Essential Information
In Georgia, a few public universities offer training in real estate through graduate certificate, bachelor's degree, and master's degree programs. Doctorates in real estate are also available but are designed for those who would like to go into research or academia. Real estate may be the main area of study, or it may be offered as a concentration within a larger degree program in business administration. Students learn how to negotiate leases and other real estate sales deals, determine property values and manage properties.
Summarized below are each school's real estate programs. A comparison table showing each college's degree offerings and tuition prices can also be found below.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University, in the heart of Atlanta, is one of the state's largest institutions of higher learning, with 32,022 students. It offers numerous undergraduate and graduate real estate degree programs through its J. Mack Robinson College of Business. The school's bachelor program prepares students for professional careers as licensed real estate agents, brokers, appraisers, and sales managers. Students discover all real estate job functions, such as appraising property value, determining the risk level of a real estate investment and securing property financing. Upon graduation, students can take state exams and begin work as licensed realtors. The school also offers an 18-credit graduate-level certificate program in real estate, which teaches students the basic business practices employed in real estate.
Georgia State's real estate programs extend to the post-graduate level, with a Master of Science, Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Philosophy all being offered. The Master of Science program equips aspiring business and financial executives to make sound, informed decisions regarding real estate market analysis and risk investment. Students learn fundamentals like real estate marketing, finance and law. The real estate MBA program, meanwhile, prepares students to become supervisors and managers of large-scale commercial, residential and development real estate companies. Students acquire organizational, communication, leadership and motivational skills, learning to manage profitable, successful business ventures. Finally, students in the doctoral degree program receive extensive education in quantitative real estate research and statistics. Graduates could explore careers as academic researchers or college real estate professors.
University of Georgia
Located in Athens, UGA is the largest post-secondary institution in Georgia to offer a 4-year degree in real estate and is currently ranked as the 4th-best program of its kind by U.S. News and World Report. Graduates of the bachelor's degree program can explore careers as real estate agents, brokers or sales managers. The 4-year degree program teaches students to learn to determine property values, close real estate sales, and rental deals, negotiate leases and manage properties. Students in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program can choose the real estate analysis sequence. This coursework of this 6-credit sequence deals with the analysis and the practice of real estate. Topics covered include real estate acquisition, site selection, financing, and disposition. The college also offers a doctoral program in real estate, which helps graduates seek advanced positions in universities, businesses and government agencies.
University of West Georgia
The University of West Georgia is a 4-year, public university, with close to 11,700 students attending its Carrollton campus. Individuals looking to start a career in real estate may be interested in the school's bachelor program, which prepares students for careers in brokerage, mortgage banking and property management. The school's liberal arts-based education requires students to complete 123 credit hours for graduation and includes course topics such as real estate marketing, income property appraisal and standards of appraisal practice.
School Comparison: At a Glance
| School Name | School Type & Setting | Real Estate Programs Offered | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees (2018-19) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia State University | 4-year, public; large city | Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate, Certificate in Real Estate, Master of Science in Real Estate, Master of Business Administration in Real Estate, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Real Estate | $9,112 (in-state)*, $23,971 (out-of-state)* |
| University of Georgia | 4-year, public; midsize city | Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate, Master of Business Administration in Real Estate, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Real Estate | $11,830 (in-state)*, $30,404 (out-of-state)* |
| University of West Georgia | 4-year, public; fringe town | Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate | $6,288 (in-state)*, $17,074 (out-of-state)* |
Source: *NCES College Navigator
