Career Exploration
- Professional Associations
- USP Career Exploration
- RED Career Exploration
Learn what you can do with a degree in Real Estate and Development and explore career paths and resources.
Sample Career Paths
- Development
- Brokerage and Leasing
- Construction Management
- Architecture
- Corporate Real Estate
- Institutional Real Estate Investment
- Property Management
- Mortgage and Construction Lending
- Acquisitions
- Asset Management
- Loan Servicing
- Portfolio Management
- Real Estate Law
- Urban Planning
Career Exploration & Learning Resources
Review these resources for general information on what you can do with a Real Estate and Development major.
- Pages 3-7 of the Crossman Guide (Overview)
- Careers in Commercial Real Estate from ACRE (Deeper dive)
- Commercial Real Estate Career Advice (Q&A with Industry Professionals)
- How to Get Started on the Real Estate Developer Path
- A Day in the Life of a Commercial Real Estate Professional from ACRE
Highly recommended websites for ongoing learning and resources:
- Break Into CRE offers training through their website andUdemy. Subscribe to the Break Into CRE YouTube Channel to get weekly videos about Real Estate Finance and Careers.
- Adventures in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) offers training, resources, and a job board.
Looking to expand your Excel skills? Excel skills are important to have for many entry level real estate analyst roles.
- Corporate Finance Institute offers a free online class Excel Fundamentals - Formulas for Finance.
- Trump Excel offers free general Excel training.
- Break Into CRE and Adventures in Commercial Real Estate both offer paid training courses in real estate financial modeling. See links above.
- The USP Department offers Excel tutoring for students enrolled in USP 25, USP 152, and USP 185A. See the USP Newsletter for details or reach out to the USP Undergraduate Academic Advisor with questions.
Alumni Job Titles
Below is a list of titles RED majors alumni secured upon graduation or in their second position after graduating. Data gathered via LinkedIn.
- Real Estate Analyst
- Acquisitions Analyst
- Asset Management Analyst
- Leasing Marketing Manager
- Banking Analyst
- Commercial Loan Administrator
- Financial Analyst
- Junior Bank Analyst
- Market Intelligence & Strategy Analyst
- Investment Analyst
- Junior Credit Analyst
- Valuation Analyst
- Associate
- Development Analyst
- Property Manager
- Associate Development Manager
- Planner
- Analyst
- Realtor
- Assistant Project Manager
- Loan Officer
- Market & Investments Analyst
- Development Associate
- Project Coordinator
- Administrator
- Credit Analyst
- Business Owner
- Field Engineer
- Housing and Real Estate Development Coordinator
- Transportation Planner
- Transaction Brokerage Coordinator
- Senior Development Associate
Post-Bachelor's Education
Below is a list of post-bachelor's educational programs RED major alumni entered after graduation. Alumni enrolled in these programs either immediately after graduating from UC San Diego or after working for a short period. Data gathered via LinkedIn.
- Master’s in Business Administration
- Master's in Marketing
- Master’s in Finance and Analytics
- Master’s in Real Estate Development
- Master’s in Real Estate
- Master's in Communications and Media Technologies
- Master’s in Regional Planning
- Juris Doctor (Law School)
- Master’s in Applied Finance
- Doctorate of Architecture
Potential Employers
- Realty Income Corporation
- London Moeder Advisors
- Axos Bank
- Cushman & Wakefield
- Jones Lang LaSalle
- ConAM Management Corporation
- Altus Group
- National Storage Affiliates
- Real Estate software companies (ARGUS, CoStar)
- Apple
- Lincoln Realty Group
- Apartment Realty Group
- Baddie Development
- Alexandria Real Estate Equities
- Financial institutions
- Cities
- Universities
California Dept. of Real Estate: Real Estate Salesperson License Course Requirements
One of the key ways the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) regulates California's real estate industry is through examinations for salesperson and broker applicants. Additional information about this process can be found on the California Dept. of Real Estate website.
Before applying for a real estate license, applicants must meet education and experience requirements.
Completion of the following courses will articulate as credit toward the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) Salesperson Exam.
- USP 25 Real Estate and Development Principles and Analysis counts towards the Real Estate Principles course requirement.
- USP 5 Introduction to the Real Estate and Development Process counts towards the Real Estate Practice course requirement.
- Students can take USP 15 Applied Urban Economics for Planning and Development OR USP 153 Real Estate and Development Market Analysis for the third course requirement. They are approved to count under the subcategory of Real Estate Economics.
Students are encouraged to utilize separate preparation prior to taking the licensing exam.
Note: Not all real estate related career paths require a Real Estate Salesperson or Broker license. Students are encouraged to do additional research to determine if pursuing this license is right for their career path. The USP Department does not offer salesperson or broker exam prep and cannot advise on the CA DRE licensing process. Please contact the California Dept. of Real Estate if you have questions about these licenses. UCSD's courses were formally articulated in Summer 2023.
