Major Requirements

​Declaration Requirements

To declare a major in Real Estate, a student must meet the following requirements:

  • Completion of 28.0 hours at DePaul University
  • The following courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C- and with a combined GPA of 2.000 or higher: ACC 101, ACC 102, BLW 201, ECO 105, ECO 106, MAT 135, MAT 136, and MAT 137
  • A minimum cumulative DePaul grade point average of 2.700
  • A minimum Real Estate grade point average of 2.700
  • No grade of IN, R, or lower than C- in any Real Estate (RE) course or course used toward the Real Estate major
  • Completion of RE 350 with a minimum grade of C- 

Course Requirements

A student majoring in Real Estate is required to complete the following courses totaling at least 28.0 hours:

RE 350, RE 352, and RE 353 must be taken in sequential order.

Courses with variable topics (such as HSP 398 or PPS 359) must be approved for use in the Real Estate major by the Department of Real Estate.

The department enforces all course prerequisites, without exception.

Students are encouraged to seek an internship with a Chicago-area business during the summer preceding either their junior or senior year, but the Real Estate major does not offer or accept a for-credit internship course. 

Open Electives

Open elective credit (18.0 hours) is needed to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.

Degree Conferral Requirements

All Real Estate (RE) courses and any courses used toward the Real Estate major must be completed with a minimum grade of C- and with a combined GPA of 2.000 or higher.

RE 300

REAL ESTATE LAW

This course reviews the essential legal requirements of real estate transactions.

RE 350

REAL ESTATE ANALYSIS

This course introduces essential institutional, legal, regulatory, and financial aspects of real estate in the U.S. economy and financial system. The course incorporates demographic data for real estate market analysis and includes an exercise in land use planning.
Prerequisites:
At least 88 cumulative units is a prerequisite for Business courses that require Junior standing.

RE 352

REAL ESTATE FINANCE

Patterns of financing real estate property, including individual, commercial and industrial-relates to capital structure analysis. Institutional analysis, including middlemen and ultimate financing sources-relates to capital market analysis. Leverage effects, collateral and protective devices-relates to risk and return analysis.
Prerequisites:
FIN 310 and RE 350 are a prerequisite for this class.

RE 353

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT

Property evaluation-relates to economics and security analysis. Real estate investment decisions-relates to risk analysis, portfolio construction and management, cash flow (including taxes) analysis, and investment strategy.
Prerequisites:
RE 352 is a prerequisite for this class.

ECO 310

URBAN ECONOMICS

This course discusses the economic rationale for the existence of cities and urban areas. Location decision-making by both firms and households is analyzed with attention given to the resulting land values, land rents, population density gradients, and urban land use patterns. We study models of the supply and demand for housing, the measurement and determination of house value, and the corresponding problems of segregation, housing abandonment, property taxation, and public housing. Other urban problems such as poverty, crime, and transportation are also discussed.
Prerequisites:
ECO 105, ECO 106 and (MAT 130 or equivalent) are a prerequisite for this class.

FIN 330

INVESTMENTS: THEORY & PRACTICE

Investment principles and problems. Development of the student's perception of risks and opportunities in investment instruments and markets; description of the markets and their operations; effects of current financial events upon the various markets.
Prerequisites:
FIN 202 and 320 are a prerequisite for this class.

GEO 241

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS I

An introductory-level course covering the fundamentals of GIS. Topics include GPS, remote sensing, data models (vector and raster), coordinate systems, and map design. Instruction is accomplished through lectures and hands-on computer lab exercises using ArcGIS.
Prerequisites:
LSP 120 or HON 180 or (MAT 130 or above) is a prerequisite for this class.

GEO 242

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS II: COMMUNITY GIS

An intermediate-level course. Students conduct real-world GIS projects for community organizations in Chicagoland. Topics include data capture, manipulation, database design, data quality, and spatial analysis. Students will complete projects following best practices of GIS project management. Instruction is accomplished through lectures and hands-on computer lab exercises using ArcGIS.
Prerequisites:
GEO 241 is a prerequisite for this class.

GEO 243

REMOTE SENSING (FORMERLY GEO 343)

An introduction to the fundamentals of remote sensing, the analysis of the earth through air or space borne sensors. Special topics include image interpretation, image processing, change analysis, environmental monitoring, and photogrammetry. Instruction is accomplished through lectures and hands-on lab exercises using IDRISI. A small lab fee will be charged.
Prerequisites:
LSP 120 or HON 180 or (MAT 130 or above) is a prerequisite for this class.

GEO 344

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS III: SPATIAL ANALYSIS FOR SUSTAINABLITY

An advanced-level course. Students conduct spatial analysis of sustainability issues of their interests. Topics include geographic visualization, network analysis, spatial interpolation, and exploratory spatial data analysis. Instruction is accomplished through lectures and hands-on computer lab exercises using ArcGIS. PREREQUISITE(S): GEO 242 or consent of instructor. Formerly GEO 244.
Prerequisites:
GEO 242 is a prerequisite for this class.

GEO 331

CHICAGO: SPATIAL ANATOMY OF A METROPOLIS

An advanced exploration of Chicago's urban geography, focusing in detail on topics such as historical geography, industrial change, community development, housing, architecture, transportation and Chicago's status as a "global city."

GEO 333

URBAN PLANNING

A seminar on the intellectual history and theories of urban planning and design, and their application in urban settings in the U.S. and abroad. Systematic study of case studies leads to the investigation of current urban planning issues in Chicago.

HAA 370

CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURAL THEORY AND PRACTICE (FORMERLY ART 372)

Study of contemporary debates in architecture and urban planning. The student explores economic, social and political aspects of architectural theory through a case study of a contemporary monument or city plan. Formerly ART 372.

HAA 380

CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (WORLD CITIES) (FORMERLY ART 339)

This course investigates contemporary historiographic debates and new archival evidence surrounding research on Chicago architecture and urbanism. In addition to participating in lectures/discussions of HAA 380, students also meet separately to discuss scholarly debates as well as their individual research proposals, as appropriate for graduate level work. (Cities Minor) Formerly ART 339.

HSP 398

SPECIAL TOPICS IN HOSPITALITY

Special Topics. Content and format of this course are variable. An in-depth study of current issues in hospitality. Subject matter and prerequisites will be indicated in class schedule.

PPS 301

PUBLIC POLICY AND THE POLITICAL PROCESS

Policy decisions almost inevitably involve politics. This core course explores the politics of the urban political machines that dominated politics in many cities for a long time, though some might argue that thay actually had few policy interests other than to remain in power. The course examines how power is distributed in cities, and how it is used to get at the various problems confronting cities. That is, how politics affects policy. The course studies the players in the game of policy formation, and the policy process itself. While the focus may be on cities, make no mistake, politics impacts environmental policy decisions and the process of making those decisions as well.

PPS 302

IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND URBAN POLICY

This course examines how organizational cultures affect decision making. The course focuses on bureaucratic decision making routines, the implementation of policy, and the factors which advance or constrain effectiveness in urban and environmental settings. The course also explores the utility of various communication strategies and techniques in executing policies.

PPS 330

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development has become a crucial concept in international initiatives worldwide. It attempts to foster policies that balance the need for economic development with practices that promote healthy communities and ecosystems. This course is based on the instructor's theoretical and practical experience gathered in developed and developing countries under market and command economies conditions. Special emphasis is placed on the role of institutions, both governmental and non-government, in shaping economic policies that are compatible with environmental health. The course pursues the objective of preparing students to understand main environmental problems and to generate solutions for these problems from a multidisciplinary perspective.

PPS 350

CRITICAL ISSUES IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT

The course examines the central issues in contemporary urban development: how urban restructuring, demographic shifts, new patterns of production and consumption, as well as technologically-grounded globalization processes, shape urban development. The course emphasizes the changing context of urban development policy and explores various critical approaches to interpreting urban development policy.

PPS 351

THE POLICY AND POLITICS OF URBAN HOUSING

The course looks at housing as a social symbol and material commodity, with particular emphasis placed on the role of government in the direct provision of housing and the indirect support of home ownership, as well as housing policies indirect impact on neighborhood development, race relations, and metropolitan surburbanization.

PPS 359

TOPICS IN URBAN STUDIES

This course provides an in-depth examination of various urban studies issues.

PSC 322

URBAN POLICYMAKING

U.S. urban policy is examined from the standpoints of program objectives, the mechanics of their evaluation, and the barriers to their effective implementation.

RE 320

URBAN PLANNING AND PUBLIC POLICY

This course provides a systematic introduction to urban planning issues for students who have little background in this area. The course will explore both historical and contemporary urban planning concepts and will cover a wide variety of topics including land use regulation, economic development, environmental and energy planning, growth management and urban development issues, generally from a real estate and built environment perspective.

RE 354

REAL ESTATE VALUATION

Real Estate Valuation. Introduction to the appraisal process. Basic approaches to valuation analysis including both residential and income properties. This course includes the income capitalization methods and complex valuation assignments.
Prerequisites:
FIN 310 and RE 350 are a prerequisite for this class.

RE 398

SPECIAL TOPICS

Special Topics in Real Estate offers an in-depth study of current industry-related issues. Content, format, and prerequisites vary by section. Subject matter will be indicated in the class schedule.

SOC 347

CLASS, POWER AND DECISION MAKING IN THE CITY

Analysis of decision-making in urban settings. Considers the role of class disparities, power, citizen protest and community participation in urban outcomes.

SOC 348

THE CITY IN THE FUTURE

Alternative views of urban structures and social life in the post-industrial age. Considerations of the implications of energy, different technologies, future shock and social trends.

HAA 280

HISTORY OF PREMODERN ARCHITECTURE (FORMERLY ART 370)

Social, economic and political history of European and Mediterranean architecture, from Paleolithic times to the 1789 French Revolution. Topics include: classicism, the status and role of the architect, social struggle, patronage and architectural technologies. Formerly ART 370.

HAA 281

HISTORY OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE

World architecture from the 1789 French Revolution to the present. Examines the influence of industrial, technological, political and social change in the development of modernist and post- modernist architecture. Formerly ART 371.

MGT 248

BUSINESS ETHICS (CROSS-LISTED WITH PHL 248)

An examination of various ethical and moral issues arising in contemporary business and its activities which affect our society and the world. Cross-listed with PHL 248.

PHL 235

PHILOSOPHY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

A philosophical study of our environment, the nature of nature, the ecosystem, and the planet.

PHL 236

PHILOSOPHY AND THE CITY

This course examines the meaning of the city for philosophy and the meaning of urbanization for the formation of values.

PHL 241

ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY

A study of the ways in which ethics can assist us in thinking about matters of public policy.

MGT 228

BUSINESS, ETHICS, AND SOCIETY (CROSS-LISTED WITH REL 228)

This course will examine the nature and purpose of economic life and contemporary commerce as understood from the perspective of religious and secular communities, as well as the ethical implications that flow from the various worldviews. Sections of the course critically examine the thought of different religious traditions on specific business-related issues, placing a variety of religious discourses into direct conversation with secular voices regarding ethical business conduct. Cross-listed as REL 228.
Prerequisites:
WRD 103 or HON 100 or HON 101 is a prerequisite for this class.

REL 227

RELIGIOUS ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE

A study of the ethical dimensions of contemporary professional life from the standpoint of religious traditions and values, focusing primarily on medicine, law and business.

MAT 135

BUSINESS CALCULUS I

Differential calculus of one or more variables with business applications. Formerly BMS 125.
Prerequisites:
MAT 130 or equivalent is a prerequisite for this class.

MAT 137

BUSINESS STATISTICS

Basic concepts of statistics and applications; data analysis with the use of Excel; theoretical distributions; sampling distributions; problems of estimation; hypothesis testing; problems of sampling; linear regression and correlation. Formerly BMS 142.
Prerequisites:
MAT 136 or equivalent is a prerequisite for this class.

ANT 120

SCIENCE OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Archaeology spans the academic worlds of the physical sciences and the social sciences. In this course, the physical science qualities of the discipline are introduced. Students explore the various ways archaeologists use model building, statistical inference, and evidence analysis to reconstruct past human experiences. The course includes two hour of lab and two hours of lecture/discussion per week.

A&S 491

ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY AND BEHAVIOR

This course concerns theoretical concepts and empirical research relating to administrative behavior in organizations with special reference to educational organizations. Concepts are examined within the typical decisional framework of supervisors, chief school business officers, principles, and superintendents, and similar positions in the helping professions. Assignments are individualized.
Prerequisites:
Status as an Advanced Masters Education student is a prerequisite for this class.

GEO 103

URBANIZATION

The course explores the evolution of urban forms and structures in the United States from the perspective of geography. In addition to studying the historic emergence of the American urban system, the course covers processes and phenomena associated with the spatial organization of housing, transportation, commercial and industrial land-use planning, as well as urban poverty, local governance, and interactions at the urban-rural fringe.

PPS 250

ISSUES IN NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT

A major focus of urban policy and grassroots action is the condition of city neighborhoods. This course examines trends in urban policy as they have affected neighborhoods, neighborhood-grounded grassroots action, and local neighborhood development initiatives.

PPS 253

THE CINEMATIC CITY

This course examines the relationship between the city and cinema and explores how the city both real and ideal is represented in film. Covering a diverse selection of films, genres, and historical periods, the course critically explores the relationship between urban forms and cinematic representations.

PPS 255

CITIES, GLOBALIZATION AND PUBLIC POLICY

The course will examine the process of globalization on cities and its policy implication. In particular, the course will explore how the impact of globalization on cities may be evaluated; what benefits or problems they produce and for whom. It will conclude by looking at how public policy professionals can influence these results.

PSC 223

URBAN POLITICS

Communities running the gamut from small towns through urban neighborhoods to big cities are examined with reference to their structures of government, systems of political influence, and public policy issues.

ECO 340

DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC THOUGHT

A study of the most influential contributions to our understanding of political economy broadly understood. An historical examination of the development of economic theories with special emphasis placed upon their relevance to present economic and political issues.
Prerequisites:
(ECO 105 or ECO 106), ECO 306 and (MAT 130 or equivalent) are a prerequisite for this class.

GEO 233

COMPARATIVE URBANISM

An exploration of non-U.S. urban and planning traditions, through the comparative study of the foundation, morphological change and social-political forces that shaped cities such as Paris, St. Petersburg, Istanbul, Bombay-Mumbai, and Mexico City.

HST 237

HISTORY OF THE CITY OF ROME

Topics in the history of urban Rome from antiquity through the modern age.

HST 240

HISTORY OF CHICAGO

A history of the founding and development of Chicago from a frontier village to a major industrial, commercial and cultural center. This course will focus on the changing lives of ordinary Chicagoans.

HST 254

AMERICAN URBAN HISTORY

An overview, examining American urban life from the early days of the colonial seaport, through the rise of the smoky industrial center, to today's troubled "dual city" of the rich and the poor. Throughout the course, we will focus on how urbanization affected the lives of the diverse peoples who experienced it. We will also explore the ways in which city life contributed to changes in American culture, and to a greater acceptance of social and cultural diversity.

ENV 102

INTRO TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE WITH LAB

ENV 102 provides an overview of how the natural world works, how we interact with it and how we can work to protect, restore and sustain it for the future. Topics include an overview of basic ecological principles, population, biodiversity, energy, natural resources and pollution. The course emphasis is on the science behind current environmental concerns. Social, ethical, economic, and political perspectives are considered in order to provide perspective and a fuller understanding of the issues and their solutions. Lab investigations further develop scientific and environmental understandings. Students cannot receive credit for both ENV 101 and ENV 102. Lab fee applies.

ACC 101

INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING I

Introduction to Accounting I, provides an introduction to financial accounting as the means of recording, storing and summarizing economic events of the business enterprise to meet external reporting needs. Emphasis is placed on the preparation and analysis of financial statements and other financial reports to the public based on the accounting equation, accrual accounting concepts, and data gathering techniques. Topics include corporate accounting for current and long term assets and current liabilities, and the corporate income statement.
Prerequisites:
MAT 130 is a prerequisite for this class.

ACC 102

INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING II

Introduction to Accounting II, a companion and sequel course to Accounting 101, continues to explore basic accounting fundamentals and concepts. The course provides an introduction to managerial accounting and internal reporting. Topics include financial accounting for long-term liabilities, the components of stockholders equity, the statement of cash flows, financial statement analysis, budgeting and variance analysis, job costing for the service sector and cost analysis for decision-making.
Prerequisites:
ACC 101 is a prerequisite for this class.

BLW 201

LEGAL & ETHICAL ASPECTS IN THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Legal and Ethical Aspects in the Business Environment. Study of the nature and philosophy of law including ethical perspectives and fundamental concepts and legal principles of sales contracts, product liability, business organizations, and employment law including ethical and social responsibilities in the managerial process.
Prerequisites:
Sophomore standing is a prerequisite for this class.

ECO 105

PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS

Principles of Microeconomics. Basic theories of micro (or individual) economic units; the theory of consumer demand, the firm, and distribution; pricing and production in competitive, monopolistic and oligopolistic industries.
Prerequisites:
MAT 130 or equivalent is a prerequisite for this class.

ECO 106

PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS

Principles of Macroeconomics. Fundamental theories of macro (or aggregate) economics: supply and demand, national income accounting and analysis, and international trade. Analysis of unemployment, and inflation, and policies designed to combat these and other current problems.
Prerequisites:
MAT 130 or equivalent is a prerequisite for this class.

MAT 136

BUSINESS CALCULUS II (FORMERLY BMS 126)

Integral calculus, matrix algebra, and probability theory with business applications. Formerly BMS 126.
Prerequisites:
BMS 125 is a prerequisite for this class.