David H. Stevens, CMB, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), has announced that the trade group is collaborating with Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management to offer a six-month Executive Certificate in Commercial Real Estate, beginning in March 2016. The program aims to accelerate higher-level career opportunities for commercial real estate professionals. Developed by Pepperdine University faculty member Dr. Abraham Park, Director of Fred Sands Institute of Real Estate and Associate Professor of Finance, and John Heffernan, PE, Director of the Executive Real Estate Certificate Program, the curriculum is based on Mortgage Banker Association-established training combined with Dr. Park’s extensive experience in the commercial real estate equity and REIT fund investment.
“Our industry needs to continue to recruit, develop, and retain top talent. MBA is proud to join with Pepperdine Graziadio to forge this partnership that offers great value and that will serve as a foundation for MBA to expand its educational efforts,” said Stevens. “Pepperdine Graziadio students in the program will have access to certain Mortgage Bankers Association education and training programs and MBA members will build connections to talented future industry leaders.”
“Real estate is a vast and highly segmented industry. Real estate professionals form one area may find their previous education and training either too narrowly focused or insufficient for transitioning into higher-level career opportunities,” said Dr. Park. “The Pepperdine Graziadio Executive Certificate in Commercial Real Estate is an opportunity for real estate professionals to acquire practical, cutting-edge, graduate-level education.”
The program incorporates materials and programming from the Mortgage Bankers Association Education’s Commercial/Multifamily Courses, making it a first-of-its-kind industry program to combine graduate school certificate education with industry-recognized training curriculum.
The certification is designed for mid- to senior-level professionals in the commercial real estate industry who seek career advancement, continuing education credits and professional designations. Students learn critical analysis and evaluation skills for transacting successful acquisition, financing, asset management and development deals. They will also learn the intricacies of private equity real estate, private debt/finance, publicly traded real estate (REITs), securitized debt and real-estate development.
The program includes five real estate classes and one self-paced elective course (up to two electives can be taken). The electives give students the opportunity to learn continuing education credits toward MBA’s Certified Mortgage Bankers designation.
As part of the overall certification program, the Mortgage Bankers Association will provide Pepperdine Graziadio with access to its series of Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Basics courses, as well as certain Commercial/Multifamily Secondary Servicing (CMF SS) courses where students can earn credits toward MBA’s Certified Mortgage Bankers designation. Students that complete Pepperdine’s course will have the opportunity to apply for candidacy to the CRI Society and earn the Society’s Associate designation. Once accepted as a candidate, the student may sit for the Chartered Realty Investor (CRI) Level 1 exam administered by the Mortgage Bankers Association through its online learning management system. Additionally, qualifying students will be able to subscribe to MBA’s commercial/multi-family Newslink and attend MBA’s Commercial/Multifamily Servicing & Technology Conference in May 2016.
