.S. (Resource Policy & Behavior or Resource Ecology & Management), M.U.P./M.L.A., M.U.P./M.P.P., M.U.P./M.P.H., and M.U.P./M.U.D.

Students in a student-initiated dual degree program may petition Rackham for approval to double count credits for the Real Estate Certificate Program. Please contact Rackham to talk with an OARD specialist.

Course Websites