The University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (MAPP) has launched a new undergraduate minor in real estate development. The minor is available immediately and is now enrolling students for the fall semester. Generously funded by the Colvin Family Foundation, the new minor will offer foundational knowledge in community building, entrepreneurship, business development and sustainable design through experiential learning and a professionally guided curriculum, forwarding the university’s continued mission to support student innovation and entrepreneurship.
“The kind of responsibility we have as a land grant institution is reflected in the values of John and Karen Colvin and the Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development,” said University President Wallace Loh. “We are very fortunate to celebrate this magnificent gift from the Colvin’s that will expand this program to undergraduates.”
“This is an incredible opportunity for undergraduates across the whole university,” said Provost Mary Ann Rankin. “This new program is precisely in line with our university’s mission: to involve our students in real-world problems and educate them in multidisciplinary challenges so that they can actively address the problems the world faces.”
The interdisciplinary minor will offer a mix of existing and new coursework to match and anticipate industry trends. Three courses are available to incoming students for the fall, including tax and accounting for real estate development and a course on sustainable real estate development.
The Colvin Family Foundation pledged $1,000,000 to support the initiative in the spring of 2015. The gift not only supports the new real estate minor, but also a minor in construction project management, a joint program between MAPP and the A. James Clark School of Engineering, which launched last fall. In 2007, John and Karen Colvin provided the endowment for The Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development, an initiative that helped start UMD’s Master of Real Estate Development Program. They have been dedicated supporters of both the school and its students, and passionate about education. John Colvin, who passed away last August, was an alumnus of the university and a principal owner of Questar Properties.
“This is an incredible moment in our school’s history,” said David Cronrath, Dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. “John and Karen’s gift will continue our mission to deliver a holistic education in sustainable, innovative practice—no matter the discipline—to the future stewards of this country.”