Frequently Asked Questions
WHY CHOOSE THE UCLA MRED DEGREE?
The UCLA MRED degree teaches the foundational skills and knowledge essential for real estate practice, with a particular emphasis on understanding the broader context of urban development, broadening the benefits of real estate, and resulting in positive social and environmental outcomes, both in the United States and in cities worldwide. Students complete a comprehensive curriculum of required and elective courses over four quarters, with the possibility of an optional 3-month summer internship placement at a real estate firm while completing their summer capstone project. Students learn about real estate finance, development, design, law, economics, market analysis, project management, asset management, sustainable investment, new building technology, construction management, and the broader politics and institutions of urban development. Additionally, the program runs a career development series to strengthen students’ “soft skills” in communications and public speaking, negotiations, leadership, ethics, collaboration and entrepreneurship. The series arms students not only with the technical knowledge they need to have an impact in real estate, but the personal qualities that real estate firms seek.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO EARN THE UCLA MRED DEGREE?
The UCLA MRED is roughly 11.5 months in length. Students begin mid-September with an orientation program and preparatory bootcamp, with classes commencing in late September. The program is four quarters: fall (late September to mid-December), winter (early January to late March), spring (late March / early April to mid-June) and summer (late June to late August). The summer quarter is remote/hybrid, with students returning at the end of the summer for final presentations and celebrations.
HOW MANY COURSES ARE MRED STUDENTS REQUIRED TO TAKE?
Students are required to complete 52 units to graduate. A typical MRED course is 4 units. The program includes 44 units of core courses – including 9 core courses (36 units), plus a 2-course capstone sequence (8 units) – and 2 electives (8 units). The fall, winter, and spring quarters are 16 units (4 courses of 4 units), and the remote/hybrid summer quarter is 4 units (1 course).
WHAT COURSES ARE REQUIRED?
The following courses are required to complete the MRED degree curriculum:
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
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SUBSTITUTE A REQUIRED COURSE?
In limited circumstances, it is possible to substitute a maximum of one required course. Students must demonstrate they already have the skills and knowledge they would otherwise gain in that course. This is typically done through previous coursework that substantially covers the topics in our course. Students must provide a detailed syllabus with course topics and assignments for us to assess this. These courses must have been taken in the last 5 years and students must have earned a grade of at least B+ in that course. Only two MRED courses are eligible for substitution: MRED 203 Law & Regulations in Real Estate Development and MRED 205 New Building Technologies & Construction Management. Students substituting one course would take an additional elective.
DO UCLA MRED STUDENTS HAVE ADVISORS?
All UCLA MRED students will be matched with an industry advisor in an area related to their interests. MRED students also have one of three faculty advisors: the Faculty Director, the Executive Director or Practice Director.
CAN I APPLY FOR WINTER, SPRING OR SUMMER ADMISSION?
All UCLA MRED students must begin in the fall term. We do not admit students for the winter, spring or summer quarters.
ARE THERE CONCURRENT DEGREE OR DUAL DEGREE PROGRAMS WITH THE UCLA MRED
There are currently no concurrent or dual-degree degree programs for the UCLA MRED. UCLA does not offer ad hoc joint degree programs, and applicants may only apply to a single degree program per admissions cycle.
HOW MANY STUDENTS WILL BE ENROLLED?
We expect to welcome a cohort of 25 students for the inaugural UCLA MRED class.
WHAT TYPE OF QUANTITATIVE BACKGROUND SHOULD APPLICANTS HAVE?
The UCLA MRED program includes a rigorous quantitative curriculum related to real estate finance. Applicants should demonstrate numeracy skills. Applicants are not required to have prior real estate finance knowledge. Accepted students will be asked to complete online prerequisite courses in Excel, CRE Investing 101 and an introduction to real estate financial modeling prior to starting the program, to better prepare students to complete the finance component of the program.
HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK DO UCLA MRED STUDENTS SPEND ON THE PROGRAM?
The UCLA MRED program is a full-time, on-campus program (except the final summer quarter is remote/hybrid). In the fall, winter and spring quarters, students can expect to have 12 hours per week of class time plus 36 hours per week of outside class work, for a total commitment of roughly 48 hours per week. During the remote/hybrid summer quarter, students should expect to have 4 hours per week of class time plus 8 hours per week of outside class work, for a total commitment of roughly 12 hours per week. Students are encouraged to complete an optional internship during the summer quarter (estimated to take roughly 36 hours per week. MRED does not schedule core required classes in the mornings or on Fridays. MRED classes are typically scheduled Monday to Wednesday (to Thursday in the fall quarter) between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Students are required to take 2 electives, which are offered at times outside of MRED required courses.
CAN STUDENTS TAKE ELECTIVES OUTSIDE OF LUSKIN URBAN PLANNING?
UCLA MRED has a Memorandum of Understanding with the UCLA Anderson School of Management and the UCLA School of Law, and students may take one of their two required electives in one of these schools. The other required elective will be from the wide range of electives offered in the UCLA Department of Urban Planning.
WHAT OTHER RELEVANT CENTERS ARE AFFILIATED WITH UCLA LUSKIN?
The UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs has many affiliated research centers and initiatives that offer talks and events, including:
Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy
Institute of Transportation Studies
Center for Neighborhood Knowledge
Latino Policy and Politics Institute
Hub for Health Intervention, Policy and Practice
Latin American Cities Initiative
(and more)
Beyond UCLA Luskin, there are many other centers and initiatives related to real estate including:
Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
(and more)
WHAT EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ARE AVAILABLE TO UCLA MRED STUDENTS?
The UCLA MRED program invites leading real estate professionals from the Los Angeles region, across the U.S. and around the world to meet with MRED students. UCLA’s Real Estate Alumni Group also organizes a variety of events and activities for students. The undergraduate Bruin Real Estate Association and UCLA Anderson Association for Real Estate also run real estate-related programming.
CAN I APPLY IF MY WORK EXPERIENCE IS NOT IN REAL ESTATE?
Students in the UCLA MRED program come from diverse backgrounds with a range of different levels of experience in the real estate field and in related industries such as architecture, construction, finance, law, city planning and commercial real estate brokerage. Therefore, work experience does not have to be directly in real estate, but your application essays should explain how your experience has led you to apply for a graduate program in real estate. Successful applicants demonstrate a passion for and exposure to real estate, whether through their studies, work experience, a family business, or internships and external projects.
DO I NEED A DEGREE IN A SPECIFIC FIELD TO APPLY?
No. We welcome applicants from a variety of prior undergraduate and graduate fields of study. Most commonly, applicants have degrees in urban planning, architecture, business, construction, engineering, public affairs, public policy or environmental policy, but many applicants have liberal arts or other degrees with related experience.
CAN I ATTEND THE UCLA MRED PROGRAM PART-TIME? ONLINE?
The UCLA MRED does not offer a part-time option. The first three quarters (fall, winter, spring) are in-person and on-campus (no online option exists for these quarters). The fourth quarter (summer) is remote/hybrid, allowing students to participate from anywhere, provided they can make the required class times.
CAN I WORK FULL-TIME WHILE PURSUING THE UCLA MRED?
Working full-time while pursuing the full-time UCLA MRED program is not feasible, as a typical term will involve roughly 48 hours of school-related work per week.
DO MRED STUDENTS RECEIVE CAREER ADVICE AND INFORMATION ABOUT JOB OPPORTUNITIES?
Yes. UCLA MRED has a dedicated career specialist and runs career development programming to help students understand the real estate industry, the different roles within the industry, and the different asset classes and sectors. We also run workshops on making elevator pitches, informational interviews, making presentations, negotiations, leadership, ethics and more. We also do mock interviews and host a career fair and individual company presentations.
IS THERE A STRICT REQUIREMENT FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK EXPERIENCE APPLICANTS MUST HAVE?
The UCLA MRED curriculum is designed to build upon your work experience. As such, we look closely at your career progression when making admissions decision. We also consider the combination of education, training and work experience together. We typically look for a minimum of two years post-undergraduate experience, but candidates with strong academic records and less than two years of post-undergraduate full-time work experience may apply.
WHO ARE THE LEADERS OF THE UCLA MRED PROGRAM?
The UCLA MRED is led by recognized leaders in real estate and urban planning. Our Executive Director, Greg Morrow, previously launched two real estate programs, as Executive Director and Faculty Director of UC Berkeley’s Master of Real Estate Development + Design (MRED+D) program (also Associate Professor of Practice in Architecture) and Executive Director and Academic Director of Pepperdine University’s Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) program (also Professor in Real Estate). Our Faculty Director, Vinit Mukhija, is a Professor and former Chair of UCLA Luskin Urban Planning and a leading global scholar in housing and the built environment.
WHO ARE THE FACULTY FOR THE UCLA MRED PROGRAM?
UCLA MRED courses are taught by a combination of regular UCLA faculty and leading real estate industry professionals (see Our People). UCLA faculty include recognized global scholars in urban planning, who will teach approximately 30% of the courses. Industry faculty are recognized leaders in real estate development, asset management, finance and consulting, and will teach approximately 70% of the courses.
WILL THE PROGRAM SPONSOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VISAS ADMITTED TO THE PROGRAM?
Yes. If an offer of admission is extended, then UCLA’s Dashew Center will assist with obtaining a student visa.
IS THE UCLA MRED A STEM-DESIGNATED PROGRAM?
Yes. The UCLA MRED is designated as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) degree. As such, students attending on an F-1 visa qualify for a two-year extension of the typical one year of Optional Practical Training awarded to graduates, for a total of up to three years of post-program work authorization.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR AN ADMISSIONS FELLOWSHIP?
There is no separate application for our competitive merit-based entry fellowships. The graduate application asks whether applicants would like to be considered for an entry fellowship. Fellowships average 10-30% of total tuition and are offered at the time of admission.
DOES THE UCLA MRED INCLUDE A PRACTICUM OR INTERNSHIP?
The UCLA MRED is designed to allow students the opportunity to complete a summer internship alongside their final capstone course. In this way, the UCLA MRED is more “MBA like” in that students would be eligible to apply for summer internship positions to gain practical hands-on knowledge.
WHAT KIND OF JOBS CAN UCLA MRED GRADS EXPECT?
UCLA MREDs are prepared to make an immediate contribution to a variety of real estate firms and organizations:
Market-rate developers
Affordable housing developers
Community development corporations
Private equity
Real estate investors
Real estate development trusts (REITs)
Asset managers
Public agencies
Consulting and real estate advisories
Design and infrastructure advisories
Entrepreneurial developers
Corporate real estate
Advancement at existing firms
CAN I DEFER ADMISSION TO ANOTHER YEAR?
No. Students are admitted for the year for which they apply. Admitted students who are unable to attend may reapply in the future.
