The undergraduate program in real estate provides concentrated coursework in all aspects of the real estate enterprise. The program is nationally renowned for its ability to develop real estate professionals with superb analytical skills. Many of the graduates of the program go on to work as managers of and advisors to pension funds, insurance companies, real estate investment trusts, and investment banks. Other graduates of the program go on to take public and private industry jobs in real estate development, appraisal, corporate real estate asset management, and real estate analysis.
RECOGNITION
Our real estate program is ranked 2nd in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report 2016.
Related Student Organizations
Students wishing to pursue this major must be admitted to the School of Business. Once admitted, students are able to pursue any business major they choose. To find out more about the school's admissions process for undergraduate students, please see Entering the School.
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) degree program is based on a broad educational foundation combined with courses in business and economics. This curriculum is designed for those students who wish to prepare for careers in business. Students completing any School of Business major are required to satisfy a common set of Pre-Business Requirements, Liberal Studies Requirements, Business Preparatory Requirement, Business Core Requirement, Business Breadth Requirement, and Credits for BBA Degree.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| School of Business BBA Requirements | ||
| Complete requirements: | ||
Pre-Business | ||
Liberal Studies | ||
Business Prep | ||
Business Core | ||
Business Breadth | ||
Real Estate Major Requirements
Students should take REAL EST/A A E/ECON/URB R PL 306 The Real Estate Process as early as possible, as it is a prerequisite for many other real estate courses.
REAL EST 312 Real Estate Law should also be taken early, ideally the semester after REAL EST/A A E/ECON/URB R PL 306 The Real Estate Process.
Please note that the scheduling of REAL EST 312 Real Estate Law occasionally conflicts with that of REAL EST/ECON/URB R PL 420 Urban and Regional Economics in the spring semester.
It is strongly recommended that students take REAL EST 415 Valuation of Real Estate before REAL EST 410 Real Estate Finance, or that REAL EST 410 Real Estate Finance and REAL EST 415 Valuation of Real Estate be taken concurrently.
REAL EST 611 Residential Property Development should be taken after REAL EST 410 Real Estate Finance and REAL EST 415 Valuation of Real Estate.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| REAL EST/A A E/ECON/URB R PL 306 | The Real Estate Process | 3 |
| REAL EST 312 | Real Estate Law | 3 |
| REAL EST 410 | Real Estate Finance | 3 |
| REAL EST 415 | Valuation of Real Estate | 3 |
| REAL EST/ECON/URB R PL 420 | Urban and Regional Economics | 3 |
| REAL EST 611 | Residential Property Development | 3 |
| or REAL EST 611 | Residential Property Development | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Additional Courses
Undergraduate students are encouraged to take additional electives from among the following real estate and related courses within the School of Business. 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 651 | Green - Sustainable Development | 3 |
| 1 | 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. |
Related Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FINANCE 305 | Financial Markets, Institutions and Economic Activity | 3 |
| FINANCE/ECON 320 | Investment Theory | 3 |
| OTM/I SY E 578 | Facilities Location Models | 3 |
| OTM 444 | Economics of Transportation | 3 |
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/GEOG 325 | Analysis of the Physical Environment | 4 |
| ENVIR ST/SOIL SCI 575 | Assessment of Environmental Impact | 3 |
| BSE/LAND ARC 356 | Sustainable Residential Construction | 3 |
| LAND ARC 250 | Survey of Landscape Architecture Design | 3 |
| LAND ARC 561 | Housing and Urban Design | 4 |
| LAND ARC 562 | Open Space Planning and Design | 4 |
| SOIL SCI 301 | General Soil Science | 4 |
| CIV ENGR 498 | Construction Project Management | 3 |
| CIV ENGR 340 | Structural Analysis I | 3 |
| ART HIST 368 | American Architecture: The 19th Century | 3-4 |
| 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. |
- Gather, process and analyze market, linkage and macroeconomic data for the purpose of forecasting real estate trends and making prudent investment decisions.
- Understand how to optimally source capital to execute on growth and development opportunities, prepare for and manage the crises and contingencies that pervade real estate ventures, and improve efficiencies in the operation of revenue generating properties.
- Recognize, measure, and create value in real estate in the strict respect of all ethical and legal norms and with full awareness of their responsibility to the communities, investors and users they aspire to serve as real estate professionals.
- Successfully communicate the merits of beneficial real estate projects to its various stakeholders.
- Develop a deeper network with local, regional and international professionals to gather market data, perspectives, investment ideas and employment leads.
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 | Summer | Credits |
| ECON 101 | 4 | ECON 102 | 4 | ACCT I S 1001 | 3 |
| GEN BUS 110 | 1 | MATH 211 or 221 | 5 | ||
| Communications A | 3-4 | PSYCH 202 | 3 | ||
| Ethnic Studies | 3-4 | ||||
| Science | 3 | ||||
| 14-16 | 12 | 3 | |||
| Total Credits 29-31 | |||||
| 1 | Direct Admits who wish to do an internship during their first summer will need to take ACCT I S 100 during their second semester. |
| Sophomore | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GEN BUS 306 | 3 | GEN BUS 307 | 3 |
| ACCT I S 211 | 3 | GEN BUS 300 | 3 |
| M H R 300 | 3 | MARKETNG 300 | 3 |
| REAL EST/A A E/ECON/URB R PL 306 | 3 | FINANCE/ECON 300 | 3 |
| Humanities, Social Sciences or Literature course | 3 | OTM 300 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 30 | |||
| Junior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| REAL EST 365 (ARGUS) | 1 | REAL EST 415 | 3 |
| REAL EST 365 (Excel Modeling ) | 1 | REAL EST 312 | 3 |
| Business Breadth | 3 | GEN BUS 301 | 3 |
| Ethics 2 | 3-4 | Humanities, Social Sciences or Literature | 3 |
| Communications B | 3-4 | ||
| 11-13 | 12 | ||
| Total Credits 23-25 | |||
| 2 | Students must choose one of the following courses: PHILOS 241 , PHILOS 243, PHILOS 341, PHILOS 441. |
| Senior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| REAL EST 410 | 3 | REAL EST 611 or 6613 | 3 |
| REAL EST/ECON/URB R PL 420 | 3 | Business Breadth | 3 |
| Science | 3 | Humanities, Social Sciences or Literature | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3-6 |
| 12 | 12-15 | ||
| Total Credits 24-27 | |||
| 3 | REAL EST 611 or REAL EST 661 can also be taken in the fall semester of senior year. |
Advising
Advising is an integral part of any student’s educational journey in the School of Business BBA Program. Starting at Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR), we encourage all students to connect with academic advisors. BBA academic advisors have a wealth of knowledge about courses on campus, as well as policies and procedures.
BBA career advisors help students with career exploration, internships, resumes, job search, interviewing and more. We encourage students to connect with their career advisor once they arrive on campus.
BBA advisors want students to succeed. 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 Advisors
For admitted BBA students, advisors are assigned by academic major. If you have more than one major, you may have more than one assigned advisor. You can find your assigned advisor by logging into your student center and looking on the right hand menu under “Program Advisor.”
For students not yet admitted to the School of Business, we have a team of pre-business advisors available to you.
Accessing Advising
If you have a quick question, no more than 15 minutes, please utilize our drop-in advising.
You may schedule a 30-minute appointment with an academic and career advisors. Advisors are trained, and have knowledge regarding all ten majors in the BBA, so if your assigned advisor is not available you can be confident to schedule an appointment with any of the BBA advisors.
Pre-business students may also schedule an appointment with a pre-business academic advisor.
If you have a quick yes/no question you may always send an email to your assigned advisor.
For more information on accessing academic advising, please see our academic advising page.
For more information on accessing career advising, please see our career advising 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.
Faculty and Staff in Real Estate
Alina Arefeva, BA, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
arefeva@wisc.edu
Michael Brennan, BS
Adjunct Professor
Irgens Executive Director of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate
mbrennan3@wisc.edu
Yongheng Deng, BA, MS, Ph.D.
Professor
Director of PhD Program
yongheng.deng@wisc.edumailto: yongheng.deng@wisc.edu
Moussa Diop, BS, MA, MBA, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
moussa.diop@wisc.edu
Mark Eppli
Lecturer
Director of the James A. Graaskamp Center
mark.eppli@wisc.edu
Andra Ghent, BA, MA, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Academic Director for the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate
ghent@wisc.edu
Joshua Jeffers
Lecturer
joshua@jjeffers.com
Michael Johnson, BS, MBA, MS
Lecturer
mdjohnso@wisc.edu
Thomas Landgraf, BS
Senior Lecturer
tlandgraf@wisc.edu
Lauren Lofton
Lecturer
llofton@wisc.edu
Sharon McCabe, BA, MS
Faculty Associate
sharon.mccabe@wisc.edu
Timothy Pire
Lecturer
tpire@wisc.edu
Arif Qureshi, MS
Senior Lecturer
arifq@tds.net
Timothy Riddiough, BBA, MS, Ph.D.
Professor
Director of the Applied Real Estate Investment Track (AREIT)
Department Chair of Real Estate
timothy.riddiough@wisc.edu
Peter Ritz, BA, JD
Senior Lecturer
peter.ritz@wisc.edu
Robert Schwarz, BA, MS
Lecturer
rschwarz@bus.wisc.edu
Joe Shumow
Lecturer
jdshumow@wisc.edu
Joseph Walsh, BS, MS
Faculty Associate
joseph.walsh@wisc.edu
Abdullah Yavas, BA, Ph.D.
Professor
abdullah.yavas@wisc.edu
Accreditation
AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Accreditation status: Accredited. Next accreditation review: 2021–2022.