Graduation Year: 2015
I chose the Jindal School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas to complete my M.B.A. in part due to the Professional Cohort program, which was made up of 50 other early- and mid- career professionals, employed full-time by day, and enrolled in a full-time course load in the evenings. The University stood out as being internationally diverse in the make-up of the students, educators, and administration, allowing me to integrate a blend of cultures and different perceptions during my studies which have helped expand my own perspectives and experience in global business.
My comprehension of the real estate industry was extremely narrow prior to taking a course with Dr. Guttery, Director of the Real Estate program at UT Dallas. However, during that course, I was able to expand my understanding beyond simply the buying and selling of residential homes or managing a rental property to be able to study and analyze how commercial real estate is shaping business, not only through changes in the urban skyline, but also through workplace efficiency and management of corporate holdings. The opportunities were not limited to the classroom, as programs sponsoring networking and educational events, particularly through the Real Estate Club, enabled my peers and myself to engage with individuals and groups that have been critical to the growth and relocation of many national and global enterprises to the DFW Metroplex. Separate from this, the real estate program also permitted the opportunity to partner with my academic colleagues and compete on a global scale in case competitions focusing on corporate space usage for different industries, such as the financial sector, or evaluate how to manage excess property holdings in soft markets.
For potential students that are considering their M.B.A. at UT Dallas, most of the programs have very engaged professors, however the Real Estate program is one that has been developed just outside one of the largest corporate real estate markets in the world with input and interaction from those same developers, brokers, and others professionals that have helped shape North Texas over the past 30 years. I feel that my education in business and finance would have had a large gap had I not become engaged with the Real Estate program at UTD.
