Real Estate (MPS)

College of Architecture, Art and Planning, SC Johnson College of Business

Program Website

Program Description

The mission of the Baker Program in Real Estate is to prepare the next generation of leaders in the real estate industry. The Baker Program in Real Estate offers a two-year degree program administered by the Paul Rubacha Department of Real Estate. The degree program is designed for early-career professionals with a passion for the commercial real estate industry.   

The Baker Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate (M.P.S.-RE) is a multi-disciplinary curriculum, taught by a faculty with practical experience and academic expertise from several Cornell University colleges. The program includes 62 credit hours of coursework plus a required summer internship and participation in one real estate treks, arranged by the Baker Program. 

The Baker Real Estate (M.P.S) program is designated as a STEM program making international graduates eligible to extend their F-1 visas for up to three years in order to work in the United States.

Baker Real Estate (M.P.S.) Policies

Academic Standing

To be in good academic standing, a Baker Real Estate (M.P.S.) student must:

  • Successfully complete a minimum of 12 academic credits each semester; and
  • Earn a minimum semester grade point average (GPA) of 2.75; and
  • Follow the prescribed program curriculum and comply with all university, college, and program policies, including any grade requirements for core courses.

Please note:

  • Any student with a Graduate Teaching Research Specialist (GTRS) appointment must maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA.  
  • Any student with a grant or fellowship appointment must maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA.
  • Students are also required to abide by the Student Code of Conduct.

Grades

  • Courses applied toward free electives may be taken either for a letter grade or S/U if that option exists.
  • Up to 3 credits of ELSO courses may be taken as free electives.
  • Core coursework and focus elective courses must be taken for a letter grade if that option exists.

Credit Limit

Students are initially limited to 18.5 credits of enrolled coursework, including S/U courses and excluding PE courses.

After each semester in the program, the student may request an increase in the credit cap based on the student’s cumulative GPA (grade point average):  

  • Cumulative GPA: Up to 3.5; Maximum Credit Enrollment Permitted: 18.5 Credits
  • Cumulative GPA: 3.501-3.75; Maximum Credit Enrollment Permitted: 20 Credits
  • Cumulative GPA: 3.751-3.9; Maximum Credit Enrollment Permitted: 21.5 Credits
  • Cumulative GPA: Over 3.901; Maximum Credit Enrollment Permitted: 22 Credits

To Request an Exception to the GPA Chart Credit Limit

While very few exceptions to this policy will be granted, students may submit a general petition to exceed the credit cap.

Residency Requirement

Bake Real Estate (M.P.S.) students must complete four semesters in residence at Cornell University, enrolling in a minimum of 12 credits each semester. It is not possible to transfer residency from other universities. Students enrolled in the M.R.P./M.P.S. Real Estate dual degree have a residency requirement of three semesters with the Baker Program in Real Estate. Students in the Plus 1 Pathway may have an in-residence requirement of less than 4 semesters.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit for graduate work taken outside of Cornell is not applicable toward the Baker Real Estate (M.P.S.) degree requirements.

Baker Real Estate (M.P.S.) Plus 1 Pathway for Cornell Undergraduate Students

Cornell undergraduate students are eligible to apply to the Baker Program in Real Estate through the Plus 1 Pathway.  Applications will open by January 15 with a final deadline of April 15 of the penultimate year of undergraduate study. For applicants accepted into the Baker Program in Real Estate, matriculation into the Baker Program in Real Estate occurs upon conferral of the undergraduate degree, provided two conditions are met. 

  • Admitted applicants must receive their undergraduate degree within the typical time for their program: By the end of the 4th year for students in 4-year programs and by the end of the 5th year for students in 5-year programs.
  • Upon conferral of the undergraduate degree, admitted applicants must have completed all first-year requirements of the Baker Real Estate (M.P.S.) degree or be making satisfactory progress to do so for applicants who graduate one semester early.

The following features of the Plus 1 Pathway apply when seeking to satisfy these conditions:

  • Students can complete their undergraduate major at any time up through their last semester of undergraduate study. 
  • Up to 12 credit hours of graduate-level coursework can count towards completion of both the undergraduate and the Baker Real Estate (M.P.S.) degrees. All other credit hour requirements of the undergraduate degree must be satisfied through coursework that does not count towards completion of the M.P.S. RE.
  • Graduate-level credits that count toward completion of the Baker Real Estate (M.P.S.) must be taken at Cornell.
  • The Plus 1 Pathway remains available to students for up to three years after the conferral of their Cornell undergraduate degree.

New York City Option

Beginning fall of 2026, Baker Real Estate (M.P.S.) students will have the option to spend their second year in NYC. The option to apply will be available to all Baker students in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress towards completion of the Baker Real Estate (M.P.S.) degree.