Gerald D. Hines Associate Professor of Real Estate Finance
Director of Real Estate Initiatives
Director of Real Estate Initiatives
Gain an Introduction to the Real Estate Market with Our Online Short Course
Analyze the commercial viability of real estate investments and developments with this online short course.
Upcoming start dates
- February 25, 2026
- September 9, 2026
Length
8 weeks, excluding orientation
Effort
7-10 hours per week, self-paced learning online
Tuition
$3,234
Overview
Despite the economic turbulence of the past decade, the real estate industry in the US has only gone from strength to strength in recent years. In this online short course from Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, gain an introduction to the current commercial real estate and development market. By examining the real estate ecosystem from a holistic perspective, you’ll unpack the fundamental skills necessary to facilitate informed commercial real estate investment and development decisions.
Over the course of eight weeks, you’ll explore the concepts and techniques used to analyze commercial real estate assets, and the instruments commonly used to finance these assets. You’ll also learn to personally analyze and identify commercially viable real estate for development.
Who Should Attend
- Real estate developers and entrepreneurs who want to identify and analyze the viability of real estate investments and developments
- Real estate agents, brokers and property managers who want to deepen their knowledge of the commercial real estate ecosystem
- Finance professionals wanting to gain a holistic understanding of the specific financial tools and techniques required to assess the feasibility of an investment
Program Takeaways
- The ability to identify and analyze the commercial viability of real estate investments and developments
- An understanding of the commercial real estate ecosystem as a whole
- Knowledge of the financial tools and techniques required to assess the feasibility of an investment
Course Curriculum
Unpack the concepts that inform commercial real estate investment and development decisions as you work through the weekly modules of this online short course.
Orientation Module: Welcome to your Online Campus
Module 1: The logic behind real estate investment decisions
Module 2: The factors affecting real estate value
Module 3: The real estate system and the developer
Module 4: Property level evaluation
Module 5: Leverage and the impact on risk and return
Module 6: Economic feasibility of a development project
Module 7: Equity partners
Module 8: Making investment decisions
Meet Your Professor
Rice Business Wisdom
Rice Business Wisdom is our online ideas magazine that features faculty research.
Regulation | Peer-Reviewed Research
How Does A U.S. Fraud Prevention Measure Affect Foreign Firms?
Based on research by Professor Jefferson Duarte
Lending | Peer-Reviewed Research
In Peer-to-Peer Lending, Appearances Can Tell The Truth
Based on research by Professor Jefferson Duarte
After Harvey | Expert Opinion
How To Decide Whether To Stay And Rebuild Or Sell And Move Away If Flooding Has Damaged Your Home
Based on research by Professor James P. Weston
Have a Question?
Associate Dean for Innovation Initiatives & Executive Director of Executive Education