Real Estate Option
Contact Information
Smeal College of Business
The Pennsylvania State University
355 Business Building
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-1809
Email: rm@smeal.psu.edu
On the Web: https://www.smeal.psu.edu/risk-management
Career Overview
Individuals with real estate expertise succeed not only in the real estate industry, but also in production, finance, financial services, and government agencies that demand quantitative and qualitative skills necessary to assess and analyze all aspects of real estate investments.
Employment Prospects
With top-ranked faculty, the Real Estate (REST) option prepares students for success in an ever-changing environment. The program offers a wide range of professional opportunities in corporate real estate, investment and counseling, commercial real estate brokerage, appraisal, risk management, mortgage lending and banking, development, and governmental services.
The Institute for Real Estate Studies (IRES) and the Penn State Real Estate Advisory Board provide students access to leading firms and executives for mentoring and internship opportunities. In addition, IRES sponsors the Real Estate Boot Camp program that provides students with outstanding extracurricular opportunities and networking events.
REST Option Overview
The Real Estate option features an innovative curriculum that allows students to tailor their coursework towards areas of greatest interest. Courses cover topics in real estate finance, law, investment valuation, appraisal processes, urban and regional economics, property development, and project management. In addition, students have the ability to select courses outside the Smeal College of Business in areas such as landscape architecture, hotel administration, construction management and engineering, and urban economics.
Preparing to Enroll in the Major
Enrollment in the Risk Management (RM_BS) major is contingent upon several criteria, which include the timing and completion of a specified range of cumulative credits at Penn State. Students apply for the major once they have earned a minimum of 40 but no more than 59 cumulative credits. These credits include required business foundation and related courses. In addition to the course and credit window requirements, students must attain an overall competitive GPA in all courses.
Fast Facts
Real estate tends to attract entrepreneurial-minded people who exhibit a keen ability to identify and understand a wide variety of economic factors and their impacts on value. Career paths our students take include:
- Commercial brokerage
- Consulting
- Office leasing
- Complex valuation and counseling
- Mortgage and construction lending
- Property management
- Real estate development
Real Estate Option Requirements
A grade of C or higher is required in all major courses.
Prescribed REST Courses (15 credits)
RM 330W (3): Real Estate Risk Analysis
RM 450 (3): Contemporary Issues in Real Estate Markets
RM (FIN) 460 (3): Real Estate Financial Analysis
RM (FIN) 470 (3): Real Estate and Capital Markets
RM 475 (3): Quantitative Analysis for Business
REST Option Electives (3 credits) select one course from the following:
RM 301 (3): Risk and Decisions
RM 420 (3): Property, Casualty, and Health Insurance
RM (BLAW) 424 (3): Real Estate Law
FIN 406 (3): Security Analysis and Portfolio Management
Select a Two-Piece Sequence (6 credits) from one of the following areas or complete an approved University minor.
- Accounting
- Business Law
- Business Sustainability
- Corporate Benefits
- Corporate Diversity
- Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Economics
- Finance
- Hospitality Management
- Information Systems Management
- International Business
- Landscape Architecture
- Marketing
- Risk Management
- Statistics
- Supply Chain and Information Systems
Employment Statistics
| Averages | Amounts |
|---|---|
| Starting Salary | $57,875 |
| Signing Bonus | $5,500 |
| Internship Wage | $16.50/hour |
Employment By Industry
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Real Estate | 63% |
| Financial Services | 13% |
| Consumer Products/Retail | 12% |
| Tech/Science | 12% |
Top Full-Time Companies
- Bloomberg
- JP Morgan Chase
- Keystone
- The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Top Internship Companies
- Altus Group
- CBRE
- IRR
- Silverstein Properties
- S&A Homes
Faculty Advisers
Mallory Meehan
Clinical Assistant Professor
Email: mmm446@psu.edu
Phone: 814-863-1558