This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2026-2027 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.
The major in real estate prepares students for the graduate-level study of real estate, economics and finance, as well as careers in land development, brokerage, valuation and investment counseling, site analysis and selection, real property management, mortgage lending, and bank trust and corporate real estate departments, in addition to other real estate-related careers in the public and private sectors.
Learning goals
- To support career advancement over time by giving students the academic foundation in information systems needed for continued professional development
- To help students develop the professional skills that will be needed by the businesses and organizations that hire graduates
- To help students develop ethical awareness so that they are able to deal with an ethical dilemma in the workplace.
- To ensure that students understand and can apply appropriate analytical methodologies and technology to the discipline of real estate.
Student learning outcomes
Upon completing this program:
- Graduates will understand the legal foundations of real estate including contracts, options, title transfer, easements, conveyances, liens and recording statutes. Students will also understand ethical decision-making in the context of identifying ethical standards and establishing a framework for making ethical decisions.
- Graduates will be able to apply mathematical techniques to real estate financial analysis, including the financing process, mortgage risk analysis and loan underwriting.
- Graduates will be able to apply the highest and best use analysis (cost, market and income approaches) in valuing real estate property and will be able to understand/calculate the mathematics of yield capitalization.
- Graduates will be able to apply appropriate skills in evaluating real estate investments. This is includes a multidisciplinary approach to financial, spatial and social economics.
Special requirements
The School of Business has special academic policies, including policies on transfer credits, that apply to all undergraduate degrees.
School of Business and B.S. in Real Estate progression policies
Students enrolled in undergraduate programs of the School of Business engage in a demanding curriculum designed to set them up for success in the world of business. In order to successfully maintain progress towards graduation, students are required to meet the following criteria in order to remain in their majors:
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Students are required to pass major and ancillary requirements within two attempts. If a student withdraws from a course, it will count as an attempt.
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Upon the third attempt at a course, students will be placed on business probation and must pass the course successfully in that third attempt.
- Students must receive a minimum grade of C in FIRE 305, FIRE 325, FIRE 425, FIRE 435 and FIRE 445, and must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the remainder of the real estate major electives.
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Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 major GPA.
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If a student's major GPA drops below 2.0, they will be placed on business probation and allowed one semester to raise their major GPA to 2.0.
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Upon notification of being placed on business probation, students will receive a registration hold, and must meet with their business adviser prior to the add/drop deadline of the pursuant semester in order to create an action plan to either pass the repeated course successfully, or increase their major GPA.
Students who do not meet the performance expectations of business probation in that same semester will be required to change their major prior to the start of the next semester.
Students may appeal the change of major via the associate dean of the School of Business. Students must initiate the appeal with their assigned academic adviser. The associate dean may, at their discretion, extend the time period needed to meet the requirements, generally by only one semester. A student who wishes to appeal must submit his or her appeal at least one week prior to the start of the next semester in which they register for classes.
Degree requirements for Real Estate, Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General education | ||
| Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser. | 30 | |
| Major requirements | ||
| • Major core requirements | ||
| FIRE 305 | Principles of Real Estate | 3 |
| FIRE 312 | Financial Modeling | 3 |
| FIRE 325 | Real Estate Law | 3 |
| FIRE 425 | Real Estate Appraisal | 3 |
| FIRE 435 | Real Estate Finance and Capital Markets | 3 |
| FIRE 445 | Real Estate Investment Analysis | 3 |
| • Major electives | ||
| Real estate electives | ||
| Select from list below. | 12 | |
| Ancillary requirements | ||
| • Ancillary core requirements | ||
| ACCT 203 & ACCT 204 | Introduction to Financial Reporting and Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 6 |
| BUSN 301 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| BUSN 325 | Business Communications | 3 |
| BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 |
| ECON 210 | Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) | 3 |
| ECON 211 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 |
| INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| MGMT 434 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| SCMA 320 | Production/Operations Management | 3 |
| • Additional ancillary requirements | ||
| BUSN 201 | Foundations of Business 1 | 3 |
| or BUSN 205 | Introduction to the World of Business | |
| BUSN 212 | Business Problem Solving and Analysis (either satisfies general education quantitative foundations) | 4 |
| or MATH 200 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | |
| Open electives | ||
| Select any course. 2 | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 117 | |
BUSN 205 satisfies general education AOI for global perspectives.
Students may choose electives to reach the minimum total of 120 credits.
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.
Real estate electives
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BUSN 400 | Principles of Consulting | 3 |
| BUSN 401 | International Consulting Practicum | 3 |
| ECON 305 | Public Finance | 3 |
| ECON 307 | Money and Banking | 3 |
| FIRE 309 | Risk Management and Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 315 | Real Property Management | 3 |
| FIRE 317 | Investments | 3 |
| FIRE 321 | Intermediate Financial Management | 3 |
| FIRE 369 | Insurance Company Operations | 3 |
| FIRE 429 | Property and Liability Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 441 | Funds Management in Financial Institutions | 3 |
| FIRE 451 | Options, Futures and Swaps | 3 |
| FIRE 492 | Independent Study in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 1-3 |
| FIRE 493 | Internship in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 3 |
| MGMT 491 | Topics in Management | 1-3 |
| MKTG 315 | Buyer Behavior | 3 |
| MKTG 325 | Business-to-business Marketing | 3 |
| MKTG 335 | Professional Selling I: The Art of Persuasion | 3 |
| MKTG 340 | Retail Management | 3 |
| MKTG 430 | Experiential Marketing | 3 |
| MKTG 435 | Professional Selling II: Advanced Sales Techniques | 3 |
| MKTG 442 | Services Marketing | 3 |
| MKTG 445 | Nonprofit Marketing | 3 |
| MKTG 448 | Digital Marketing | 3 |
| URSP 304 | Urban Social Systems | 3 |
| URSP 306 | Economic Geography | 3 |
| URSP 310 | Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning | 3 |
What follows is a sample plan that meets the prescribed requirements within a four-year course of study at VCU. Please contact your adviser before beginning course work toward a degree.
Recommended course sequence/plan of study
| Freshman year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall semester | Hours | |
| BUSN 201 or BUSN 205 | Foundations of Business 1 or Introduction to the World of Business 1 | 3 |
UNIV 111  Play course video for Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication | Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| UNIV 191 | Student Success Special Topics or Introduction to the University or Education and Career Planning | 1 |
| General education courses | 6 | |
| Open elective (prerequisite to BUSN 212 suggested) | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| ACCT 203 | Introduction to Financial Reporting | 3 |
| BUSN 212 or MATH 200 | Business Problem Solving and Analysis (either satisfies general education quantitative foundations) or Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | 4 |
| ECON 210 | Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) | 3 |
| UNIV 200 | Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Sophomore year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| ACCT 204 | Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| ECON 211 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| BUSN 301 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| BUSN 325 | Business Communications | 3 |
| FIRE 305 | Principles of Real Estate | 3 |
| FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Junior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| FIRE 312 | Financial Modeling | 3 |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| SCMA 320 | Production/Operations Management | 3 |
| Approved real estate electives | 6 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| FIRE 325 | Real Estate Law | 3 |
| INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Open elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 12 | |
| Senior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| FIRE 425 | Real Estate Appraisal | 3 |
| FIRE 435 | Real Estate Finance and Capital Markets | 3 |
| Approved real estate elective | 3 | |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Open elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 |
| FIRE 445 | Real Estate Investment Analysis | 3 |
| MGMT 434 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| Approved real estate elective | 3 | |
| Open electives | 6 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Total Hours: | 120 | |
BUSN 205 satisfies general education AOL for global perspectives.
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.