MBA Real Estate Specialty among Top 10 nationwide

The MBA specialty in real estate at Florida State University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Business retained its Top 10 standing, ranking No. 8 among public schools, listed in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 graduate rankings released today. Among all U.S. schools, FSU ranked No. 14.

“Our MBA real estate coursework has been a key offering for decades and continues to strongly compete among top-tier programs nationwide,” said Michael D. Hartline, dean of the Wertheim College. Hartline credits a stellar real estate faculty that stays connected with industry and encourages students to apply new knowledge through opportunities such as corporate internships and a real-world investment lab.

The college’s FSU Real Estate Investment Fund (REIF) is managed by students enrolled in a graduate-level real estate finance and investment course and a team of student portfolio managers. The fund balance currently totals $2.6 million, said Mariya Letdin, REIF adviser and the Kyle Riva Associate Professor of Real Estate.

Along with the high marks for its MBA real estate specialization, the Wertheim College also shines in other national measures: The college’s undergraduate real estate program ranks No. 6 among public schools, No. 9 overall on U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges list. The college’s real estate faculty is ranked No. 3 in the latest Real Estate Academic Leadership (REAL) rankings, based on the number of articles published in the top three core real estate journals over the past five years. 

The real estate specialization is an option for MBA students enrolled online or on campus. The college also offers similar graduate coursework as a real estate specialization for students pursuing its master’s degree in finance (MSF). The FSU MSF is a one-year, accelerated degree program only offered on campus.

“Customizing our MBA or MSF with specialized studies in real estate finance and investments continues to be a smart choice and will be for the foreseeable future,” said G. Stacy Sirmans, the J. Harold and Barbara M. Chastain Eminent Scholar in Real Estate and academic director of the FSU Real Estate Center. The rapid rise in alternative investments – those options outside the traditional realm of stocks, bonds and cash – is resulting in an increased reliance on the real estate market for investment wealth, he said. 

Graduate applicants interested in specializing in real estate can apply for one of the following degree programs. All master’s degrees at the Wertheim College are GMAT optional.

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

• Accelerated, Full-Time or Accelerated, Evening formats on campus – Apply by January 15 priority deadline to be considered for fall entry. U.S. applications after January 15 will be considered on a space-available basis until June 1 final deadline. These formats admit new students only once a year.
• Online, Part-Time format or Part-Time, Evening format on campus – Apply by June 1 for fall entry, October 1 for spring entry or March 1 for summer entry.
• The college also leverages FSU’s nationally ranked real estate program for its new Online MBA with a Major in Alternative Investments and Finance – Apply by June 1 for fall entry, October 1 for spring entry or March 1 for summer entry.
• Request more information and apply at mba.fsu.edu.

Master of Science in Finance (MSF)

• Apply by January 15 priority deadline to be considered for summer entry. U.S. applications after January 15 will be considered on a space-available basis until March 1 final deadline. This program admits new students only once a year, starting in late June (summer session B) and ending in early May.
• Request more information and apply at wertheim.fsu.edu/MSF.

— Melanie Yeager