SAN DIEGO—Those in the commercial real estate industry or not, who wish to further their real estate career or begin one, should look into the University of San Diego's Real Estate Finance, Investments and Development Certificate–offered through the school's professional and continuing-education department—which partners with the Burnham-Moores Center at USD's School of Business, university professionals tell GlobeSt.com.

The university's program attracts a variety of students and professionals, Charles McGinnis, director of professional and public programs for USD; John Ferber, manager, real estate committee and continuing education at the Burnham-Moores Center at USD; and Elva Marin, senior programming coordinator, professional and continuing education at USD, tell us. Among those attracted include professionals already in the commercial real estate industry who wish to enhance their knowledge or explore a new area of real estate they may not be familiar with (e.g., entitlements, CEQA, real estate law, etc.); professionals who may not be ready for or able to obtain a Masters in Science in Real Estate (perhaps due to financial reasons, family obligations, time restraints, etc.), but who wish to further their education in various disciplines of real estate; professionals who want to stay up-to-date on evolving real estate laws and regulations pertaining to the industry (e.g., zoning, entitlements, permitting, etc.); those interested in transitioning into the real estate industry who are interested in taking courses to see if this is the right fit for them (military transitioning, parents re-entering the work-force, etc.); and professionals who may require continuing education units.

We spoke with McGinnis, Ferber and Marin about the scope of the program, its advantages for real estate professionals in the area and what many people don't know about it—and should.

GlobeSt.com: Tell me about the scope of the CE program at USD.

McGinnis: The scope as it pertains to real estate really covers a wide area of real estate topics, from things like CEQA to the financial side to networking—pretty much soup to nuts—that someone in the real estate field would need to know. It provides a working knowledge and practical, applicable, hands-on, real-world experience of what it's like when you get out.

Ferber: Real estate is dynamic, so we try to change up the courses we offer. We hosted a conference on retail and all the changes happening there not too long ago, but change is happening not only in retail, but in the office and industrial markets as well. Students are given actual projects to complete, so they really do get practical knowledge of real-life projects as they're happening.

GlobeSt.com: What are the advantages of this program for real estate professionals?

McGinnis: There are no prerequisites; you don't have to take one class before or after the next; it's not sequential, so you can get in and out at any time, return at any time and target your interests. Also, you can take the knowledge that you get from another program and dive deeper and customize the program to meet your needs.

Ferber: For those taking the courses, it's an enhancement of what they already know. For example, someone in leasing might want to know about the finance side of real estate, and that helps them broaden their overall knowledge of real estate.

Marin: Plus, our instructors are all practitioners in the field and are relevant, so they're able to bring their experiential wisdom into the classroom. This fortifies the academic benefits of continuing education.

GlobeSt.com: How does the program demonstrate San Diego's strength as a “university town” to attract and retain talent and companies?

McGinnis: USD has an extraordinarily high reputation and credible presence within San Diego proper. Within a university town, we stand out, which drew me in about a year ago—the name recognition. But also, the partnership between USD's professional-and-continuing-education department and the Burnham-Moores Center in the School of Business opens students up to all the resources of the university. It takes San Diego's reputation as a university town to the next level and provides a robust education that you can't get at a for-profit institute or some of the other sources that try to teach real estate in the area. It lets us highlight what a higher level of institution can bring to the table.

Ferber: We started the Burnham-Moores Center in 2005-2006, and at that time we were the only real estate center out of all of the universities in our vicinity. We found that real estate was of interest to our students. The first thing we started was the MSRE, and we held off on the CE program for another year. All the stars were in alignment, and all of this came together. We have been on the forefront of all these courses, and what we do hasn't been replicated since. I don't know of any other university that offers the CE or MSRE program.

Also, I work with students here on campus, and regardless of where they're from, when you ask them about their plans after college, the first thing they say is they want to stay in San Diego. So, we have a lot of work to do here to take care of these students after they graduate.

In addition, with the prestigious faculty we have at USD—Norm Miller, Charles Tu, John Demas—these are professionals who are known locally and nationally. That drives people to take a real estate course here. The reputation that we have does bring a lot of credibility to the program.

GlobeSt.com: Who would gain the most from the real estate certificate your CE program offers?

McGinnis: For professionals who may not be ready or able to obtain a masters or MSRE, CE serves that need very well. It provides an opportunity for that student who may be unsure if the real estate program is right for them. Maybe they haven't been in school for a while, so it allows them to dip a toe in the water and wade in slowly, and it provides an onramp back to the education system for those folks. It's a lot more comfortable for those professionals who are practicing but have not been in a classroom for a long time.

Ferber: A career in real estate is far more complex than just selling homes. For people currently in real estate, even if they're doing well in whatever discipline they're involved with, they need to know about the other disciplines that go into real estate. Someone in development still needs to know about finance, investment, leasing and property management. All of these different disciplines go into making the program work.

GlobeSt.com: What other value does the program provide?

Ferber: After each course, we ask the students to fill out a survey about the value it provides for them, and one of the top answers is to get a raise. Whether you get the certificate or not, it really looks nice on your personnel records and resume because it shows you've gone above and beyond your job description.

Marin: In this program in particular, the proximity to the instructor is valuable. Who the professors are in the industry brings in a lot of students, and the classroom gives the students proximity to those instructors. It's the ability to have a consulting or networking platform for students interested in a niche area or who know of the practitioner. And the instructors also bring in guest speakers in the industry as well. For example, in our urban-development course, the instructor brought in a very well-regarded architect, and recently Kevin Heinly from Gensler came in to talk. This gives students an opportunity they wouldn't have otherwise to meet these kinds of speakers, and it's a big attraction.

GlobeSt.com: What do most people not realize about this program that you think they should know?

Ferber: There's a great partnership between the two entities in the university. And students have up to five years to get the certificate, so they can stop and start as needed. Also, it's a great way to stay on top of trending projects, laws and regulations; those who don't have a real estate background may not realize that these things change periodically.

McGinnis: CE can tweak and change on a dime—we can change for tonight's class, so we're able to be more contemporary with subject matter. Also, students may go on to get their MSRE, but then realize they want a masters or doctorate, and we can open that door, too. It's the beginning to a world of opportunity in education.

Instant Insights /

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