The Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development supports the interdisciplinary approach of Maryland’s Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) curriculum that comprehensively covers finance and capital markets, law and public policy, structure and site design, construction management, property, portfolio and asset management, as well as marketing and commercial leasing. The MRED degree offers a comprehensive and collaborative approach to real estate education that envisions a sustainable future with an emphasis on the quadruple bottom line: development that is not only financially viable, but also environmentally respectful, socially responsible, and with a key 21st-century focus on beautiful and sustainable design.
MRED students benefit from several program enhancements supported by the Colvin Institute. Field work and site visits are an integral part of the curriculum, taking full advantage of the vibrant development in the nation's capital and its suburbs, the redevelopment of the post-industrial port city of Baltimore, and the challenges of developing in the environmentally sensitive watershed of the Chesapeake Bay.
The Colvin Institute supports guest lectures from prominent academics and professionals, in addition to symposium topics of current interest to the development, design, and planning communities. It sponsors outreach to the professional community with first Tuesday luncheons, an annual spring awards dinner and gala, as well as academic and practical research. It also hosts a national intercollegiate student competition in the fall.
The Colvin Institute was founded by a generous gift from the late John Colvin and his wife Karen in January of 2008. John had a successful career as a commercial real estate developer and his wife Karen is a professor at the University of Baltimore. Their $2.5 million dollar endowment ensured the viability of a new generation of developers by enhancing and enriching the programs in real estate development at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.