Curriculum

^{Real Estate and Urban Action is a core problem class for first-year students, co-taught with the Economic Department faculty. It addresses social, economic, and racial inequality, focusing on housing, labor markets, and wealth accumulation. The curriculum covers affordable housing history,the Columbia Point to Harbor Point transformation, and a practical simulation. Theoretical and data-driven labor market analyses spanning 40 years reveal growing inequality. The course highlights how housing and job shortages hinder generational wealth, prompting students to propose solutions via projects and simulations for improved communities.}

Urban Action Lab is a semester long class that provides students with first hand experience working on projects that advance affordable housing and access to opportunity. Students will develop and pursue research projects in partnership with mission driven organizations from across the City of Boston. Each project is completed in collaboration with a partner organization and are selected based on their potential for high-impact contribution to the organization. Project components include research, evaluation, interviewing, and writing. Students will work in close collaboration with partner agencies, the teaching team, and fellow students. The class will meet once per week and will occasionally require students to attend meetings off campus. Please schedule a meeting with professors to discuss.

This course introduces real estate, covering acquisition, development, financing, leasing, andmanagement of income-producing properties. Topics include real estate terminology, Excel skills,lease types, property cash flow, design, market research, project identification, financing, tenantdecision-making, distressed properties, and neighborhood improvement.

This course focuses on real estate development, covering design, construction, public engagement,financing, and other key aspects. It utilizes lectures, expert interviews, case studies, guest lectures,virtual tours, and a final project, where teams create a development plan for a Boston site.

This course focuses on real estate financing in the US market, covering private debt and equitymarkets and public securities. It uses case discussions, lectures, videos, readings, simulations, andguest speakers to explore real estate finance from the perspective of capital users and sources.Students will examine the role of the public sector in providing subsidies. Student outcomes includethe ability to present financing requests, understand risk and commercial real estate financingstructure, and recognize the impact of financing on community improvement.

Real Estate Transactions provides a comprehensive analysis of real estate deals from bothbusiness and legal perspectives. It covers aspects such as land acquisition, building design anddevelopment, financing, leasing, property management, and sales. The course explores the rolesof various parties involved, including property owners, lenders, investors, tenants, attorneys,city agencies, architects, and contractors. Taught by experienced professors from business andlaw backgrounds, the course includes lectures, case studies, simulated negotiations, and guest speakers.

This course is a complement to in-class learning and provides an experiential learning component to real estate education at Boston College. The course consists of teams of 4-5 students each working on a field project for a real estate developer/investor, not-for-profit organization or government agency. The field projects are “real world” real estate-related challenges that involve extensive data collection/analysis, interviews with a range of experts and others that can influence the conclusions and recommendations of the team. The projects conclude with presentations to management of the sponsoring companies or organizations. The field projects typically include development proposals for a property; re-development plans for an existing property; and, real estate market research to assist an investor considering expansion into new geographic markets.

This course explores 21st-century urban demands, new policies, technologies, and design approaches. Topics include city form factors, zoning, real estate, transportation, environment, and aesthetics. Professionals will use case studies, surveys, and presentations. Students will learn about zoning, real estate metrics, planning, architecture, and urban design. The semester concludes with a final project covering multiple topics.

This course explores the impact of housing on American's lives, covering national, state, and local housing policies and planning. It examines programs that subsidize housing and improve access to decent living conditions. Topics include housing finance, design, community planning, inequality, operations management, and sustainability. Students evaluate recently developed programs and their role in community revitalization through discussions and group presentations. 

Meet leaders in the industry. Network with professionals. Lead critical discussions about the present and future of Real Estate. The course meets weekly throughout the semester, and students attend seven of fourteen sessions and co-host at least one session with a classmate. Real Estate Colloquium offers a comprehensive real estate overview featuring sessions led by industry professionals covering finance, investment, law, planning, and public policy. Topics include REITs, capital markets, leasing, brokerage, and development. Through moderated discussions with diverse industry representatives, students explore their interests and gain insights into career potential academic and career paths within real estate.

What goes into neighborhood transformation? Community Development & the Evolution of Place-Making immerses students in the multifaceted challenges of community development, covering topics such as community mobilization, equity, organizing, sustainable development, and community empowerment. In Community Development the Evolution of Place-Making, students explore positive social change by engaging with large-scale transformational housing projects. Through lectures, site visits, and case studies, students will see transformational projects and learn from a renowned expert in community transformation. The class emphasizes collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and involving community members in decision-making to ensure the development initiatives are contextually relevant and sustainable. Community Development & the Evolution of Place-Making is a gateway for students to develop knowledge and further explore community development related to community engagement, public policy, and real estate.