The graduate-level real estate program at the University of St. Thomas is gaining a broader mission as well as a new name. This fall the master of science in the field of real estate appraisal will become a master of science in the field of real estate.
Dr. Thomas Musil, director of the Graduate Real Estate Program in the university’s Opus College of Business, said the changes were the result of an extensive review of the real estate appraisal degree, which first was offered by St. Thomas in 1996.
“The new master’s degree program will address the growing complexity of today’s commercial and industrial real estate market and will allow us to serve a broader student constituency,” Musil said.
The program will begin in September and application for admission is now open.
The program will continue to serve those in the field of appraisal. With new courses and other changes, however, the program will serve those in a broader range of real estate and related fields: property management; commercial and industrial brokerage, sales and leasing; real estate investment analysis; assessment; finance; and government-service fields, such as planning, zoning, economic development and urban redevelopment.
Like many St. Thomas graduate programs, the master of science in the field of real estate is designed for working adults. Classes are held in the evening. Most students will take two classes per semester and complete the degree in about three years.
Students take courses in real estate decision making, legal issues, urban land economics, real estate investment analysis, business ethics, presentational speaking, geographic information systems, statistics, and market and feasibility analysis. Students have an option of writing a master’s thesis or taking additional courses.
The nearest colleges or universities with master’s programs in real estate are located in Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and Denver .
St. Thomas also offers a bachelor of science in the field of real estate, and is home to the Shenehon Center for Real Estate. The center conducts research, hosts conferences, and develops industry programs, including some designed to train and recruit people of color for careers in commercial and industrial real estate.
For more information about the master’s degree program or to attend an information session, call the university at (651) 962-4289 or visit www.stthomas.edu/realestate.
