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Real Estate

Overview

Real estate programs prepare people to buy, sell, and manage real estate.

Real estate programs prepare people to work as real estate agents or brokers. Students learn about real estate law, brokerage, and land use. They also learn to manage rental property and leases.

Real estate programs include topics such as:

Schools

Many community colleges and technical schools offer certificate and associate degree programs in real estate. A certificate program usually takes a year of full-time study. An associate degree program usually takes two years to complete. This is good preparation for work as a property manager.

Several colleges and universities offer bachelor’s degrees in real estate. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study. A bachelor degree is good preparation for a managerial position in a brokerage or property management firm.

A few universities offer graduate degrees in real estate. One option is to specialize in this program while earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. A master’s degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor’s degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master’s degree.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

Related Careers

Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study

Other Careers Related to this Program of Study

Program Admission

Proprietary schools, colleges, and universities all offer this program. If you want to study at a proprietary school, you can prepare for this program of study by completing your high school diploma or getting a GED. If you want to study at a college or university, you can prepare for this program by taking the following courses: four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

A certificate program to prepare you for the exam for a real estate sales agent's license typically includes courses in the following subjects:

A certificate program to prepare you for the exam for a real estate sales broker's license typically includes courses in the following subjects:

An associate degree program in real estate typically includes courses in the following subjects:

A bachelor's degree program typically includes most of the courses listed for the associate degree. Some of these will be in greater depth. Liberal arts courses will also be included, plus additional specialized real estate courses such as the following:

Things to Know

Most states require between 30 and 90 hours of classroom instruction for candidates for the general sales license.

The preparation time for the real estate sale agent's licensing exam is fairly short. That means that a lot of people get this license and there is a lot of competition for clients who are buying or selling homes.

Business courses in high school can be useful preparation for a career in real estate. If you intend to enter a degree program, your high school transcript needs to show that you are preparing for a demanding college-level program.

Schools

King-Snohomish Area

North Seattle College

University of Washington - Seattle

Tacoma Area

Pierce College Puyallup