Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development (MSRED)

Students in Tulane University’s Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development (MSRED) gain practical skills through a practice-oriented curriculum that connects real estate finance, sustainable design, urbanism, law, planning, climate change, and development practice. The program combines synchronous online learning with high-impact, in-person field experiences, applied projects with partner organizations, and opportunities to work directly with industry professionals. Students also receive instruction in industry-standard software and data tools used for financial modeling, geographic analysis, building information modeling, and real estate development:

• Industry software and digital tools: Students receive access to and instruction in Excel modeling, ARGUS, GIS, BIM, SketchUp, Revit, Python, and SQL, developing practical capabilities for financial analysis, spatial analysis, building modeling, and data-driven real estate work.

• Applied projects: Students complete applied projects with partner organizations, allowing them to use concepts from finance, market analysis, sustainability, planning, and development on real-world challenges.

• Sustainable Urban Development Field Study: The required field study (SRED 6301/SRED 6516) provides immersive exposure to climate resilience, historic preservation, and equitable development through place-based learning in New Orleans.

• Urban Field Study: Students participate in a required Urban Field Study (SRED 6400) as part of the program’s experiential learning and residency structure, connecting coursework with urban development practice.

• Real estate capstone: The Graduate Real Estate Capstone (SRED 6740) brings together the program’s interdisciplinary learning and applied development experience.

• Field trips and residencies: Students participate in weekend or week-long field experiences in domestic or international cities, with New Orleans serving as a central location for place-based learning.

• Internships: Students can take a 3-credit internship elective with developers, investment firms, public agencies, or nonprofit organizations. Internships may be completed in the student’s home market and are coordinated through Tulane’s industry network.

• Industry engagement: Courses are taught by faculty and professors of practice who are active professionals in real estate development, finance, construction, planning, design, urbanism, and policy, bringing current industry knowledge and professional connections into the learning experience.

• Real Estate Advisory Board: Students can build professional connections through Tulane’s Real Estate Advisory Board, which brings together alumni and industry experts connected to the Real Estate Development program.

• New Orleans as a learning environment: The program uses New Orleans as a place-based laboratory, allowing students to examine real challenges involving resilience, preservation, equitable development, and sustainable urban growth.

• Technology and AI: The redesigned MSRED curriculum includes emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, construction, and project management, extending the program’s practical focus into current real estate technologies and development workflows.

The Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development (MSRED) prepares graduates for professional roles across real estate finance, development, consulting, project management, investment, and sustainable urban development. Its interdisciplinary training in finance, economics, design, planning, law, sustainability, climate change, and emerging technologies gives graduates a foundation for working across different parts of the built environment. Typical career paths include Project Manager, Financial Analyst, Development Associate, and Real Estate Consultant, with Tulane also identifying Principal and Owner/Developer as longer-term opportunities.

Career development and progression opportunities include:

• Career services: Tulane Career Services provides a dedicated Real Estate career channel with industry resources, professional-development opportunities, job openings, career advising, and events relevant to real estate careers.
• Industry connections: The MSRED is supported by a Real Estate Advisory Board made up of alumni and industry experts, while faculty include practicing professionals in real estate development, finance, construction, planning, design, urbanism, and policy.
• Industry experience: Students can undertake a 3-credit for-credit internship with developers, investment firms, public agencies, or nonprofit organizations, applying finance, market analysis, development strategy, and sustainability skills to real projects.
• Employer exposure: Tulane's career platform currently lists opportunities such as Real Estate Development Intern and Commercial Real Estate Development Associate, including roles involving development feasibility, underwriting, market analysis, project acquisition, and financial modelling.
• Professional network: Required field experiences and applied projects connect students with organizations and professionals at local, state, and national levels, while field studies in New Orleans and other domestic or international cities provide additional exposure to real development environments.
• Employment outcomes: Tulane identifies career opportunities including Project Manager, Financial Analyst, Development Associate, Consultant, Principal, and Owner/Developer. The official MSRED pages do not state a specific graduate employment rate or program-specific salary figure, so no salary or employment percentage is provided here.
• Professional accreditation value: The MSRED itself is a real-estate-development degree rather than a NAAB-accredited professional architecture degree. Tulane's NAAB accreditation applies to its professional Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture programs, with the current M.Arch accreditation cycle extending to the next visit in 2031.
• Long-term career value: The program's combination of sustainable development, real estate finance, law, urbanism, climate resilience, and emerging AI, construction, and project-management content is designed to prepare graduates for changing requirements across the built-environment industry.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MSRED, students can continue into additional graduate study at Tulane, including the Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), or pursue the Master of Architecture/MSRED dual degree pathway. Tulane also offers a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Real Estate Development, while students interested in research or advanced specialization can explore other graduate programs within the School of Architecture and Built Environment.