This inter-school minor, co-sponsored by Real Estate (Wharton) and Urban Studies (College of Arts and Sciences), is designed to enable students to combine an interest in Urban Studies and Real Estate Development.
Declaring a Major or Minor
Students interested in learning more about the Urban Real Estate and Development minor or who wish to declare the minor in Urban Studies must first meet with someone in the Urban Studies office to discuss their planned course of study. Prior to the meeting, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the information provided below. Students may directly schedule a meeting by writing to urbs@sas.upenn.edu.
After the meeting, students will then fill out the “Declare/Update Field of Study Form,” which can be accessed through either Path@Penn, or Path Forms.
If a student has submitted a form, and they are uncertain if it has been fully processed, they can reach out to Coordinator Vicky Karkov: vkarkov@sas.upenn.edu.
The Urban Real Estate and Development (URRE) minor consists of seven courses as specified below:
For students in the College:
College students will take two core Urban Studies courses, plus one elective from the following list (3 CUs)
(Please note - Other courses may be considered only with prior approval from the Urban Studies advisor)
URBS Core courses (2 CUs):
URBS 1153 The Transformation of Urban America
URBS 2040 Urban Law
URBS 4500 Urban Redevelopment
URBS4760 Urban Housing and Urban Development Policy in America
URBS Elective Courses (1 CU):
URBS 2030 Intro to City Planning: Planning Urban Spaces
URBS 2530 Cities, Suburbs, Regions
URBS 2900 Metropolitan Nature
URBS 4150 Urban Real Estate Markets
URBS 4400 Introduction to City Planning
URBS 4510 The Politics of Housing and Community Development
URBS 4520 Community Economic Development
College students will take two core Real Estate courses, plus two Real Estate electives from the following list (4 CUs)
REAL Core Courses (2 CUs):
REAL/LGST 2040 Real Estate Law, Financing and Development
REAL 2150 Urban Real Estate Economics
REAL/BEPP 2300 or ECON 237 Urban Fiscal Policy
REAL Elective Courses (2 CUs):
REAL 2050 Global Real Estate: Risk, Politics, and Culture
REAL 2080 Housing Markets ◊
REAL/FNCE 2090 Real Estate Investments ◊
REAL/BEPP 2360 International Housing Comparisons
REAL 3210 Real Estate Development ◊
REAL 2400 Advanced Real Estate Investment and Analysis ◊
ARCH 7620/CPLN 6430 Design & Development
◊ Courses so marked have prerequisites
Notes for College students: If you are considering the Urban Real Estate & Development minor, keep in mind the following guidelines as you plan out your undergraduate career:
- College students considering the minor must take Economics 0100 (Microeconomics) and 0200 (Macroeconomics) before any Wharton course work is undertaken.
- Because of enrollment priorities set by Wharton/the REAL department, seats are limited for College students. You must request a permit through the Path@Penn registration system to get on a waiting list. You do not have to email anyone in the REAL department.
- Only declared URRE minors will receive special consideration for enrollment from the waiting lists, but even if you are declared, you are still not guaranteed a seat.
- For Urban Studies Majors - No more than three courses counted for the minor may also be included in the student's major or concentration.
- Some of the Wharton classes require prerequisites. For example, FNCE1000 is a prerequisite for REAL2090. The prerequisites will not be waived and are not counted toward the minor.
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Wharton students:
The advisor in the Wharton School is Susan Wachter (wachter@wharton.upenn.edu). Please contact Dr. Wachter to make your appointment to declare the minor.
Wharton students must take two core Urban Studies courses, plus two electives from the following list (4 CUs)
URBS Core courses (2 CUs):
URBS 1153 The Transformation of Urban America
URBS 2040 Urban Law
URBS 4500 Urban Redevelopment
URBS Elective Courses (2 CUs):
URBS 2030 Intro to City Planning: Planning Urban Spaces
URBS 2530 Cities, Suburbs, Regions
URBS 2900 Metropolitan Nature
URBS 4150 Urban Real Estate Markets
URBS 4400 Introduction to City Planning
URBS 4510 The Politics of Housing and Community Development
URBS 4520 Community Economic Development
Wharton students must take two core Real Estate courses, plus two Real Estate electives from the following list (4 CUs)
REAL Core Courses (2 CUs):
REAL/LGST 2040 Real Estate Law, Financing and Development
REAL 2150 Urban Real Estate Economics
REAL/BEPP/FNCE 2300 or ECON 4470 Urban Fiscal Policy
REAL Elective Courses (2 CU):
REAL 2050 Global Real Estate: Risk, Politics, and Culture
REAL 2080 Housing Markets ◊
REAL/FNCE 2090 Real Estate Investments ◊
REAL/BEPP 2360 International Housing Comparisons
REAL 3210 Real Estate Development ◊
REAL 2400 Advanced Real Estate Investment and Analysis ◊
ARCH 7620/CPLN 6430 Design & Development
◊ Courses so marked have prerequisites
Notes to Wharton students: You must take at least 5 REAL courses to fulfill primary REAL concentration requirements.