Real Estate Development

The Advanced Certificate in Real Estate Development (CRED) provides knowledge and skills needed to initiate and manage real estate development in a complex market and regulatory environment. The CRED Program is designed for current and aspiring real estate professionals and urban planners to collaborate on great development projects that are sustainable, equitable, and financially sound.

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Using the Silicon Valley and Bay Area as its study area, the program incorporates best practices and real-life case studies taught by leading industry professionals, with numerous hands-on studio projects to prepare recipients for successful careers. CRED's four classes are:

URBP 205 - Private Development and Urban Planning
3 unit(s) Study of the entire process of private development from preliminary product analysis through planning, construction and marketing.
Fall 2023 Syllabi [pdf]

URBP 206 - Market Analysis, Appraisal, & Finance of Real Estate Development
3 unit(s) Students will be taught the real estate capital markets and the mix of the necessary financing sources required of developments. Students will evaluate criteria used by developers, real estate lenders and capital providers looking to minimize risk and maximize returns on real estate investments.
Spring 2024 Syllabi [pdf]

URBP 208 - Urban Real Estate Development Studio
3 unit(s) This is a capstone studio course designed to immerse students in the real world of urban property development. Students will explore this world by taking part in a major mock-development project of an actual site in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Spring 2024 Syllabi [pdf]

URBP 225 - Land Use Planning and Law
4 unit(s) Study of contemporary growth and land use management techniques used by local, state and federal governments. Examination of the role of public law in addressing urban growth and environmental change issues, and the legal aspects of preparing and administering planning controls and incentives.
Spring 2024 Syllabi [pdf]

The CRED Program is for professionals, full-time and part-time students, or anybody who's interested in learning more about how policy, investment, and people share our neighborhoods and communities. If you're interested in obtaining the Certificate but don't want to enroll in a Master's degree program, consider getting the Certificate through through SJSU Open University. Many professionals obtain a Real Estate Development Certificate to supplement their degrees with specialized knowledge and help advance their career. 

A note for Open University (OU) Students:

OU students will only be able to register for CRED classes on the first day of the semester. Rest assured however, there will be space for you and you can contact the CRED director and/or the class instructor for an add code beforehand.

If you're a graduate student at SJSU, then you are eligible for the CRED Program. For more information, contact the CRED Director. Graduate students who are relying on CRED Program credits to meet their university graduation requirements should send an email to the URBP Graduate Advisor

Catalog Listing - Real Estate Development Certificate 

Scott Lefaver Planning and Real Estate Scholarship

Half of your coursework is reimbursed. Financial Aid. Scott Lefaver Scholarship.The CRED Program has a scholarship reimbursement fund that will pay for two of the required CRED classes – whether you are an Open University student or receiving your graduate degree. Your tuition fee can be reimbursed for both URBP 206 and URBP 208. You can receive the scholarship for both classes – even if you take them in the same semester.

This scholarship is available for up to fifteen students in URBP 206 and up to fifteen students in URBP 208, as long as you receive a grade of "B" or better in each course. Eligibility is restricted to students who are currently enrolled in, or who have successfully completed, URBP 205. Students who are matriculated (getting their SJSU degree) or SJSU Open University students may each apply for this scholarship twice – once each for successfully completing URBP 206 and URBP 208.

To apply for the Scott Lefaver Scholarship:

  1. Enroll and complete URBP 205; then enroll in URBP 206. Later, you'll also enroll in URBP 208 - but it all starts by enrolling in URBP205
  2. As soon as your grades for URBP 206 and URBP 208 are posted, please complete this GoogleDoc, Scott Lefaver Planning and Real Estate Development Scholarship Form.
  3. Email a .pdf of your unofficial transcript to the the CRED Director with the title, "Lefaver Scholarship Transcripts."
  4. If you're an Open University student, additional forms will be required. The department office will contact you.
  5. Scholarship processing takes approximately 4-6 weeks.