Minor in Real Estate

The undergraduate real estate minor has reached maturity having grown from 25 students in 2009 to 350 students currently. There has been a significant shift in the composition of the minor, with fewer students from SHA than previously (currently 60%, previously around 75%), and a greater number from Cornell’s six other colleges and schools than previously (currently 40%, previously around 25%). The Real Estate minor is slowly becoming an all campus minor. We look forward to seeing 20 students graduate from the undergraduate minor in the Fall term (our highest number yet) and we anticipate 168 graduates in the spring term.

The graduate minor, now in its second year, continues to grow. There are currently 30 students from five Cornell graduate schools; Hotel Administration, Management (Johnson School), Law, Architecture, and Human Ecology. Half of the students in the graduate minor will graduate in the current academic year.

The school offers a vast array of courses and learning experiences to the students. Students in the minors select from over 30 real estate courses offered on an annual basis and over 50 courses that support the program in disciplines such as finance, planning, construction management, negotiation and others. They are able to participate in numerous co-curricular and extra-curricular activities offered by SHA, CREF and the Baker Program including ARGUS training, the Hotel Valuation Seminar, the undergraduate and graduate case competitions, and membership in the Real Estate Club for undergraduates and the Associate Real Estate Council for graduates.

There has been great interaction with the job market for students this year, both for summer internships and positions upon graduation. The Fall 2014 Real Estate Career Fair featured 30 companies and was visited by over 280 students. Participating companies conducted over 215 interviews while on campus; all these numbers are increases from previous years. Anecdotally we hear that starting salaries are increasing, after being stagnant for the past five years. All students in the minors have access to one of SHA’s newest hires, Mr. Phillip Greenberg, Associate Director of Real Estate Career Management. Phil comes to us with over 20 years of experience, both on the buy side and sell side of real estate, and is a tremendous resource for our students.