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Department of
Finance

Real Estate Minor

Apply financial analysis to the business of real estate.

The Real Estate minor adds industry specialization to your major. Study real estate as both an investment asset class and a business, connecting finance with real estate markets, law, development, and operations.

Explore decisions across the investment lifecycle: evaluating an opportunity, conducting due diligence, arranging financing, reviewing contracts, developing or managing a property, and selling it, from a sell-side, buy-side, and consulting perspective. Your choice of transactions or development coursework and electives determines the areas you study in greater depth.

Key Skills You’ll Learn:

  • Real estate valuation and investment  analysis
  • Transaction and development processes
  • Legal and regulatory frameworks
  • Market and economic analysis
  • Technology-enabled financial modeling and analysis

 

Commonly Paired With:

At a Glance

Program Structure
2 Required Courses + 3-4 Electives
Required
24-30 Units / 5-6 Courses
Open to
All Santa Clara Undergraduates

Careers & Outcomes

Explore commercial and multifamily real estate careers through the Real Estate Institute’s (REI’s) three-part framework: buy-side, sell-side, and consulting/advisory. Each offers a different way to apply financial analysis and real estate knowledge.

Buy-side

Investment, development, and asset management

Work with investors, property owners, and developers to evaluate acquisitions, assess development opportunities, and manage property performance. Entry-level roles include acquisitions analyst, development analyst, and asset management analyst, with responsibilities such as financial modeling, due diligence, and evaluating investment returns.

Sell-side

Brokerage and capital markets

Help clients sell or lease properties and arrange debt or equity financing. Entry-level opportunities include investment sales analyst and analyst roles on brokerage or capital markets teams, supporting property analysis, marketing materials, client presentations, and transaction execution.

Consulting and advisory

Valuation, research, and decision support

Help clients assess property values, understand markets, and evaluate investment and financing decisions. Entry-level opportunities include valuation analyst and analyst roles in real estate consulting and advisory, with responsibilities such as cash-flow modeling, comparable-property research, market studies, and due diligence.

Santa Clara University students have held internships and full-time positions with firms including CBRE, JLL, Eastdil Secured, Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan, and Hines. Explore REI’s employer connections and career programming.

Requirements & How to Apply

The requirements below follow the 2026-27 Undergraduate Bulletin. Review prerequisites, course availability, and your degree plan with your Academic Advisor.

Complete FNCE 118 and either FNCE 127 or FNCE 129. If you take both FNCE 127 and FNCE 129, the second may count as a minor elective.

Course Units Description
FNCE 118 5 Units Real Estate Principles
FNCE 127 or FNCE 129 5 Units Introduction to Real Estate Transactions or Real Estate Development

Business students complete three electives. Non-business students complete four, or three if they have completed all of the following: BUSN 70 or BUSN 170; ACTG 11 or ACTG 11A; and FNCE 121.

Choose all electives from the Primary List, or include at most one course from the Secondary List.

Primary Elective List

Course Title Units
FNCE 127 or FNCE 129 The course not used for the core requirement 5
FNCE 128 Real Estate Finance 5
FNCE 131 Real Estate Law 5
ECON 156 Real Estate Economics 5
ENVS 116 Introduction to GIS 5
ENVS 128 Sustainable Urban Planning 5
CENG 118 Introduction to Construction Management 3
CENG 119 Design for Sustainable Construction 3

Secondary Elective List: At Most One Course

Course Title Units
CENG 128 Engineering Project Management 3
FNCE 143 Entrepreneurial Finance 5
OMIS 114 Data Science with Python 5
OMIS 115 Predictive Analytics 5
OMIS 116 Applied Machine Learning 5
OMIS 118 Social Media Analytics 5
MKTG 189 Sustainability Marketing 5

GPA: A minimum 2.0 GPA is required in the minor, in the academic major, and across all Santa Clara coursework. See University degree requirements.

Finance majors: FNCE 118, FNCE 127, FNCE 129, and FNCE 131 do not satisfy. Finance-major upper-division elective requirements and are excluded from the Finance-major GPA.

Units vary by course selection. Course counts do not include prerequisites; consult your advisor about how courses may apply to both your major and minor.

Prerequisites

FNCE 118 requires sophomore standing or higher, or ACTG 11 or ACTG 11A. FNCE 127, FNCE 129, and FNCE 131 require FNCE 118; FNCE 128 requires FNCE 121 or FNCE 121S. Check the Bulletin for other course prerequisites.

Optional Excel and Real Estate Modeling Resources

FNCE 127 and FNCE 129 use Excel for financial calculations and assignments, including present value, future value, net present value, and internal rate of return. Ask your instructor about preparation. Contact REI about training arrangements, access, and fees before purchasing external courses.

Ask REI about its Productive Summer Program, including REFM courses, data visualization and presentation training, and Eastdil Secured’s virtual real estate finance training. REI can confirm current availability and help you select suitable options.

To apply for the Real Estate minor, fill out the online Program Petition Form on the Office of the Registrar Forms page. Students will receive an email when the program petition form is approved by the academic department and sent to the Office of the Registrar. 

Put It Into Practice

Complement your coursework with career preparation through REI and technical practice, peer support, and industry engagement through the student-led Real Estate Association.

The Leavey Real Estate Institute (REI) cultivates innovative and thoughtful practitioners to build lasting value. REI equips students for internships and career opportunities through speaker sessions, technical workshops, recruiting events, and more. Example opportunities include:

  • Career Accelerator Program: Explore sell-side careers such as brokerage, buy-side investment roles, and consulting/advisory through The 3 Big Buckets. Meet employers through the First 3 Years career series during winter and spring.
  • Recruiting and professional skills: Connect with hiring decision-makers at REI’s Recruiting & Employment Event. Prepare through employer research, interviewing, business communication, self-presentation, and strategic networking sessions.
  • Industry engagement: Explore market issues through the Real Estate Symposium and other industry events. Contact REI about current programs and potential site visits.

The Santa Clara University Real Estate Association is a student-led organization focused on connecting members with leading employers. The REA’s programming includes:

  • Real Estate Finance Bootcamp. First-years and sophomores practice Excel modeling and real estate finance through modules, Q&A sessions, in-person training, and a case study.
  • Peer mentorship. First-years and sophomores work with junior and senior mentors on career exploration, recruiting, and internship preparation; alumni join selected sessions.
  • Winter case competitions. The planned selective workshop includes two competitions. Teams analyze an offering memorandum and underwriting model, then present an investment recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Real Estate minor is open to undergraduate students from any major across the University.

You'll build a foundation in real estate valuation, financial analysis, transactions, and development, along with the legal and regulatory frameworks that shape the industry. Depending on your electives, you can also add depth in urban planning, sustainable construction, or data analytics applied to real estate.

Graduates are positioned for entry-level roles in commercial and multi-family real estate–including investment, development, brokerage, and asset management–at firms like CBRE, JLL, Eastdil Secured, Hines, and more.

Finance gives students a broad foundation in corporate finance and investments, while the Real Estate minor goes deep on one sector–real estate valuation, transactions, development, and law–and can be paired with electives outside business, like urban planning or construction management.

No–the minor is also a strong complement for students interested in urban planning, sustainable development, construction, or finance more broadly, since real estate touches all of those fields.

Completing the minor requires five courses for business majors (or six for non-business majors), totaling 24 to 30 units based on elective selection. Depending on elective choices and degree path, many students only need a few extra courses to complete the minor.

Contact

Have questions about the minor, courses, requirements, or how to get involved?

Finance Department - finance@scu.edu

Devon Coombs - dcoombs@scu.edu
Faculty Director, Assistant Teaching Professor