Description
The undergraduate real estate certificate program is a multidisciplinary approach and is designed to give students a thorough understanding of real estate. It prepares students for an entry-level real estate career by exploring the link between real estate and capital markets, developing real estate decision making skills, and analyzing real estate opportunities. Additionally, completion of the certificate satisfies the course work requirement necessary to obtain a broker's license in the state of Colorado.
The certificate program consists of a total of 21 credit hours of coursework, including an academic internship. Undergraduate students must be enrolled full-time at the Leeds School of Business (sometimes Business minors are considered for this program as well as architecture students) and have completed all of the necessary prerequisite business core courses. Students who successfully complete all the courses and internship will be awarded the Real Estate Certificate which will also appear on your transcript.
Requirements
Requirements
- REAL 3000: Principles of Real Estate Practice (3 Credits)
- REAL 4000: Real Estate Law and Financing Instruments (3 Credits)
- REAL 4100: Real Estate Finance and Investment Analysis (3 Credits)
- REAL 4810: Real Estate Academic Internship (3 Credits)
- Approved Elective Courses (9 Credits)
In addition to the twelve required course hours listed above, students must complete 9 hours of real estate related elective courses from an approved list. Most of these courses are outside of the Leeds School of Business, either in the College of Architecture & Planning or College of Engineering.
There is one exception to this rule: You may take REAL 4820, Real Estate Development, in place of a 3 credit course listed on the approved list. If you take REAL 4820, the 3 credits will apply towards the 9 credits of electives required for the certificate.
Thus, you would complete this course and 6 credits from the approved list. (Please note that any courses offered in the Leeds School of Business are considered business electives, and any courses offered outside Leeds are non-business elective credits- see your undergraduate advisor if you have any questions regarding this).
Academic Internship Requirement
Internships are required for those who wish to earn the real estate certificate. The internship must be with a real estate related company and must be approved by the Real Estate Center staff (lisa.chambers@colorado.edu). In order for your internship to qualify, it must be completed DURING the spring semester when you are enrolled in REAL 4810, the Academic Internship class. The internship must be for a minimum of 100 hours, which generally consists of approximately 8-10 hours a week during the semester. You must also attend the required class session dates in addition to the hours you spend at your internship.
The internship can only be completed during the spring semester. Any internship completed during other times will provide you with great experience, but will NOT qualify for the real estate certificate program.
Getting Started
If you are interested in completing the Real Estate Certificate, please fill out the Certificate Intent form and return to lisa.chambers@colorado.edu.
Scholarships
- Kenneth M. Good Scholarship – Kenneth M. Good, a successful real estate entrepreneur, created this scholarship to support undergraduate students who share his enthusiasm for the field. This scholarship is awarded to an outstanding real estate student who shows determination and potential to be a successful entrepreneur in the real estate industry.
- Ronald B. Hochmuth Memorial Scholarship –The Colorado Association of Realtors now administers the trust fund for the scholarship.
- Boulder Area Realtors – This scholarship is awarded to students who plan to have a career in residential real estate. It is need and merit based and includes the requirement that the recipient is interested in remaining in Boulder County.
To learn more about the online application process for undergraduate scholarships visit Leeds Scholarships.
Case Competition
Each year the University of Colorado Real Estate Center supports a team of undergraduate real estate students who compete in the University of Southern California International Real Estate Case Competition. This is an international, invitation only, student competition. This competition is a week-long event that takes place in April of each year. Student teams are assigned a complex real estate case problem at the beginning of the competition week. Teams have three days to analyze the case, solve the problem, prepare a written report containing their analysis and recommendations, and develop an oral presentation that is given to a team of judges at USC in Los Angeles at the end of the week. Students are prohibited from receiving any outside assistance. The teams’ analysis and presentation are judged by leading practitioners in the real estate industry. The judges award cash prizes for first, second and third place teams.
Since its inception in 2005, schools that have participated in the competition include: Auckland University, Cambridge University, Cornell University, National University of Singapore, University of British Columbia, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of San Diego, University of Texas-Austin, University of Wisconsin and Wharton.
Requirements
Students can pursue the real estate certification program by completing the three required courses and additional requirements below.
Requirements
This certificate program is for business majors only.
The program allows students to broaden their knowledge and understanding of real estate through a multidisciplinary focus by taking courses outside the Leeds School of Business. The certificate satisfies the course work requirements necessary to obtain a broker’s license in the state of Colorado.Courses must be selected from an approved list, which can be obtained from the Real Estate Center. This certificate requires the completion of the following 12 credit hours:
- Six hours of credit from the College of Architecture and Planning
- Three hours of credit from the construction management area in the department of civil, environmental, and architectural engineering of the College of Engineering and Applied Science; or an additional three hours from the College of Architecture and Planning
- Students who are interested in the development side of real estate are encouraged to take the real estate development course (REAL 4820) offered in the Leeds School. This fall course can be substituted for one of the course electives listed above.
- Three hours of credit for an academic internship in real estate or a related area (This must be conducted during the spring semester of the senior year. Students must see the Real Estate Center program coordinator in order to arrange this internship).
Required Courses
- REAL 3000-3: Principles of Real Estate Practice (Offered Spring/Fall)
- REAL 4000-3: Real Estate Law & Financing Instruments (Offered Spring)
- REAL 4100-3: Real Estate Finance and Investment Analysis (Offered Spring)
Course Descriptions
REAL 3000-3: Principles of Real Estate Practice
This course covers principles of real estate law, finance, brokerage, appraising, and investments. Prerequisite: BCOR 2100/2200.
REAL 4000-3: Real Estate Law and Financing Instruments
This course covers estates in land, purchase and sales contracts, conveyances, mortgage and trust deed transactions, property taxes, and leases. Prerequisite: REAL 3000 and BCOR 3000.
REAL 4100-3: Real Estate Finance and Investment Analysis
This course covers the link between real estate & the capital markets through an examination of the financial institutions and instruments used to finance real property. It examines methods used to analyze value in real property investments. Prerequisite: BCOR 2100/2200 and REAL 3000.
REAL 4820:Real Estate Development
This course covers methods of analyzing real estate opportunities. This includes urban economic, market, and location analysis. Students study local government controls and leasing from the developer’s viewpoint. Prerequisite: REAL 3000.
Electives
Registration available to SR students only at University allowed time of registration. FR-JR registration allowed the Friday before classes start for semester. Please contact peggy.gordon@colorado.edu for meeting and/or registration information.
Coursework
Take nine hours of courses the from following list. All courses are for 3 credit hours unless indicated otherwise.
Architecture
- ARCH 3114: History and Theories of Architecture 1
Surveys architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design from ca. 3000 b.c. to ca. 1400 a.d., emphasizing developments in the western world. Open to non-majors. Generally offered both Fall and Spring.
- ARCH 3214: History and Theories of Architecture 2
Surveys architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design from ca. 1400 a.d. to the present, emphasizing developments in the western world. Open to non-majors. Generally offered both Fall and Spring.
Environmental Design: Social Factors
- ENVD 2001: Introduction to Social Factors in Environmental Design
Critically evaluates built environments. Considers how social and individual behavior is reflected in, and influenced by, the built environment. Open to non-majors. Generally offered in Fall.
- ENVD 3001: Environment and Behavior
Examines the social and behavioral aspects of relationships between people and the built environment. Gives special attention to antecedent factors (why we have the environments we do), implications of given arrangements for special population groups, and responses to incongruent environments. Open to non-majors. Generally offered in Fall.
- ENVD 4311: Housing Policies and Practices
Provides students with descriptive knowledge and analytical understanding of the use and development of residential settings in different political economies, globally divided into advanced capitalistic nations, collectivist economies, and the Third World. Prerequisites: ENVD 2001 and 3001. Generally offered in Spring.
Environmental Design: History and Theory
- ENVD 1004: Introduction to Environmental Design
Surveys factors shaping the built environment, emphasizing architecture, planning, and landscape design. Lectures introduce theories of design and planning, offer a historical review of these fields, and present career opportunities within these professions. Generally offered in Fall.
- ENVD 3124: Issues in Planning
Broadly introduces physical environmental planning in the U.S., examining both historical roots and recent trends in American planning concepts and implementation. Emphasizes an analytical and critical approach to historical and contemporary planning issues, mechanisms, and cases. Generally offered in Fall.
- ENVD 4794: History of Urban Design and Planning
Examines history of European and American planning and urban design in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Generally offered in Spring.
Environmental Design: Physical Factors
- ENVD 2003: Ecology and Design
Introduces basic principles and techniques of ecology as they relate to the design and understanding of the built environment. Includes a study of hazards and the impact of modern technology on the natural and built environments. Open to non-majors. Generally offered both Fall and Spring.
- ENVD 4023: Environmental Impact Assessment
Provides a field-oriented seminar in current environmental impact controversies. Gives attention to history, theory, and application of impact analysis at state levels for designers, land-use planners, and others involved in resource decision making. Open to non-majors. Prerequisite: instructor consent. Generally offered in Fall.
Other
- ENVD 4764: Real World Planning
The class begins with identifying what goals and values are important to each student, and then examines the private, public, and non-private sectors. Another emphasis of the course is developing skills crucial to career success, including presentations, negotiations, working with the media and the public, and organizing your work life. Generally offered in Spring.
Environmental Design: Technology and Practice
- ENVD 3015: Historic Preservation Technology
Introduces methods for identifying historic structures and evaluating their materials. Considers techniques for preserving and restoring and legal options for promoting preservation efforts. Generally offered in Fall.
- ENVD 3115: Introduction to Building Materials and Systems
Surveys building methods, materials, and assemblies from the designer's perspective. Generally offered in Fall.
Architectural Engineering
Contact christina.vallejos@colorado.edu for the following courses.
- AREN 3406: Introduction to Building Construction
Covers the broad subject of building materials, assembly details, and their method of construction. Includes codes and classifications, foundations, wood, steel, concrete, masonry, cladding, doors and windows, interiors, and finishes. Generally offered in Fall.
- AREN 4466: Construction Planning and Scheduling
Comprehensively studies construction management, including the contractor's role in preconstruction and construction activities; the construction contract; bonds and insurance; and the particular application of CPM/ PERT techniques to the planning, scheduling, and control of a construction project. Prerequisite: senior standing or instructor consent. Generally offered in Fall.
Fact Sheet
The first step in obtaining the Real Estate Certificate is the initial meeting with the CU Real Estate Center Assistant Director, Lisa Chambers. During this meeting you will discuss all of the certificate requirements and when the classes are offered. You will receive the approved list of electives from the ARCH/ENVD/AREN classes. To schedule a meeting with Lisa, please email lisa.chambers@colorado.edu or call her at 303-492-4194.
ARCH/ENVD Electives
When you plan to register for the ARCH or ENVD courses, you will need to contact peggy.gordon@colorado.edu (you will NOT be able to register for these classes as a Business student). If you have senior standing, she will register you immediately; if not, she will put you on a waitlist.
In order to register, contact her AFTER your registration time. Inform Ms. Gordon that you are in the Real Estate Certificate program and provide her with your name, SID, the course name, and number. You may also want to give her a back up option in case the class you prefer is full. If you need the list of approved courses you may get it by emailing Lisa Chambers at lisa.chambers@colorado.edu.
AREN Electives
If you plan to register for any Engineering Classes, you will need to contact christina.vallejos@colorado.edu. She will then register you for the class if there is space. You generally do not need to wait until the first week of classes to be registered for these courses.
Additional Electives
Please note that as long as the class is listed on the elective sheet, it will qualify towards the 9 credits. The ARCH/ENVD/AREN courses on this list are considered as non-business electives.
You may take the RE Development class (currently REAL 4820) in the fall semester. This is a 3-credit business elective course. If you take this course the 3 credits will apply toward the 9 credits of electives required. These 3 credits will be considered Business elective credits.
Waitlists: If you are waitlisted for a real estate class, Lisa can usually help move you off the waitlist. First, you must put yourself on the waitlist, then you should email her immediately after you register and give her the following information:
- Name
- SID
- Expected gradudation date
- Pre-requisites fulfilled for the class
Once Lisa receives this information she will put your name on a list to be pulled from the waitlist and enrolled in the class. Generally, you will receive a confirmation that you are off the waitlist approximately one month before classes begin. There are no guarantees that we will be able to get you off the waitlist, but we have been very successful in the past.
Internship Class
The academic internship is a requirement for the certificate. It MUST be taken during the spring semester of your senior year. We do NOT offer this class in the fall, so if you are graduating in December you must complete the class in the spring. The Internship class is a Pass/Fail class that meets every other week in the evening during spring semester. You must work at the internship a minimum of 10 hours per week DURING the spring semester (January-April). You may not complete your internship in advance; you must be doing it during the spring semester. You may, however, start the internship in the fall as long as it continues through the spring.
The final piece is that YOU are ultimately responsible for securing an internship. If you need help finding one, it is recommended that you meet with Lisa in October in to develop a plan for finding an internship. If you find one on your own, it must be approved by the RE Center.
Real Estate Broker License
The CU Real Estate Certificate is not the same as your broker license. Here are the procedures to get your license:
- Once you complete the certificate program, you will need to submit your transcript (unofficial is fine) to the RE Center office. Please submit to lisa.chambers@colorado.edu
- We will then prepare the REC-33 form and your certificate of eligibility form. (Please allow 2 weeks or more for the RE Center to prepare your forms). These are the forms that prove that you have completed the educational requirement to sit for your licensure exam in the state of Colorado. You will need to submit these forms to the Colorado RE Commission when you sit for your exam.
- Many students are finding it helpful to take a crash course before you sit for the exam. You should have gained most of the knowledge you need for the test in all of your courses at CU, but this crash course will help you specifically pass the exam. There are many entities that offer these types of crash courses. Jones Real Estate College and the American Real Estate College are both schools that students have used in the past. There is a complete list on the Commission’s website of all the schools that offer these courses, in addition to pass rates for each school.
- You must register to take the exam. Contact Promissor at 800.274.0828. They will help you find an exam site and time that is preferable for you. We recommend you call 2 weeks prior to your desired exam date.
- Once you have taken the exam and passed, you are ready to submit your application for your license. At the Colorado Real Estate Commission there is a list of applications to choose from. The one you want to apply for is the Colorado Real Estate Broker License. Follow the directions for submitting this application. You will need to submit an application fee, a fingerprint card, proof of education (which is your REC-33 from which the Real Estate Center will provide you with once you complete your certificate), your exam score report and a certificate of license history. All of this information is listed in detail in the license application directions. You do need to be employed or sponsored by a broker outfit for 2 years before you can become an independent broker.
News
Leeds School of Business
April 6, 2012
Chad Murphy and Alex Atherton, two MBA candidates in real estate from CU-Boulder, are part of a joint team between the University of Colorado and Harvard University which won the first place grand prize of $50,000 in a national urban design competition.
Publications
Portfolio
April 2011
Profile of Will Strong ('03 finance), a leasing executive for Pacific Medical Buildings.
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