Education of future real estate developers and fund managers has evolved over the past 20 years, with much greater emphasis on and training in physical planning and design. With the establishment of real estate development programs at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Southern California (USC), Columbia University, and other institutions of higher education, real estate coursework has moved beyond the real estate finance, investment, market analysis, and appraisal found in most business schools and now includes courses in site planning, design, and construction management. Courses in political approvals, environmental planning, public/private partnerships, negotiation, and ethics round out the curricula at graduate schools such as Harvard, USC, Columbia, MIT, and others. Read More.