Real Estate Initiative

Real Estate Initiative - Core Electives

Core Electives

The Real Estate Initiative offers students a unique suite of courses to support their interests in commercial real estate finance, development, management and M&A. In addition, Darden is proud to partner with UVA's School of Architecture to offer a dual degree program as well as to create pan-University courses with Architecture and the McIntire School of Business.

Darden offers a collection of courses designed to help students prepare for their real estate journeys. During the first year, students engage with the core curriculum and learn the fundamentals of business through rich case study discussions. After completing the core curriculum, students have the opportunity to take core electives and other related courses in real estate. 

CORE ELECTIVE COURSES

  • INTRODUCTION TO REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT

    Faculty

    tony smith Tony Smith, Lecturer

    Course Description

    This course introduces students to analytical techniques and terminology specific to the real estate industry. The real estate industry includes a broad range of real estate products, and each market for these products is unique. Students consider such topics as an historical overview of the industry, techniques of financial analysis and financing alternatives, commercial and residential development, current concepts of real estate development, cap rates, appraisal methods, commercial products such as office buildings and retail, residential products such as apartments and houses, leasing, and property management.

  • HOT TOPICS IN REAL ESTATE

    Faculty

    tony smith Tony Smith, Lecturer

    Course Description

    This course brings a series of leading investment managers and experts in real estate to discuss the dynamic real estate landscape, with topics spanning the intersections of real estate finance, real estate development and management, urban planning, public policy and law, marketing, and modern architecture.

  • INDEPENDENT STUDY IN REAL ESTATE FINANCE

    Course Description

    A Darden Independent Study elective includes either case development or a research project to be conducted by an individual student under the direction of a faculty member. Students should secure the agreement of a resident faculty member to supervise their independent study and assign the final grade that is to be based to a significant degree on written evidence of the individual student’s accomplishment. Each independent study proposal must be approved by the program director. (1.5 or 3.0 credit hours)

  • DARDEN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT - COLONNADE FUND

    Faculty

    pedro Pedro Matos, James A. and Stacy Cooper Bicentennial Professor of Business Administration, John G. Macfarlane Family Chair and Academic Director of Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management

    Course Description

    The Colonnade Fund is a long-only equity fund investing in the best performing Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). The fund utilizes a bottom-up research approach with a strong emphasis on funds from operations (FFO) and dividend payouts to identify attractive investment opportunities. The Fund will seek to invest in single name positions in equity REITs, mortgage REITs, and infrastructure securities. In terms of allocation, the fund will strive to hold 65% of the portfolio in domestic REITs and the remaining 35% in real estate adjacent securities. Over the medium to long term, the fund will seek to outperform the FTSE Nareit US Real Estate Index.
     
    Additionally, the Colonnade Fund, in alignment with the broader goals of Darden Capital Management, aims to provide students with a unique learning opportunity to gain practical hands-on experience investing in real estate securities. Students interested in a career in real estate or the broader investment management industry would find this opportunity extremely useful.

    Students earn academic credit for participating as portfolio managers of the fund.