The University of Michigan Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development offers MBA students the opportunity to study real estate development through an interdisciplinary curriculum and earn a graduate certificate in addition to your MBA degree.
For specific information on this program, application and requirements, visit the Real Estate Development website. General information about applying and how to plan to complete the certificate for Ross students is outlined below. You should also schedule an appointment with an academic advisor at Ross to discuss the certificate and curriculum planning.
About the Program
The Real Estate Development Certificate is a graduate program offered through the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and administered by the Rackham Graduate School. Once you are accepted into the Michigan Ross MBA program, you will be able to submit a separate application to the Rackham Graduate School for admission to the certificate program.
The certificate requires a minimum of 17 credits. Once admitted, you are permitted to double-count some credits from your primary degree with the certificate program, but will need to complete additional stand-alone credits, registered under the Rackham Graduate School (see below for more info about credit counting and registration).
For a Full-Time MBA student, the certificate can be completed during the two-year MBA program, but this does require careful planning. If you are considering pursuing the certificate, you should start to plan your schedule accordingly in your first term at Ross.
Getting Started
You may be admitted to the program in either fall or winter term. The earliest that current MBA students can apply is during the fall of your first year for winter term admission, as applications will not be reviewed until a full term of grades is available. We recommend you apply during your first year at Ross; however, you must apply and be admitted prior to the start of your final winter term. (Note that you can begin to take certificate classes as part of the Ross MBA prior to admission to the certificate -- but only up to the 8 credits allowed for double-counting.)
Admission timelines and requirements are available on the Taubman College website. The GMAT is accepted for certificate admission; MBA students do not need to complete the GRE.
Curriculum & Planning
Pursuing the Real Estate Development Certificate and the full-time MBA degree takes careful planning. You are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor early in your MBA program to discuss your goals and to start mapping out the combined curriculum.
The certificate requires completion of 17 credits, of which at least nine credits must be registered under the Rackham career.
What does "under the Rackham career" mean? Students who are formally admitted to both the MBA and the certificate will have two "career" codings in Wolverine Access. Rackham requires that a minimum of nine credits toward the certificate be registered and listed separately on your transcript from your Graduate Business Administration career. You will only have an active Rackham career after being formally admitted to the Rackham certificate program. In a term where you are "dual enrolled" in courses under both the Graduate Business Administration and Rackham careers, you will continue to pay the graduate business tuition rate for all classes. Classes registered under the Rackham career will not count toward MBA requirements or degree honors.
| Degree Program | Credits required for Degree | Maximum Certificate Credit Hours Double-Counted in Degree | Minimum Certificate Credit Hours Registered Under Rackham (Separate from Master's Degree) | Total Minimum Credit Hours Required to Complete Degree and Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Time MBA | 57 | 8 | 9 | 66 |
| Evening MBA | 60 | 8 | 9 | 69 |
| Dual MBA | Total dual hours | 0 (no double-counting permitted) | 17 | Total dual credit hours required 17 credits for certificate |
Certificate Requirements
The certificate requirements are available on the Taubman College website, and you will need to meet with an advisor, the faculty director of the certificate, or the registrar in the Taubman College to verify that you are meeting the requirements for the certificate. Final completion of the certificate will also need to be approved through the Taubman College registrar and the Rackham Graduate School. (Unlike dual degrees, the certificate may be awarded separately, after the MBA; the degree and certificate are not dependent upon each other.)
Certificate requirements are allowed to overlap with the MBA requirements, as long as they are within the eight double-counted credits and are registered under the Graduate Business Administration career. For example, students may complete BL 582 - Real Estate Law, to fulfill both the MBA Law/Ethics requirement and the Real Estate and Land Use Law requirement.
Sample Schedules
Full-Time MBA students are encouraged to start planning early for the certificate. Review our sample schedules here, and schedule an advising appointment early on to map this out with an advisor. In most cases, you will need to plan to take close to 18 credits in one or more terms in order to complete the certificate within the two-year MBA.
Sample Schedule where a student waives at least one first year Fall A core
Sample Schedule where a student completes all certificate requirements in year 2
A: Because the Ross MBA allows you to complete up to 10 credits of non-Ross graduate coursework at UM-Ann Arbor toward the MBA requirements, you have the flexibility to take a wide range of courses toward the certificate as part of the double-counted credits. You do need to ensure that you are taking approved graduate level coursework (generally in the 500 catalog numbers), and that you are meeting the core requirements for the MBA and for the certificate. Be sure to talk with a Ross academic advisor about your course plans and to review which courses you do plan to double count.
A: Yes. The Taubman College is housed on North Campus (Ross is on Central Campus), so you will need to visit the North Campus location to meet with faculty and staff, and for some classes. While you could choose to complete much of the certificate program with courses offered by, or cross-listed with, Ross (and held on our campus), you will be required to take some classes in the Art & Architecture building on North Campus.
A: See the North Campus Map. North Campus is located across the Huron River from Central Campus. University buses run regularly between North Campus and Central Campus, or you can bike or drive between the two locations. Be aware that it does take time to travel between the two locations, so you will need to plan your course schedule to allow for travel (you can't make it in 10 minutes). Often students will try to group their courses so that they spend certain afternoons or mornings in one campus location to consolidate travel as much as possible.
A: No, but additional time will incur additional tuition charges. Most full-time MBAs will want to complete the certificate during the two years in which they are completing the MBA to minimize their tuition, but students could choose to extend their time at UM to complete the course work at a more relaxed pace. Students considering this plan are encouraged to talk to an academic advisor.
