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Curriculum

Specialized and in-depth learning; real-world experience

The Cornell Baker Program in Real Estate curriculum offers a unique and powerful approach: an in-depth exploration of the variety of perspectives and disciplines that are integral to the industry, supplemented by real estate courses with an individualized focus that appeals to each student.

A robust weekly seminar series and a summer internship designed to give students real-world experience between the first and second year of the program round out the experience.

At the end of the first semester, students work with their advisor to select an area of concentration.

Requirements:

To complete the master’s degree, a student must:

  • Complete 62 credit hours, which includes:
    • 41.5 credit hours of core course requirements
    • 4.5 credit hours of leadership and management distribution
    • 12 credit hours (minimum of 4 courses) in an approved concentration
    • 4 credit hours of free electives (subject to approval by student’s advisor)
  • Complete a summer professional internship of a minimum of 8 weeks in length
  • Participate in two real estate case study trips
  • Be in residence in the Baker Program for four semesters of full-time study (except for those students meeting requirements of selected employee and dual-degree programs)
  • Remain in good academic standing by adhering to all program requirements

Course schedule

Core courses are the focus of the first three semesters, while students contemplate their future areas of concentration and prepare for summer internships. This approach ensures that all graduates develop a strong knowledge-and-experience foundation in their first year.  Note: The core course schedule may be changed as needed in any academic year.

FIRST YEAR, FALL SEMESTER TOTAL CORE: 14 CREDITS

  • CRP 5370 – Real Estate Seminar Series (0.5 credit)
  • CRP 5560 – Creating the Built Environment (1.5 credits)
  • CRP 5561 – Innovation & Strategy in Real Estate Development (1.5 credits)
  • HADM 6200 – Principles of Real Estate (3 credits)
  • HADM 6231 – Urban Economics and Real Estate Markets (1.5 credits)
  • HADM 6640- Communications in Real Estate (3 credits)
  • NCC 5560 – Managerial Finance (3 credits)
  • Maximum number of elective credits – 4.5 credits

FIRST YEAR, SPRING SEMESTER TOTAL CORE: 13.5 CREDITS

  • CRP 5320 – Real Estate Development Process I (1.5 credits)
  • CRP 5321 – Real Estate Development Process II (1.5 credits)
  • CRP 5370 – Real Estate Seminar Series #2 (0.5 credit)
  • CRP 5590 – Legal Aspects of Land Use Planning (4 credits)
  • HADM 6205 – Real Estate Financial Modeling (3 credits)
  • HADM 6280 – Real Estate Finance and Investments (3 credits)
  • Maximum number of elective credits – 5 credits

SECOND YEAR, FALL SEMESTER TOTAL CORE: 13.5 CREDITS

  • CEE 5950 – Construction Planning and Operations (3 credits)
  • CRP 5370 – Real Estate Seminar Series #3 (0.5 credit)
  • CRP 6565 – International Cases and Contracting (2 credits)
  • CRP 6580 – Residential and Commercial Development (4 credits)
  • HADM 6230 – Real Estate Statistical Modeling (1.5 credits)
  • HADM 6870 – Real Estate Law (3 credits)
  • Maximum number of elective credits – 5 credits

SECOND YEAR, SPRING SEMESTER: 0 CREDITS

  • Elective Coursework to complete and/or compliment concentrations

Leadership and management

Graduates of the Baker Program are very likely to move quickly into management roles within the real estate industry, and preparation for successful execution of managerial responsibilities is a key to success. Therefore, in addition to and separate from courses in the core and concentration areas, at least 4.5 additional credits are required in the areas of leadership and management. Cornell offers a large number of courses that fulfill this requirement, as well as conferring excellent on-the-job leadership and management experience through student work on various team projects, national competitions, and summer internships.

Courses that fulfill this requirement include:

  • Human relations/interpersonal/communication
  • Project management
  • Cross-cultural leadership
  • Conflict resolution/negotiation
  • Management and decision-making

Electives

Cornell’s motto of “… any person … any study” reflects the vastly diverse offering of course options available to students in the Baker Program. Through their electives and concentrations, students investigate the broader world in which real estate exists, and examine areas that might include foreign-language training, retail management, international economics, sustainable design, or landscape architecture. Students may choose to create their own concentration, or may select limited credits as true electives.

Sample elective courses (not all courses are available every semester):

  • Emerging Markets Finance
  • Strategies for Sustainability
  • Strategic Change and Renewal
  • Urban Theory and Spatial Development
  • Organizational Diversity
  • International Marketing
  • Fundamentals of Health Facility Planning for Management
  • Long-Term Care Alternatives for the Older Adult
  • Behavioral Economics and Public Policy
  • Immigration and Public Policy
  • Economic Evaluations in Health Care
  • Workplace Design Strategies
  • Studies in Human-Environment Relations
  • Poverty, Children, and the Environment
  • Universal Design: Ergonomics and Accessibility
  • Adaptive Reuse Studio: Recycling the Built Environment
  • Economics of the Public Sector

 

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