Degree Requirements and Curriculum

The UCLA MRED curriculum arms students with a comprehensive understanding of real estate, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in this rapidly growing industry.

Our core required courses emphasize both real estate development fundamentals and urban development within the larger context of urban policy, institutions, politics and outcomes that affect development.

Students develop skills in real estate finance & investment, land use law & entitlements, site planning & design, real estate economics & market analysis, building technologies & construction management, and sustainable real estate. In addition to the core, the program offers a range of electives each year, allowing students to tailor their learning experience to their interests and career goals.

Beyond-the-classroom learning is also a key component of students’ educational experience, with opportunities for site visits, guest lectures, mentorship, industry networking events, real estate competitions and engagement with the UCLA Real Estate Alumni Group (REAG). Students will also develop their “soft” skills, including communication, leadership, collaboration, negotiation and community engagement skills.

Degree Requirements

The UCLA MRED program is an 11-month, fall-start, STEM-designated program, preceded by a one-week boot camp that prepares students for success in the program in core finance, financial modeling, spatial analysis and visual communication skills. Students complete three 10-week quarters of coursework, each with 4 required courses and electives. In the program’s fourth summer quarter, students complete a practicum that immerses students in the challenges of executing a real estate development proposal. To help facilitate summer internship placements alongside their final capstone, this summer term operates remotely.

Students must complete a minimum of 52 units, including 9 required courses (36 units) and a 2-course capstone sequence (8 units). This is 44 core required course units, plus 2 electives (8 units).

Coursework

Core Required Courses

MRED coursework provides a strong grounding in urban development policies and institutional processes and calls on students to think critically about the future of cities.

  • MRED 201 Real Estate Economics, Data & Market Analysis
  • MRED 202A Real Estate Development & Finance
  • MRED 202B Advanced Real Estate Development & Finance: Capital Markets
  • MRED 202C Sustainable Investment & Public-Private Partnerships
  • MRED 203 Law & Regulations in Real Estate Development
  • MRED 204 Real Estate Development & Design Studio
  • MRED 205 New Building Technologies & Construction Management
  • MRED 206 The Politics, Institutions & Economics of Urban Development
  • MRED 207 Project & Asset Management
  • MRED 219A Capstone: Development Processes A
  • MRED 219B Capstone: Development Processes B

Electives

A rotation of electives will be offered through the Luskin School of Public Affairs, Anderson School of Business, and UCLA Law, and will touch on topics including but not limited to:

  • Climate adaptation
  • Housing affordability
  • Zoning and equity
  • Age-friendly building
  • Innovative financing
  • Globalization
  • Big data and smart cities

Luskin Urban Planning Electives

Students will also be able to take urban planning electives if space is available, including but not limited to (note that some courses are not offered every year):

  • UP 206 Intro to Geographic Information Systems
  • UP 211 Law and Quality of Urban Life
  • UP M213 Urban Data Science
  • UP 218B Advanced Visual Communications
  • UP 219.1 Community Engaged Planning and Design for a More Just Public Realm
  • UP 219.1 Designing Urban Climate Change Adaptation
  • UP 221 GIS and Spatial Data Science
  • UP 222A Introduction to Planning History and Theory
  • UP 229.1 Zoning for Equity
  • UP 243 Urban Futures: Space, Ecology, Society
  • UP M256 Transportation Economics, Finance, and Policy
  • UP 260B Green Urban Studio: Designing Living Neighborhoods
  • UP M265 Environmentalisms: Climate Dimensions & Politics Past, Present, Future
  • UP 269.1 Environmental Justice
  • UP 269.1 Sea-Level Rise and Social Response
  • UP 271A Community Economic Development
  • UP 272B Advanced Real Estate Studio
  • UP 273 Site Planning
  • UP 280 Affordable Housing Development
  • UP 282 Urban Design: Theories, Paradigms, Applications

Anderson School of Business and UCLA Law School Electives

MRED students are also able to take one elective in a select number of relevant courses in either the Anderson School of Business or UCLA Law School, as outlined below (in general, 2-4 seats are available to MREDs in Law courses and 3-5 seats available to MREDs in Anderson courses).

  • LAW 285 Local Government Law
  • LAW 286 Land Use and Urban Planning Law
  • LAW 290 Environmental Law and Policy
  • LAW 526 Housing Segregation, Housing Discrimination, and Evolution of Public Policy
  • MGMT 278A Urban Real Estate Financing and Investing
  • MGMT 279A Cases in Real Estate Investments
  • MGMT 279B Entrepreneurial Real Estate Development
  • MGMT 279C Real Estate Economics, Capital Markets and Securitization
  • MGMT 298D Special Topics in Management (when focused on real estate development)
  • MGMT 298E Special Topics in Management (when focused on real estate development)

Sample Degree Curriculum

FALL*
WINTER
SPRING
SUMMER
Sep 25-Dec 12
Jan 5-Mar 20
Mar 30-Jun 12
Jun 22-Aug 28^
In-person
In-person
In-person
Remote/Hybrid
MRED 201
Real Estate Economics & Market Analysis
MRED 205
New Building Technologies & Construction Management
MRED 207
Project & Asset Management		MRED 219B
Capstone: Development Processes B
MRED 202A
Real Estate Development & Finance		MRED 202B
Advanced RE Development & Finance: Capital Markets

MRED 202C
Sustainable Finance & Public-Private Partnerships
Optional internship placement
MRED 203
Law & Regulations in Real Estate Development
MRED 204
Real Estate Development & Design Studio
MRED 219A
Capstone: Development Processes A
MRED 206
Politics, Institutions & Economics of Urban Development

Elective (Choice)

Elective (Choice)

FALL*
WINTER
SPRING
SUMMER
Sep 25-Dec 12
Jan 5-Mar 20
Mar 30-Jun 12
Jun 22-Aug 28^
In-person
In-person
In-person
Remote/Hybrid
MRED 201
Real Estate
Economics &
Market Analysis
MRED 205
New Building
Technologies
& Construction
Management
MRED 207
Project
& Asset
Management		MRED 219B
Capstone:
Development
Processes B
MRED 202A
Real Estate
Development
& Finance		MRED 202B
Advanced RE
Development
& Finance:
Capital Markets

MRED 202C
Sustainable
Finance &
Public-Private
Partnerships
Optional
internship
placement
MRED 203
Law &
Regulations
in Real Estate
Development
MRED 204
Real Estate
Development
& Design Studio
MRED 219A
Capstone:
Development
Processes A
MRED 206
Politics, Institutions
& Economics of
Urban Development

Elective (Choice)

Elective (Choice)

In-person
In-person
In-person
Remote/Hybrid
Sep 25-Dec 12
Jan 5-Mar 20
Mar 30-Jun 12
Jun 22-Aug 28^
FALL*
WINTER
SPRING
SUMMER
(Session A)
MRED 201
Real Estate Economics & Market Analysis
MRED 205
New Building Technologies & Construction Management
MRED 207
Project & Asset Management
MRED 219B
Capstone: Development Processes B
MRED 202A
Real Estate Development & Finance
MRED 202B
Advanced RE Development & Finance: Capital Markets
MRED 202C
Sustainable Finance & Public-Private Partnerships
Optional internship placement
MRED 203
Law & Regulations in Real Estate Development
MRED 204
Real Estate Development & Design Studio
MRED 219A
Capstone: Development Processes A
MRED 206
Politics, Institutions & Economics of Urban Development
Elective (Choice)
Elective (Choice)

* The Fall 2025 quarter is preceded by a three-day orientation program (Sep 15-17) and a five-day (Sep 18-19, 22-24) boot camp in finance, financial modeling, spatial analysis, and visual communication skills to prepare students for the program.

^ MRED students will return to campus for their final capstone project presentations (date TBD). The MRED program will organize a major networking event around the presentations. Along with the graduating students, invitees will include alums of the program, newly admitted students, program faculty and industry representatives, including potential employers and donors.

Course offerings reflect the current approved curriculum. Course titles and quarters may be subject to change at the discretion of the MRED program.