just real estate

I don't see how a 1 year masters finance program would relate specifically to real estate. I think a masters degree in real estate would be a much better fit for you considering your real estate interest. It would open more doors and provide a more relevant network.

This blog did a pretty good job of providing a good overview of a bunch of MSRE and MSRED programs.

http://www.astudentoftherealestategame.com/graduate-programs/

If you can get a job at one of the big RE brokers JLL, CBRE, Eastdil, Cushman, etc... I would take that rather than going for a masters at this stage. A masters without experience would place you at the entry level anyway.

You may also want to add actual real estate companies, REITs and developers to your list, although they usually only take people with a year or two's experience at least.

^I agree with Relinquis.

Depending on where you'd like to end up (geographically), working for one of the big, name brand players is always a good start. Once you have a couple years at one of them, start applying for school... also, I would add University of Wisconsin to you list.

thanks for the replies.

i am considering the MS Finance because I do have an interest in the subject matter.

I guess what I am asking is this-where would you guys recommend I look to start as a financial analyst in the real estate sector? would an REIT give me good experience?

I am from Philadelphia area BTW. One position that I intend to apply for is this one: http://www.pitcairnproperties.com/analyst.php...it's hardly exotic, but it is the type of start I would be looking for. Of course, even this job recommends a Finance Degree, hence my interest in the MSF.

masters in real estate at NYU or MIT would be a great option if you've got the numbers (note: it's not that hard to get in, surprisingly). One negative about the MSRE(D) degrees is that you still place into entry level, but you would know a lot more about real estate then and what you wanted your role to be (i.e. development, REPE, REIB, brokerage, etc.) and you could likely place into a solid firm...

I would be cautious about pursuing a MSRE unless you are absolutely certain you want to stay in RE. A MSF will offer greater flexibility down the road in terms of career flexibility. If you work in a PERE-like setting you will learn a lot of transferable skills in case you want to step out of RE.

Do the MSRE programs tend to rebrand students in the way MBA programs do? Obviously a 1-year program doesn't allow for an internship but do the top programs provide significant career path switching opportunities within real estate?