Graduate real estate degree moves online

FEBRUary 3, 2026

BY NAOMI KING ENGLAR

Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment is relaunching its graduate real estate development program. Beginning in Summer 2026, the school’s Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development (MSRED) will transition to an online-based program anchored by high-impact, in-person field experiences in New Orleans and major U.S. and global cities.

The redesigned MSRED reflects both market demand and the school’s long-standing commitment to accessibility and student flexibility, career readiness, and industry excellence. While preserving the program’s core strengths in real estate finance, law, planning and urbanism, sustainability, climate change, and development practice, the relaunched format introduces new critical topics such as artificial intelligence, construction and project management. The new online mode offers greater flexibility for working professionals and place-bound students — without sacrificing rigor or applied learning.

Under the new model, coursework will feature live, synchronous seminars and courses led by Tulane School of Architecture Built Environment faculty and industry practitioners. Students will complement their online learning with short, immersive field experiences — typically three to five days — focused on site visits, fieldwork, and applied projects. New Orleans will remain central to the program as a critical venue for addressing global challenges of climate resilience, historic preservation, housing affordability, and sustainable development, while optional domestic and international study trips will expose students to diverse markets and regulatory environments.

“Our new program is built on three pillars: cutting-edge real estate expertise, flexible, live online learning for working professionals anywhere, and high-impact field experiences that connect students with faculty, peers, and alumni leaders nationwide — building a network of colleagues for life,” said John Renne, Program Director for Real Estate Development and the Henry Shane Professor in Real Estate and Urban Planning. “This transition allows Tulane to meet students where they are, while deepening the program’s national and global reach.”

Flexibility is a defining feature of the revised MSRED. Students will be able to begin the program in Summer, Fall, or Spring terms and choose between an accelerated full-time pathway completed in three terms or a part-time option spanning two to four years. The program will also expand advanced standing opportunities for qualified Tulane undergraduates and, pending approvals, students from other institutions, allowing them to complete the degree in fewer terms. A separate 13-credit graduate certificate will also be offered under the redesigned online program, an important opportunity for current and past Tulane undergraduate students.

Current Tulane students interested in the online graduate degree program are invited to attend an in-person information session with lunch provided on Wednesday, February 25, from 12pm - 12:45pm, in Richardson Memorial Hall, Room 415. Register here.

Prospective students interested in the online graduate degree program are invited to attend a virtual information session on Wednesday, March 4, from 11am - 11:30am, on Zoom. Register here.

The new online format broadens access to a wide range of learners, including mid-career professionals balancing full-time work, students living outside Louisiana, and those seeking customized pacing. 

Building on a strong foundation, the MSRED enters this next chapter with momentum. Since its launch in 2012, the program has graduated more than 200 alumni, while Tulane’s undergraduate real estate offerings now enroll hundreds of students annually, creating a robust pipeline for graduate study. Courses will continue to be taught by active professors of practice and research faculty, integrating live deals, applied research, and emerging tools.

The updated curriculum expands into construction, project management, design thinking, and artificial intelligence, preparing graduates to lead tech-enabled, sustainable real estate projects. Students will engage in applied projects, internships in their home markets, and capstone work producing real-world deliverables such as pro formas, investor memos, dashboards, and policy briefs.

With its new online-based structure and immersive field experiences, Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment's MSRED is positioned to equip the next generation of real estate leaders — wherever they are — to shape resilient and forward-looking communities worldwide.

Read the full feature on this Design Lab over on the Tulane News website.