Welcome
The Joseph E. Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action leverages a multidisciplinary approach to cultivate discussions and develop actions that foster community transformation.
In accordance with the mission of Boston College, The Corcoran Center aims to develop the next generation of ethical real estate professionals by educating and inspiring students, alumni, and other key stakeholders so they may harness real estate as a catalyst for needed change in areas where the marginalization of vulnerable citizens is most severe, and enact broad scope solutions to neighborhoods of concentrated poverty.
About the Center
Curriculum: Increase access to traditional classroom learning, with real estate courses developed by the Center within the Carroll School of Management.
Experiential Learning: Engage students in a variety of practical, meaningful learning experiences, including workshop trainings, field projects, and summer internship programs.
On-Campus Engagement: Invite students to join the network of professionals and experts in the fields of real estate and urban revitalization through a speaker series, small group lunches, and Center coordinated activities.
Neighborhood Engagement: Create opportunities for multiple disciplines from across the University to engage in place-focused neighborhood strengthening.
In Memoriam
Joseph E. Corcoran
1936 - 2020
Joseph E. Corcoran left his mark on Boston College, the City of Boston, and the world as a compassionate and discerning man who made a monumental impact on housing equality. After graduating from BC with a degree in history in 1959, Joe founded the Corcoran Jennison Companies, which has developed more than $3.5 billion in property to date and is credited with pioneering the development and management of mixed-income housing. Inspired by his experience growing up in a socioeconomically diverse Dorchester neighborhood, as well as by the University’s Ignatian values, he devoted his life to creating housing opportunities and transforming underserved urban communities. He also worked tirelessly to further housing legislation in Massachusetts and he founded The American City Coalition (TACC), a Boston-based nonprofit that promotes neighborhood revitalization.
At BC, Joe served on the Board of Trustees and chaired the Building and Property Committee. For several years, he also taught a Real Estate and Urban Action course at the Carroll School of Management. His love for teaching was evident, and he eagerly encouraged his students to search for solutions to social and economic problems in the housing industry. Out of his passion and generosity grew the Joseph E. Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action, which he endowed in 2014. His legacy will live on with future generations of real estate professionals who seek not only a career but also the opportunity to improve lives through their work.
Joe Corcoran will be dearly missed, at BC as well as in the countless communities he’s touched. His dedication is a preeminent example of what BC strives to instill in all who find their way to the Heights: a desire to serve others, and the knowledge to do so effectively.
About Joseph E. Corcoran
The Boston Globe - Joseph E. Corcoran, a pioneer of developing mixed-income housing, dies at 84
Dorchester Reporter - Joe Corcoran: Visionary developer, and generous mentor
The Wall Street Journal - Joseph Corcoran Rescued a Squalid Boston Housing Project
Summer 2021 Internships
Application Opens Oct 16th 2020 on Handshake
Congratulations Team Golden Eagle Development
Corcoran Case Competition Winners Philip Giordano CSOM '21, Max Greyson Cohen MCAS '21, Michael Morretta CSOM '20
The Corcoran Center introduces undergraduates to the field of Real Estate and Urban Action through courses, experiential learning opportunities, and engagement with the community.