Jefferson's Master of Science in Real Estate Development is uniquely positioned within the College of Architecture and the Built Environment and rooted in practice. The MS in Real Estate Development (MSRED) program provides a multi-disciplinary experience which combines academics and real-world practice. Students learn about all aspects of the real estate industry from finance, construction, design, planning, sustainability and ethics. Most importantly, the program encourages and highlights the entrepreneurial and creative side of real estate development. Jefferson is located in Philadelphia, a city with a rich history of architecture, planning and urban design. It is a vibrant and changing city and has relatively fewer barriers when compare to other cities like New York City, Boston, Washington, DC and San Francisco for aspiring and start up developers. It offers a unique environment in which to learn about waterfront redevelopment, walkable urbanism, neighborhood revitalization, historic preservation, gentrification, and sustainable development. The program provides opportunities for you to learn from and work with accomplished real estate professionals, as adjunct professors and guest speakers. 

The program focuses on real estate development as practiced through public private partnerships and community-driven process while implemented through the Quadruple Bottom Line approach – environmental sustainability, economic viability, social responsibility and beautiful placemaking. Key issues of affordable housing, adaptive reuse, market forces, ethics, density, land use planning and demographic shifts will be addressed while examining local, national and international case studies.  

The MSRED faculty are all active practitioners in the real estate industry, including myself. Classes feature guest speakers from across the country and students analyze and work on actual real estate projects. Students have received internships and full-time employment from faculty and guest speakers. 

I encourage you to explore all that Philadelphia has to offer and make Jefferson your choice in your pursuit of a real estate education. We welcome online or in-person tours of the program and the East Falls campus. For more information about the MS in Real Estate Development program, please contact me at Howard.Ways@jefferson.edu or 215-951-2531, or contact Admissions (email: enroll@jefferson.edu, phone: 215-951-2800).

Best,

Howard Ways

Program Director, MS in Real Estate Development
Practice Assistant Professor