An online doctoral degree in real estate may provide individuals with area-specific expertise in business and real estate. These three to five-year programs may focus on specialized topics within real estate including capital markets, urban development, and regulatory issues in real estate finance. Program coursework may include dissertation coursework, business-related electives, and major-specific courses including microeconomics, asset pricing theory, and empirical corporate finance.

Upon completion of the program, students may pursue employment within their chosen capacity of real estate. Doctoral-level graduates may find employment in finance, post-secondary education, property development, and land appraisal.

Program Overview

• Prerequisite: Bachelor’s Degree at minimum
• Program Length: Three to five years to complete
• Post-Grad Options: Employment
• Projected Employment Growth: 11% (2010-2020)*

Program Coursework

The curriculum within an online doctoral program in real estate may include a combination of research-heavy dissertation courses and core classes. These courses may teach advanced business skills through extensive research in specific areas of real estate. Core real estate courses may include the following:

• Corporate Finance Theory
• Empirical Corporate Finance
• Asset Pricing theory
• Theoretical Foundation for Real Estate Research
• Microeconomics
• Econometrics
• Empirical Asset Pricing

Career Options

Doctoral-level graduates may find career opportunities in finance, banking, post-secondary education, real estate sales, and property management. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those pursuing careers as real estate brokers and sales agents may expect employment opportunities to increase by 11% from 2010-2020.*

Possible careers include:

• Real Estate Appraiser and Assessor
• College Professor
• Mortgage Lender
• Director of Land Development
• Finance Director

*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook