USC Price Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development students took a walking tour of downtown Los Angeles in August. (Photo by Deirdre Flanagan)
The USC Price School of Public Policy received a generous gift of $500,000 from BH Properties to support the school’s new Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development degree. In addition to helping recruit exceptional real estate faculty, this gift will provide unique professional development opportunities for students to gain real world experience in the industry, as well as scholarship funds for the program’s most exceptional young students.
“We are exceptionally grateful for BH Properties’ support of the Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development program,” said Jack H. Knott, Dean of the Price School. “This gift will help ensure that this program becomes a national leader in real estate education, providing students with a curriculum that is both academically challenging and relevant to the industry.”
The Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development offers one of the most comprehensive real estate curriculums in the country; the program trains students on the fundamentals of real estate, while also exposing them to current issues in development, finance, and market analysis, as well as the broader context of designing and governing cities.
Launched in fall 2015 with an initial cohort of 80 students, this program has quickly gained popularity among undergraduates interested in real estate development. The program is expected to annually accept up to 250 students, offering tremendous potential to transform the real estate industry in Southern California and beyond.
“The Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development program provides students with a distinctively comprehensive approach to the real estate industry,” said Steve Gozini, President of BH Properties. “The rigorous and relevant curriculum is exactly what future developers will need to thrive in this industry, and we are proud to invest in the next generation of real estate leaders.”
BH Properties is an ideal partner for the Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development program. With a 25 year track record of successful real estate investment, BH Properties is recognized for its national leadership in the ownership, management, and repositioning of underperforming office, industrial, retail and multi-family properties. The firm that began as a small investment company focused on value-add properties in the Southwest now features a portfolio that includes 120 assets in 17 states.
As a privately held company, BH Properties has the ability to acquire properties and complete acquisitions in as little as five days. This bold, innovative approach to real estate development is a hallmark of the new Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development program.
This is the first gift pledged in support of the Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development program, which builds upon the Price School’s long history of excellence in real estate education. The Price School launched one of the nation’s first graduate degrees in real estate development with the establishment of the Dollinger Master of Real Estate Development program in 1986.
“The Dollinger Master of Real Estate Development is the finest graduate program for real estate developers in the nation,” said Christian Redfearn, the Borstein Family Endowed Professor of Real Estate and director of real estate programs at USC Price. “With the support of industry partners like BH Properties, the Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development will continue to professionalize the real estate industry, creating leaders that have the vision, skill, and technical expertise to transform urban spaces across the country.”