The MRE degree program teaches the traditional skills and knowledge required of every real estate professional while simultaneously exploring how well-designed real estate can advance beneficial spatial, social, and environmental outcomes in cities and metropolitan areas worldwide. Through a multidisciplinary curriculum of required and elective courses, concluding with a two-month off-campus practicum in a private or public real estate organization to participate in an ongoing real estate project, students learn about finance, development, design, law, economics, project and construction management, politics, leadership, ethics, negotiation, entrepreneurship, new technologies, culture, and other subjects essential to the practice of present and future real estate.
The MRE is a 12-month degree that includes Fall, Spring, and Summer terms.
Students are required to take 60 units of courses to graduate. A typical course in the MRE program is four units. Fall term is 20 units, Spring term is 24 units, and Summer term is 16 units.
The required courses for the MRE degree are listed in Curriculum Details. Curriculum requirements are subject to change based on ongoing assessments by the faculty.
The two-month off-campus summer Practicum places students in a private or public real estate organization to participate in an ongoing project that advances socially and environmentally beneficial outcomes. A tuition discount covering travel and living expenses is provided. Please refer to the Practicum Page for more details.
Yes. Students who demonstrate through successful completion of a waiver examinations that they already know the course material may substitute a specially created MRE elective for the required course.
Yes. Students may cross-register in eligible courses at other Harvard schools, including the Harvard Business School, the Kennedy School, the Law School, the T. H. Chan School of Public Health, the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the College. Students may also cross-register in eligible courses offered by MIT. The ability to cross-register in a given course is dependent on the rules of the school offering the course.
No. If students want to obtain another degree offered by the GSD or another Harvard school, they must do so before or after completing the MRE degree and must be accepted by that degree program.
No.
Yes. All MRE students have a faculty advisor to guide them on curricular and extracurricular matters.
The MRE program invites distinguished real estate practitioners to give talks and meet privately with MRE students. Students may also attend public events held by the Joint Center for Housing , the Center for Green Buildings and Cities , the Taubman Center for State and Local Government , the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston , the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative , The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability (which houses the Center for the Environment ), and a host of other Harvard centers and institutes focused on different parts of the world. A student-run real estate club co-sponsors with its Harvard Business and Law School counterparts an annual spring real estate conference and organizes a variety of other activities.
Yes. An important measure of a professional degree program’s success is a record of significant and enhanced employment for all students following graduation. The MRE program greatly benefits from Harvard’s vast network of alumni engaged in real estate practice worldwide. The GSD’s Office of Career Services provides career counseling, the Connect GSD mentorship platform, and the CREATE platform. The Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board organizes job treks to various cities and, along with the Harvard Real Estate Alumni Organization, offers direct connections to Harvard real estate alumni. Many MRE faculty members are practitioners who enjoy strong relationships with many real estate organizations.
MRE graduates are prepared to assume substantial, meaningful positions in a wide variety of real estate organizations, including the following:
- private developers
- equity investors
- asset managers
- affordable housing developers
- community development corporations
- public and quasi-public agencies
- advisory and consulting firms
- anchor institutions such as universities and medical institutions (“eds and meds”).
Some MRE graduates may choose to set off on their own entrepreneurial path. Others may decide to return to the organization where they worked prior to attending the MRE program but with opportunities for promotion and new directions based on their MRE degree.
Yes. The Master in Real Estate degree has been designated a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) degree. Thus, international students holding F-1 visas may be eligible for a 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension on top of their initial OPT of 12 months, for a total of 36 months, following graduation. For further information, go to the Harvard International Office’s information page .
The 2025-26 class has 36 students, with roughly half from the United States and the rest from countries around the world. Average age is 30 and all have real estate experience.
Yes. Applicants must possess a bachelor’s or equivalent degree. At least two years of professional experience in real estate or related fields (urban planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, etc.) are preferred.
Applications to the MRE program may be submitted through the GSD’s Admissions portal which normally opens in mid-September. Decisions are usually communicated to applicants in March. For additional information on admissions, please visit the Admissions webpage.
Yes. The MRE program hosts a virtual “Open House” in mid-Fall during which faculty and students discuss the program and answer questions. Please go to the Connect to the GSD page to register for the MRE Open House.
For information on GSD tuition and fees, please visit the GSD Tuition webpage.
Yes. Admission to the MRE program is “need-blind,” meaning that an applicant’s ability to pay tuition is not considered in the admissions process. If admitted, students may apply for need-based financial aid from the GSD. For additional information, please visit the Financial Aid webpage.
No. Applicants are not required to take the GRE and other standardized test, with the exception of TOEFL scores required for international students from countries where English is not the native language. If submitted, GRE or other standardized test scores will not be considered when applications are reviewed.
No.
Yes. Applicants who have been out of school for several years may request letters from employers or other persons in a position to evaluate their professional abilities and academic potential.
No. If an applicant is admitted to the program but is unable to attend, they will need to reapply in the future.