Real Estate Economic

The Master’s Programme in Real Estate Economics offers students a thorough understanding of the dynamics of real estate markets. You will attain a holistic understanding of the phenomena related to real estate markets, and learn techniques used for the analysis and management of real estate.

The programme combines the scientific disciplines of economics, management, land management and planning to provide students with the key skills needed in the wide range of careers in the real estate sector. To understand the complexity of the subjects, many courses combine theoretical knowledge with real life projects and business cases. As most jobs in real estate are about people and interaction, a strong emphasis in the studies is put on team work.

Real Estate Economics and Management focuses on real estate investment and business, real estate development and the management of real estate assets throughout their lifecycle. Land management focuses on the process of managing the use and development of land resources. In this specialisation the students enhance their knowledge on managing land-related rights and land policy. Please, see more information about the programme courses in the student portal Into.

The master’s thesis (30 cr) is a piece of applied research that includes not only the written thesis but also the maturity essay and seminar presentation. The key goal of the master’s thesis is solving a problem relevant to the field of study based on existing scientific knowledge in compliance with the principles of responsible conduct of research. The master's thesis shall be written on a topic related to the advanced studies of the degree programme, agreed upon between the student and the supervising professor. A suitable topic can, for instance, be a research and development project carried out for a partner outside the university, or it can be connected to an ongoing research project of the university. The master’s thesis takes 6 months (fulltime) and it is an individual project.

The selection process is paper-based and competitive. Applications that pass the eligibility check of Aalto University Admissions Services (administrative evaluation) proceed to the School's programme specific academic evaluation. The following academic evaluation criteria applies:

•              Degree and institution of higher education

•              Relevancy of studies

•              Academic performance

•              Motivation 

Academic evaluation is split into two phases:

−              In the first phase, the applicant’s degree that is used as grounds for the application and the related institution of higher education are evaluated. For the Land Management specialization, students with prior degree related to land management and real estate are preferred. For the specialization in Real Estate Economics and Management, priority is given to students whose earlier studies (either Bachelor's degree or other studies a) are on real estate or b) include at least the basics of economics, law, statistics/econometrics and finance.

The applicant’s academic performance is evaluated, while any of the applicant’s other education that is attached to the application may also be evaluated. Criteria used to evaluate academic performance may include the time taken to complete the degree as well as the date of the degree’s completion.

−              In the second phase, the acceptable applicants are ranked. A number of eligible applicants no greater than the allotted quota are admitted based on the academic evaluation. The most important criteria are the applicability of previous studies and academic performance in studies relevant to the study option. The aim is to admit only those applicants who have the required competence to begin Master's studies without any supplementary studies.