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, who expressed that “Real estate should be taught as a process of dynamic interactions rather than functional and historical facts.” 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. To effectively underwrite commercial real estate, students must be able to identify and synthesize technical or basic skills, conceptual knowledge, and critical thinking skills, and understand the real estate landscape to make informed and thoughtful property decisions. Graduates of the real estate major secure employment in a wide range of positions and responsibilities including real estate private equity investment, commercial real estate lending and valuation, and real estate development, among many other areas including asset/property management, and investment sales and brokerage.
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 UW–Madison Students
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | Application required. Meeting the requirements listed below does not guarantee admission. (https://admissions.wsb.wisc.edu/BbaPreBusiness) |
| Courses required to get in | Students are required to complete each of the 4 requirements below. Requirements can be completed via coursework, test credit, transfer work, or placement exam (if applicable). Communication A Quantitative Reasoning A Economics Human Behavior |
| GPA requirements to get in | Minimum 3.0 UW-Madison GPA. |
| Credits required to get in |
|
| Other |
|
| Semester | Deadline to apply | Decision notification timeline |
|---|---|---|
| To apply for a fall start | Mid March | On or before July 1st. |
| To apply for a spring start | This program does not accept applications to start in the spring. | |
| To apply for a summer start | This program does not accept applications to start in the summer. |
Prospective First-Year Applicants
All prospective UW–Madison 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. Simply list a Business interest as your top academic area of interest on the University application.
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. Information for prospective transfer students can be found here: https://business.wisc.edu/undergraduate/admissions/transfer-students/.
Additional Information
Students declared in Business: Real Estate and Urban Land Economics cannot earn the Summer Certificate in Business Fundamentals, Certificate in Business, or the Certificate in Entrepreneurship due to curriculum overlap.
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. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
School of Business Requirements
The Wisconsin Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program combines UW–Madison’s 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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| School of Business BBA Requirements | ||
| Complete requirements: | ||
School of Business Liberal Studies Requirements | ||
Business Fundamentals Requirement | ||
Business Core Requirement | ||
Business Signature Requirement | ||
Business: Real Estate and Urban Land Economics Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| REAL EST/A A E/ECON/URB R PL 306 | The Real Estate Process | 3 |
| REAL EST 410 | Real Estate Finance | 3 |
| REAL EST 411 | Real Estate Excel Modeling | 1 |
| REAL EST 412 | Real Estate ARGUS Modeling | 1 |
| REAL EST 415 | Valuation of Real Estate | 3 |
| REAL EST/ECON/URB R PL 420 | Urban and Regional Economics | 3 |
| REAL EST 425 | Real Estate Law | 3 |
| REAL EST 530 | Real Estate Investment Analysis | 3 |
| 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
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| REAL EST 365 | Contemporary Topics 1 | 3 |
| REAL EST/A A E/URB R PL 520 | Community Economic Analysis | 3 |
| REAL EST 540 | Public Real Estate Equity Investment | 3 |
| REAL EST 550 | Private Real Estate Equity Investment I: Analysis and Structures | 3 |
| REAL EST 611 | Residential Property Development | 3 |
| REAL EST 640 | Real Estate Capital Markets | 3 |
| REAL EST 651 | Green - Sustainable Development | 3 |
| REAL EST 661 | Real Estate Investment Analysis and Presentation | 3 |
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The real estate department regularly offers innovative and cutting-edge electives under REAL EST 365 Contemporary Topics. Students should check the Course Guide every semester.
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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIR ST/SOIL SCI 575 | Assessment of Environmental Impact | 3 |
| LAND ARC 250 | Survey of Landscape Architecture Design | 3 |
| LAND ARC 561 | Housing and Urban Design | 4 |
| LAND ARC 562 | Urban Design and Open Space Systems | 4 |
| SOIL SCI 301 | General Soil Science | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 498 | Construction Project Management | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 340 | Structural Analysis I | 3 |
| GEOG/CIV ENGR/ENVIR ST 377 | An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| URB R PL/GEOG 305 | Introduction to the City | 3-4 |
| URB R PL/LAND ARC 463 | Evolution of American Planning | 3 |
| URB R PL 601 | Site Planning | 3 |
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, 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. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| 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. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
Learning Outcomes
- 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. We encourage all students to consult with their academic advisor to develop an individualized plan that meets their specific needs.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ECON 101 or 111 | 4 | MATH 211 or 221 | 4-5 |
| Communications A | 3 | PSYCH 202, SOC 211, ANTHRO 104, GEN&WS 102, or HDFS 263 (Human Behavior) | 3-4 |
| Ethnic Studies | 3 | ACCT I S 100 | 3 |
| Science | 3 | Science | 3 |
| GEN BUS 106 | 1 | Humanities | 3 |
| GEN BUS 110 | 1 | ||
| 15 | 16-18 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| REAL EST/A A E/ECON/URB R PL 306 | 3 | REAL EST 410 | 3 |
| GEN BUS 306 | 3 | FINANCE/ECON 300 | 3 |
| ECON 102 or 111 | 4 | GEN BUS 307 | 3 |
| ACCT I S 211 | 3 | GEN BUS 360 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | GEN BUS/DS 240, 250, or 308 (Take One) | 2 |
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| REAL EST 411 | 1 | REAL EST/ECON/URB R PL 420 | 3 |
| REAL EST 412 | 1 | PHILOS 241, 243, 341, or 441 (Ethics) | 3-4 |
| REAL EST 415 | 3 | MARKETNG 300 | 3 |
| GEN BUS 250, 240, or 308 (Take One) | 2 | M H R 300 | 3 |
| OTM 300 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | ||
| 14 | 15-16 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| REAL EST 425 | 3 | REAL EST 530 | 3 |
| GEN BUS 400 | 3 | GEN BUS 301 | 3 |
| Literature | 3 | R M I 300, REAL EST 306, INTL BUS 200, or INFO SYS 3221 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120-123 | |||
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This requirement is satisfied through the Real Estate major requirements.
Advising and Careers
Advising
Advising is an integral part of any student’s educational journey in the School of Business Undergraduate Program. Starting at Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR), we encourage all students to connect with academic advisors. 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. We encourage students to connect with their career coach once they arrive on campus.
Business academic advisors and career coaches are passionate about student success. Students experiencing academic difficulty or personal struggles are encouraged to talk to their advisor about how their individual situation may affect their academic performance.
Assigned Academic and Career Coaches
Admitted business students will have one assigned academic advisor. Career coaches are assigned by academic major to be able to provide industry-specific career guidance. If a student has more than one major, they may have more than one assigned career coach. Students can find their assigned advisor and coach by logging into the Starfish portal through MyUW.
For students not yet admitted to the School of Business, there is a team of pre-business advisors available.
Accessing Advising
Drop-in advising and scheduled appointments are available for admitted business students. Pre-business students may also schedule an appointment with a pre-business academic advisor or utilize drop-in academic advising.
For more information on accessing academic advising, please see our Academic Advising page.
For more information on accessing career coaching, please see our Career Coaching page.
Careers
Real estate as a career encompasses a wide range of activities—from 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.
Please visit our website to learn more about careers in real estate.
More information on Career Pathways.
People
For more information about the faculty and their research interests, please visit the directory.
Accreditation
AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Accreditation status: Accredited. Next accreditation review: 2026–2027.