This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2024-2025 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
Program accreditation
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Program goal
The graduate Certificate in Real Estate, which may be completed online, will provide students with the knowledge needed to select, conceptualize and apply the appropriate quantitative measurement and analysis to correctly value real estate, including economic and financial analysis, financing structures, and current trends in the securitization of commercial real estate debt and equity markets. Graduates will be able to communicate dimensions of real estate valuation in a clear and well-organized manner and analyze the ethical dimensions of a real estate situation using the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
Student learning outcomes
- Graduates will demonstrate the ability to communicate the qualitative and quantitative dimensions of real estate valuation in a clear and well-organized manner.
- Graduates will be able to select, conceptualize and apply the appropriate quantitative measurement and analysis to correctly value real estate. Such methods might include an economic and financial analysis of commercial real estate investments, alternative financing structures and/or surveys of recent trends in the securitization of commercial real estate debt and equity markets.
- Graduates will be able to analyze the ethical dimensions of a real estate situation and relate those dimensions to professional ethical standards. Specifically, graduates will have an understanding of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
VCU Graduate Bulletin, VCU Graduate School and general academic policies and regulations for all graduate students in all graduate programs
The VCU Graduate Bulletin website documents the official admission and academic rules and regulations that govern graduate education for all graduate programs at the university. These policies are established by the graduate faculty of the university through their elected representatives to the University Graduate Council.
It is the responsibility of all graduate students, both on- and off-campus, to be familiar with the VCU Graduate Bulletin as well as the Graduate School website and academic regulations in individual school and department publications and on program websites. However, in all cases, the official policies and procedures of the University Graduate Council, as published on the VCU Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School websites, take precedence over individual program policies and guidelines.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on academic regulations for graduate students.
Graduation requirements
As graduate students approach the end of their academic programs and the final semester of matriculation, they must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized.
Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on graduation requirements.
Other information
School of Business policies and procedures for graduate students are available on the school’s website.
Admission requirements
| Degree: | Semester(s) of entry: | Deadline dates: | Test requirements: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Fall | Jul 1 | |
| Spring | Nov 1 | ||
| Summer | Mar 1 |
Degree requirements
In addition to the VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, in order to be eligible to receive the certificate, a student must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0. Twelve credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree are required for completion of this graduate certificate program. The program can be completed entirely online or by pursuing a combination of on-campus and online courses. A maximum of one three-hour course taken at another AACSB-accredited institution may be transferred into this program. Students interested in later applying for admission into either the Master of Business Administration program with a concentration in real estate or the Master of Science in Business with a concentration in real estate must do so through a separate application process. Admission is dependent on the applicant having achieved a 3.0 GPA in the graduate certificate and a satisfactory score on the GMAT examination.
Curriculum requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses | ||
| FIRE 615 | Foundations in Real Estate | 3 |
| FIRE 627 | Real Estate Development | 3 |
| FIRE 630 | Real Estate Valuation | 3 |
| FIRE 658 | Real Estate Finance and Investments | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
The minimum total of graduate credit hours required for this certificate is 12.
Contact
Austen Gouldman
gouldmana@vcu.edu
(804) 828-4622
Additional contact
Graduate Studies in Business
gsib@vcu.edu
(804) 828-4622
Program website: business.vcu.edu/academics/real-estate/certificate-in-real-estate/