Once upon a time, commercial real estate was like 19th-century law and architecture: you learned by joining a firm and working under the wing of a mentor. But in the last 15 years, advanced degrees of real estate development have come into their own—and the industry's loving grads with the foundational knowledge and skills that guarantee success. Whether you're thinking of going back to school or still at college, an advanced degree—like the one you can get at the University of Maryland's Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development—can set you apart from all your peers.

Get Your Knowledge Base in a Systematic Manner

Education's about instructors who are "hunter and gatherers" of knowledge. The best instructors organize the knowledge they find into an effective body, provide creative methods for you to access the material and help you practice what you know in homework and other assignments. While learning-by-doing without any systemic underpinnings has indeed worked in the past, a broad base of knowledge about the entire real estate industry--through education--is undeniably important to a complex and fast-growing industry. And rather than a solely transaction-based or finance-based learning experience, a great university looks at both the macro and micro factors that impact the industry, as well as the disciplines (such as asset and portfolio management, commercial leasing and brokerage and market analysis and valuation). And, of course, every student should know the two pillars of real estate: property law and fundamentals of real estate finance.

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