University Catalog 2025-2026

Real Estate Development (RED)

RED 501  Principles of Real Estate Development  (3 credit hours)  

This course introduces the foundations of real estate development and will introduce students to market analysis, capital markets, site development, pro forma and the funding of real estate development projects. Throughout the semester students will learn to understand, explain, and analyze, and play the role that a developer of real estate undertakes to transform an idea into a constructed project. Other topics addressed include community planning, entitlements, design, construction, and asset management. A variety of real estate development projects are explored during the semester including residential, retail, office, hospitality, industrial and mixed use.

R: Graduate Standing

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

RED 511  Urban Plan Practicum  (3 credit hours)  

The Urban Plan Practicum course is a project-based learning curriculum that engages both advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Over the course of the semester, students take on roles and form teams to respond to a Request for Proposals for a fictitious block-scale project site. They must reconcile the competing agendas and consider tradeoffs to create a well-designed, market-responsive, and sustainable project. Each student team creates a financial proforma and a physical model of their plan and presents their proposal to a mock City Council that awards the development contract to the winning team.

R: Graduate Standing

Typically offered in Spring only

RED 512  How Cities are Built  (3 credit hours)  

The next generation of city builders must address important questions about how American cities can be more vibrant, livable, inclusive, and sustainable. These questions touch on topics such as diverse housing options, feasible and resilient infrastructure development, and inclusive and vibrant public realm, among others. This course will explore the interplay of design, economics, and policy to address these difficult questions. Students will learn an interdisciplinary approach to solving city-scale challenges and pursue semester-long projects that address real-world challenges facing cities in the Raleigh-Durham region. Throughout the semester, students will be introduced to the roles and responsibilities of various parties and disciplines that engage in the design of cities, and the various economic, political, and social forces that shape communities.

R: Graduate Standing

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

RED 541  Real Estate Law  (3 credit hours)  

This course will introduce students to local and state legal concepts that are relevant in real estate law and familiarize students with terminology, concepts and procedures. Although the primary focus will be land use and entitlement, the course will also cover other areas of law and policy relevant to urban planning, including real estate law, Constitutional law, environmental law, contract law, and administrative law.

R: Graduate Standing

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

RED 590  Special topics in Real Estate Development  (1-3 credit hours)  

Offered as needed to present material not normally available in regular course offerings or for offering new courses on a trial basis. Students may repeat this course under a different topic.

Restriction: Graduate Standing or permission from the Pappas Real Development program

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer