Why Pursue a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate
This graduate certificate is designed for individuals with 1-2 years of relevant experience in commercial real estate or related fields, who are seeking formal education to advance their careers in real estate and development. It is also designed for those who hold a graduate degree, but seek to obtain more education or specialization within this industry without committing to further graduate degrees. This certificate allows you to take focused graduate courses with peers from our MBA and MS Finance programs. This certificate is also available to UT San Antonio graduate students in urban planning, architecture, or public administration who wish to gain related knowledge in real estate finance and development.
Economic Relevance
The real estate development, home building and construction industry employ over 784,000 individuals statewide, with more than 131,000 individuals in San Antonio alone. This thriving industry generates an economic impact of $19.4 billion each year, second only to health care as an economic generator. UT San Antonio’s Real Estate graduate certificate will prepare you for success in this ever-growing industry.
Earn a Master’s Degree
Are you ready to take your career and academic journey to the next level? Combine this program with another eligible certificate to earn a master’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies!
Choose from 35+ other disciplines (like construction engineering, science and management, urban and regional planning and more). Take advantage of the opportunity to customize your degree to align with your professional and educational goals.
Admission & Application Requirements
Applications are submitted through the UT San Antonio Graduate Application. Please upload all required documents (listed below) on your UT San Antonio Graduate Application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure completion and submission of the application, a nonrefundable application fee, and all required supporting documents are on file with UT San Antonio by the appropriate application deadline.
For international students, please note that student visas are not issued at UT San Antonio for non-degree-seeking students, including certificate programs. For more information, visit our international students admission page.
| Real Estate Finance & Development (Certificate) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Required Degree | Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or have proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution. | |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Departments may consider GPA of last 60 semester credit hours. Otherwise qualified individuals with a GPA below 3.0 may still be eligible for admission consideration. For further information, please contact [email protected]. | |
| Transcripts* | Required from all institutions attended; international transcripts must be recorded/translated to English | |
| Credential Evaluation | Required if you have earned university-level credit from foreign institutions. Submit an evaluation of your transcripts from FCSA or any NACES-approved credential evaluation agency. | |
| English Language Proficiency | 79 TOEFL iBT / 6.5 IELTS / Duolingo 100 For exams taken on or after January 21, 2026: We require a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 4.0. |
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| Purpose Statement | Required | |
| Resume | Required | |
| Letters of Recommendation | 1 academic or professional reference(s) demonstrating your attributes for successful completion of this program (you will request these through the Graduate Admissions Application; let your recommenders know of your deadline to ensure submissions are on time) | |
| *Unofficial transcripts will be taken into consideration for admissions; however, if admitted into the program, you must submit official transcripts to the University. | ||
Application Deadlines
Applicants are encouraged to have their admission file completed as early as possible. All applications, required documents and letters of recommendation, if applicable, must be submitted by 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time on the day of the deadline. Deadlines are subject to change.
| Real Estate Finance & Development (Certificate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing on Admission Decision: Completed applications will be reviewed for admission on a rolling basis. Decisions generally will be made and sent to applicants within 4 to 6 weeks of receiving the application. | |||
| Application Deadlines for: | Priority | International | Domestic |
| Spring 2026 | November 1 | December 12 | |
| Summer 2026 | Not Available | Not Available | |
| Fall 2026 | June 1 | August 1 | |
| Spring 2027 | November 1 | December 1 | |
| Summer 2027 | Not Available | Not Available | |
Funding Opportunities
ResourcesCareer Options
UT San Antonio prepares you for future careers that are in demand. The possible careers below are based on data pulled by a third-party tool called Emsi, which pulls information from sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, other government databases and more to give you regional and national career outlook related to this academic program.
Current Graduate Students Interested in the Real Estate Finance and Development Certificate
An online application is not required for current UT San Antonio graduate students. Please contact the Graduate Program Advisor, Haley Lee ([email protected]), to complete a request to enroll in this Graduate Certificate Program.
- Cushman & Wakefield
- Embrey Partners
- Galaxy Builders
- Worth & Associates
- USAA Real Estate
To earn this graduate certificate, students must complete four courses totaling 12 semester credit hours.
- Real Estate Principles
- Real Estate Finance and Investment
- Real Estate Construction
- Real Estate Development
Please note: If you do not have a demonstrated finance background in real estate or finance, you will be required to complete any prerequisite courses needed prior to starting the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
The UT San Antonio Real Estate Finance and Development Graduate Certificate is a 12-credit-hour graduate certificate that helps you build specialized knowledge in real estate finance, development and construction.
In this program, you’ll complete four graduate courses focused on how real estate projects are planned, financed and developed. This certificate is designed for students and professionals who want focused training in real estate without committing to a full graduate degree. Graduate certificates are flexible, shorter in duration and can be stacked alongside a master’s degree or pursued independently.
You’ll also take courses alongside students in the MBA and MS Finance programs, which gives you access to a network of graduate students connected to the Alvarez College of Business.
This program is a strong fit if you already have 1–2 years of relevant experience in commercial real estate or a related field and want formal education to advance your career. It is also a good option if you already hold a graduate degree and want more specialization in real estate finance and development without pursuing another full degree.
This certificate is also available to current UT San Antonio graduate students in areas such as architecture, urban and regional planning or public administration who want to add real estate expertise to their graduate training.
In this program, you’ll complete four required courses: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Finance and Investment, Real Estate Construction and Real Estate Development. These courses give you a structured foundation in the real estate industry, from finance and valuation to construction and project development.
You’ll also build practical knowledge in topics such as real estate capital markets, debt and equity financing, mortgage markets, underwriting, construction methods, construction budgets, project delivery, site selection, zoning and project scheduling. Some courses may include outside industry speakers and team projects, which help you connect coursework to real-world practice.
This program requires 12 semester credit hours (four courses), so your completion timeline will depend on how many courses you take each term. Because it is a graduate certificate, many students complete it while balancing work or other graduate studies.
This program can help you strengthen your qualifications for careers in real estate finance, development, lending, construction and investment by giving you graduate-level training in a focused, industry-relevant format. It is designed to support professionals in the real estate community and students who want a stronger foundation for real estate career growth.
You’ll also build applied knowledge in finance, construction and development processes that employers value in commercial real estate roles. Because the coursework is specialized and practice-oriented, this certificate can help you expand your skill set and prepare for more advanced responsibilities in the industry.
If you plan to complete the certificate as a special (non-degree-seeking) graduate student, you are not eligible for financial aid. If you are a current graduate student, you should check with the program advisor and UT San Antonio Graduate School for the most current funding and eligibility details.
