What You'll Learn
The Real Estate Investment Graduate Certificate equips you with the skills to identify, evaluate, and navigate investment opportunities. Through this four-course certificate, you’ll gain:
- An understanding of land uses, the forces that drive property values, the life cycles of buildings and neighborhoods, how cities develop and change over time, and the real estate cycle.
- Hands-on experience creating financial models, analyzing cash flows, determining values, and measuring economic returns of real estate investments.
- An understanding of investment capital through a variety of debt and equity partnership structures.
- Knowledge of the tools of investment strategy, decision-making, risk mitigation, and enterprise management.
Courses
The Real Estate Investment Graduate Certificate requires four courses:
- Principles of Real Estate
- Real Estate Finance and Investment
- Real Estate Enterprise Management or Real Estate Development
- 1 elective (chosen from the elective course group)
Searching and Registering for Courses
Available course options vary by term. You can browse options for fall, spring, or summer in the certificate course search within the DCE Course Search & Registration platform.
A Faculty of Real Estate Experts
Studying at Harvard Extension School means learning from the world’s best. Our finance instructors are renowned experts in their field and bring a genuine passion for teaching, with students giving our faculty an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.
Our Community at a Glance
Going back to school doesn’t have to mean putting your life on hold. We’ve designed our courses and certificates to give you the flexibility to pace your studies to fit your schedule.
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36
Average Age
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83%
Working Full Time
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29%
Students Outside the U.S.
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1.5 years
Average Time to Complete
Earning Your Certificate
Most of our certificates can be completed online and no formal application process is required to pursue a certificate.
To meet the requirements for the certificate, you must:
- Complete the four certificate courses for graduate credit.
- Earn at least a B grade in each course.
- Complete the courses within three years.
Learn more about pursuing a certificate and the process of requesting your certificate.
Stack Your Certificate Into a Degree
Stackable credential pathways allow you to earn multiple credentials by completing courses that meet overlapping requirements. In the short term, you can earn your real estate investment certificate. Once completed, those four courses may count toward either a master’s degree in finance or a master’s degree in management.
This stackable pathway offers an efficient, cost-effective way to earn short-term credentials to help fill immediate skill gaps and acquire specialized knowledge while building a foundation for long-term success that showcases your expertise in the field.
Learn how to plan a stackable credential pathway.
Cost
Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.
| Our Tuition (2025–26 rate) | $3,440 per course |
|---|---|
| Average Tuition of Peer Institutions | $5,476 per course |
| Average Total Cost | $13,760 |
