Business: Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, BBA
Program Overview
Business: Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, BBA
The primary goal of the undergraduate real estate major is to comprehensively underwrite commercial real estate, which is broad-based and follows the education thought leadership of James A. Graaskamp. Underwriting commercial real estate includes the analysis of all property types and the development of residential communities while assessing and managing risk in all aspects of real estate relative to finance, development, valuation, and market analysis.
Recognition
Our real estate program is ranked 1st in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report 2024.
Related Organizations
- Real Estate Club
- Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association
- Women in Real Estate
- Real Estate Private Equity Club
How to Get in
Current UWMadison Students
To get in, students must meet the following requirements:
- Application required
- Courses required to get in:
- Communication A: ENGL 100, COM ARTS 100, ESL 118, LSC 100
- Quantitative Reasoning A: MATH 112, MATH 114, MATH 171, COMP SCI/L I S 102
- Economics: ECON 101, ECON 111
- Human Behavior: PSYCH 202, SOC/C&E SOC 211, ANTHRO 104, GEN&WS 102, HDFS 263
- GPA requirements: Minimum 3.0 UW-Madison GPA
- Credits required:
- 24 credits completed/in-progress at UW-Madison for first-year students
- 12 completed/in-progress at UW-Madison for transfer students
- Other requirements:
- Pre-Business 101 workshop required during the intended application year
- Pre-Business applicants may apply once within their first four terms
Prospective First-Year Applicants
All prospective UWMadison students must apply through the central Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Prospective high school students may be considered for direct admission to Business based on their application to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Prospective Transfer Applicants
Transfer students at University of Wisconsin System campuses or Wisconsin Technical Colleges may apply separately for admission to both the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the School of Business during the spring term for fall enrollment.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. The requirements include:
- BreadthHumanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits
- BreadthNatural Science: 4 to 6 credits
- BreadthSocial Studies: 3 credits
- Communication Part A & Part B
- Ethnic Studies
- Quantitative Reasoning Part A & Part B
School of Business Requirements
The Wisconsin Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program combines UWMadisons general liberal education requirements, broad coverage of core business disciplines, and cutting-edge signature courses to create a strong academic foundation upon which students delve deeply into their majors.
Business: Real Estate and Urban Land Economics Major Requirements
The major requirements include:
- REAL EST/A A E/ECON/URB R PL 306: The Real Estate Process (3 credits)
- REAL EST 410: Real Estate Finance (3 credits)
- REAL EST 411: Real Estate Excel Modeling (1 credit)
- REAL EST 412: Real Estate ARGUS Modeling (1 credit)
- REAL EST 415: Valuation of Real Estate (3 credits)
- REAL EST/ECON/URB R PL 420: Urban and Regional Economics (3 credits)
- REAL EST 425: Real Estate Law (3 credits)
- REAL EST 530: Real Estate Investment Analysis (3 credits) Total credits: 20
Additional Courses
Undergraduate students are encouraged to take additional electives from among the following real estate courses. Electives are typically not offered every semester.
Real Estate Electives
- REAL EST 365: Contemporary Topics 1 (3 credits)
- REAL EST/A A E/URB R PL 520: Community Economic Analysis (3 credits)
- REAL EST 540: Public Real Estate Equity Investment (3 credits)
- REAL EST 550: Private Real Estate Equity Investment I: Analysis and Structures (3 credits)
- REAL EST 611: Residential Property Development (3 credits)
- REAL EST 640: Real Estate Capital Markets (3 credits)
- REAL EST 651: Green - Sustainable Development (3 credits)
- REAL EST 661: Real Estate Investment Analysis and Presentation (3 credits)
Recommended Non-Business Electives
Electives may also be selected outside the business-economics core from among a number of courses elsewhere in the university, which will provide greater professional awareness and more specialized tools.
- ENVIR ST/SOIL SCI 575: Assessment of Environmental Impact (3 credits)
- LAND ARC 250: Survey of Landscape Architecture Design (3 credits)
- LAND ARC 561: Housing and Urban Design (4 credits)
- LAND ARC 562: Urban Design and Open Space Systems (4 credits)
- SOIL SCI 301: General Soil Science (3 credits)
- CIV ENGR 498: Construction Project Management (3 credits)
- CIV ENGR 340: Structural Analysis I (3 credits)
- GEOG/CIV ENGR/ENVIR ST 377: An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4 credits)
- URB R PL/GEOG 305: Introduction to the City (3-4 credits)
- URB R PL/LAND ARC 463: Evolution of American Planning (3 credits)
- URB R PL 601: Site Planning (3 credits)
University Degree Requirements
To receive a bachelor's degree from UWMadison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements.
- Total Degree: 120 credits
- Residency: Minimum of 30 credits in residence at UWMadison
- Quality of Work: Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing.
Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes of the program include:
- Assemble and analyze market, linkage, and economic data to make prudent investment decisions.
- Identify debt and equity capital sources that meet investor risk/return parameters for development, acquisitions, debt and value-add investment opportunities.
- Responsibly and ethically consider investor, tenant, community, and municipal needs in the development process.
- Create value in the built environment through developments that are built to scale, affordable, and sustainable.
- Communicate the merits of real estate projects to investors, community stakeholders, and municipal/publicly elected officials.
- Provide a network of professionals with cutting-edge perspectives and employment opportunities.
Four-Year Plan
This is a sample four-year plan for students directly admitted into the School of Business from high school.
- Freshman:
- Fall: ECON 101 or 111, Communications A, Ethnic Studies, Science, GEN BUS 106, GEN BUS 110
- Spring: MATH 211 or 221, PSYCH 202, SOC 211, ANTHRO 104, GEN&WS 102, or HDFS 263, ACCT I S 100, Humanities
- Sophomore:
- Fall: REAL EST/A A E/ECON/URB R PL 306, GEN BUS 306, ECON 102 or 111, ACCT I S 211, Elective
- Spring: REAL EST 410, FINANCE/ECON 300, GEN BUS 307, GEN BUS 360, GEN BUS/DS 240, 250, or 308
- Junior:
- Fall: REAL EST 411, REAL EST 412, REAL EST 415, GEN BUS 250, 240, or 308, OTM 300, Elective
- Spring: REAL EST/ECON/URB R PL 420, PHILOS 241, 243, 341, or 441, MARKETNG 300, M H R 300, Elective
- Senior:
- Fall: REAL EST 425, GEN BUS 400, Literature, Elective, Elective
- Spring: REAL EST 530, GEN BUS 301, R M I 300, REAL EST 306, INTL BUS 200, or INFO SYS 3221, Elective, Elective Total credits: 120-123
Advising and Careers
Advising
Advising is an integral part of any students educational journey in the School of Business Undergraduate Program. Business academic advisors have a wealth of knowledge about courses on campus, as well as policies and procedures. Business career coaches help students with career exploration, internships, resumes, job search, interviewing, and more.
Careers
Real estate as a career encompasses a wide range of activitiesfrom development and construction to financing; from brokerage and leasing to property management; from appraisal and assessment to insurance and regulation; from research to urban planning, government affairs, and more. Job responsibilities vary by function and can be office-based or in the field. Qualifications also vary from licensing and certification to advanced degrees.
Accreditation
AACSB InternationalThe Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Accreditation status: Accredited. Next accreditation review: 20262027.