As part of an initiative to create a nationally competitive program at the University, the UH Graduate Real Estate Club has partnered with the Houston Apartment Association and the Texas Apartment Association Education Foundation to provide leadership, resources and support for students.
“Combined, HAA and TAAEF have pledged $153,000 to the UH Grad RE Program Leadership Campaign to be funded over three years,” John Walsh, director of the Graduate Real Estate Program, said in an email.
“These funds will underwrite the cost of developing the Grad RE Program during its initial three years of development here at Bauer College of Business. This will include development of courses relating to MF (multi-family) Residential business.”
According to the program development plan for the initiative, the partnership aims to build a strong foundation for real estate degrees at UH by recruiting experienced professionals and expanding current course offerings for a real estate certificate to support a full-fledged master’s degree.
“The University of Houston is in a unique position to develop a nationally competitive program with its growing excellence in academic stature and its location in Houston’s dynamic real estate marketplace,” the plan stated.
Keith Richards, the president of the Bauer Graduate Real Estate Club, said that the partnership will also be a huge boon for students looking for hands-on experience.
“They’re going to help us out with internships, mentorships and career support as well as helping get the students out into the industry at mixers,” Richards said.
The partnership will give Houston real estate companies a source of educated and high-quality workers to draw from.
Emily Hilton, the vice president for HAA, was present at a social earlier this month that introduced students to the multifamily development industry. She said that the event was valuable for student outreach.
“This is kind of a different approach — this is taking from the top down, trying to get those folks that are at the executive level and wooing them into multifamily, making them aware of all the career options they have at that level,” Hilton said.
The program has high hopes for the future of real estate education at Bauer.
“The money, the affiliation, all the programs we’re putting on with them all go to improving that program and making it something that students actually come to the MBA program at UH to be a part of,” Richards said.
