NYU MSRE - GC/Primary Sub to Finance

Wanted to get some opinions on enrolling in NYU's MSRE program from the local CRE guys. Some background: 30 years old, BSME, 3 years in NYC RE with a GC as well as a facade contractor; prior project management experience in heavy civil equipment and commissioning. The ultimate goal is to fast track my career out of the field and physical development of a building and transition to the investment side.

If development was where I wanted to land, skipping the MSRE and focusing on networking would probably suffice, but, the lack of a formal finance background appears to make the move to a REIT/REPE or "hands-off" role a real challenge.

I'm also concerned with the comp. and ROI on the degree, for those of you that have taken a similar path or can speak to the specifics, is it realistic to expect compensation to exceed $175k within 2-3 years? The numbers posted on forums including WSO vary wildly.