Master Degree in the Real Estate field?

[Solomon Morris]

All,

I am currently still active-duty Army with approximately 6 years left till I'm eligible to retire.  I just finished my undergrad and considering a master's in real estate while still utilizing tuition assistance to cover much (or close to all depending on the school) of the associated costs. Some of the specific offerings I've seen are: Master's in real estate, Master's of Real Estate Development, MS in International Real Estate, MS in Real Estate Management, MJ in Real Estate Law and MBA in Real Estate.

I understand higher institutional learning is unnecessary to make it in RE.  I've purchased the properties I do have with a high school diploma and money saved during deployments. I am curious if anyone has any positive feedback that RE focused higher learning has provided with their career or investing. Any feedback on the offerings listed above?  

I see myself pivoting away from my military discipline to be active in RE via sales, development, management, acquisitions etc.  Anything not involving jumping out of a plane with a ruck between my legs! I clawed and scratched my way through my undergrad and ultimately, I'm curious if it'll even be worth the time to push it any further.  

Thank you for your time

Respectfully,

Solomon

[Taylor L.]

Which of these do you think would have the best networking opportunity? That would heavily influence my choice if I were in your shoes.

[Solomon Morris]

@Taylor L. that is what I've come to since posting this. I feel like if the program is solid and offers plenty of collaborative opportunities, obtaining a great network would be a win. I'm highly considering schools close to where I plan to retire after military service in the DC, MD, VA area.

Much of my portfolio is in Baltimore.  naturally I'm looking at john hopkins, university of maryland and other institutions in vicinity of my portfolio.

[Joel Allen]

@Solomon Morris

You and I have similarities…both active duty military trying to position ourselves for a successful transition to a real estate-centric career.

In my opinion, there’s no reason not to take advantage of your TA to get a Masters for no (or very low) cost.

I decided to go the route of an MBA with Real Estate specialization.  It allows me to have an MBA which opens up doors in some real estate-tangential fields (RE investment management, RE development manager, etc) while also incorporating a few real estate-specific courses.

[Heath Thomas Jr]

First off, thanks for your service. Anecdotally, I have heard Georgetown has a good program and that would fit with your geography. But I would have to agree with @Taylor L. that you should be looking at it strictly from a networking perspective. If you are going to be involved in all the out of class events, etc. it could be a good idea to get your foot in the door for job opportunities. If you are just going to get a degree, you would be better served continuing to get the hands-on experience you're already working on.

[Solomon Morris]

@Joel Allen @Heath Thomas Jr appreciate your responses.  I'm really leaning forward with a master's program but may look to pursue a study that will incorporate broader spectrum like @Joel Allen has decided with his MBA.  

[Chris Seveney]

@Solomon Morris

I got a MS real estate from Georgetown and 100% worth it. I wrote my thesis on a business plan for starting a $50M fund and less than 2 years after graduating I started a $75M fund. I got to work with several professors who managed large funds to assist me with the plan. It cost me $35k to get the degree.

I had 25 years in real estate already so it could have been done without it but instead of paying some guru $25k I spent 2 years learning from people who actually had been doing it for 30+ years.

If you do something with it, it’s worth it.

[Scott Mac]

Might get you a few more pre-tax bucks at a W2 for a huge company.

[Solomon Morris]

@Chris Seveney That program at Georgetown came up in my search!  Funny enough, it is also the most expensive program I saw outside of a few other ivy league offerings.  I do have the GPA to make admissions, but my TA wouldn't cover the entirety of the program.  Right now, I am leaning toward a possible MBA at Troy University but weighing the cost/advantages of completing a program at more expensive schools such as Georgetown is probably something to consider! Thank you so much for your feedback.  I think I'll dive into the faculty at some of these institutions as well to make a more informed decision.