Real Estate Learning
BComm and MBA Programs
The Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies is dedicated to fostering the development of entrepreneurial and ethical leaders who can create a positive impact in the global real estate sector.
We aim to provide BComm and MBA students with programs and initiatives that complement their classroom learning. For instance, we offer opportunities to participate in local and national case competitions, which allow students to develop their practical skills and interact with industry experts.
Our courses are unique because they are taught by practicing industry professionals who bridge the gap between academia and industry. They equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and connections to thrive in the real estate industry. At the Westman Centre, we are proud to support our students in becoming influential leaders who will shape the future of their communities.
Bachelor of Commerce
At Haskayne, BComm students can take courses in Real Estate Studies or choose Real Estate Studies as their concentration.
Academic Courses
REAL 317 – Real Estate Development & Urbanization
REAL 359 – Selected Topics in Real Estate Studies
REAL 427 – Real Estate Investment & Analysis
REAL 437 – Land Development & Planning
REAL 447 – Real Estate Legal & Operating Environment
REAL 457 – Real Estate Marketing
REAL 559 – Selected Topics in Real Estate Studies
REAL 567 – Project-Based Capstone
SOCI 353 – Urban Sociology
PLAN 201 – Planning and the Future of Cities
CNST 355 – Canadian Cities
ARCH 201 – Architecture and the Future of Cities
UBST 253 – Introduction to Cities
UBST 311 – The Gendered City
UBST 451 – Planning in the Canadian City
UBST 461 – The Transit City
UBST 494 – Sustainable Cities I
GEOG 352 – Political, Economic, and Urban Geography
GEOG 452 – Urban Social Geography
GEOG 454 – Economic Geography
GEOG 565 – Spaces of Urban Politics
POLI 201 – Introduction to Government and Politics
POLI 321 – Politics and Government in Canada
POLI 425 – City Government
POLI 427 – Government and Politics of Alberta
POLI 433 – Urban Policy and Governance
Beyond the Classroom
In addition to courses, BComm students can attend exclusive initiatives held by the Westman Centre, including networking events with industry, site tours, career symposiums, case competitions and much more!
MBA
Haskayne MBA students can take courses in Real Estate Studies or choose Real Estate Studies as their specialization.
Academic Courses
- REAL 607 – Fundamentals of Real Estate
- please note that REAL 607 is different from the RECA pre-licensing Fundamentals of Real Estate course and cannot be used for credit toward RECA licensing
- REAL 627 – Real Estate Investment & Analysis
- REAL 637 – Land Development & Planning
- REAL 647 – Legal & Operating Environment
- REAL 657 – Real Estate Marketing
- REAL 667 – Real Estate Advanced Capstone
- REAL 668 – Selected Topics in Real Estate Studies
Beyond the Classroom
In addition to Haskayne’s real estate academic offering, MBA students can attend exclusive initiatives held by the Westman Centre, including networking events with industry, site tours, career symposiums, case competitions and much more.
Student Opportunities
Undergraduate:
Scholarships - BOMA Calgary Foundation
CREW Network - College Scholarships
JLL Women in Real Estate Award | University of Calgary (ucalgary.ca)
Melcor Developments Ltd. 90th Year Anniversary Scholarship in Real Estate | University of Calgary (ucalgary.ca)
Melcor Developments Ltd. Bursary | University of Calgary (ucalgary.ca)
CREB® | Scholarships
Randy Ferguson Award in Real Estate Studies | University of Calgary (ucalgary.ca)
George Loades Memorial Scholarship in Real Estate Studies | University of Calgary (ucalgary.ca)
Graduate:
CREW Network - College Scholarships
Scholarships - BOMA Calgary Foundation
CREB® | Scholarships
Haskayne School of Business Silver Medallion in Real Estate Studies | University of Calgary (ucalgary.ca)
Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA):
Scholarships (albertarealtor.ca)
RE/MAX Canada Awards $40,000 in Scholarships to High School Graduates - RE/MAX Canada (remax.ca)
Case competitions are a valuable means for students to test their academic knowledge and apply it to real-world situations and problems. By competing, students showcase their skills, practice innovation and have the opportunity to receive prize money and in-kind support while connecting with leaders in the real estate industry.
Notable industry-specific case competitions include:
2024 Westman Centre Real Estate Case Competition (closed for applications)
This competition is hosted by the Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies and co-presented by Brookfield Property Development and Canadian Western Bank. This is a great learning opportunity for students to showcase their talents to a diversified panel of community leaders and senior real estate industry representatives.
The winning team will be rewarded with an experiential learning trip.
Guelph Undergraduate Real Estate Case Competition
The University of Guelph Undergraduate Real Estate Case Competition (URECC) is designed to attract a collection of the sharpest, most proactive minds in the real estate industry. This Annual Case Competition challenges undergraduate students to redefine the built-form environment by undertaking a development plan of a large, iconic site from the current real estate market.
This competition spans a number of disciplines, from municipal planning to brokerage and serves as an introduction to the fast-paced environment of the commercial real estate industry.
NAIOP Battle of the Prairies Real Estate Challenge
The NAIOP Battle of Prairies is a joint challenge program presented by the Calgary and Edmonton chapters of NAIOP. Students from universities across Western Canada compete while showcasing their talents and creativity through unique development proposals. The competition is part of NAIOP’s commitment to engaging and supporting students interested in the commercial real estate industry.
The ULI Hines Student Competition is an urban design and development challenge for graduate students. The competition engages multidisciplinary student teams to devise a comprehensive development program for a real, large-scale site. Teams of five students representing at least three disciplines have two weeks to develop solutions that include drawings, site plans, tables and market-feasible financial data.
If you are interested in attending any of these case competitions, or others, and would like support from the Westman Centre, please contact us.
Real Estate Student Association (RESA) is for students from all disciplines interested in careers related to the real estate industry. RESA aims to provide students with education, mentorship and networking opportunities to enhance their knowledge of the real estate industry and expose them to the many different career paths. The Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies and Haskayne School of Business work in collaboration with RESA to provide guidance and financial support for RESA initiatives.
Students can engage in real estate industry mentorship initiatives through membership in Real Estate Student Association.
In addition, BMO Mentorship Program gives students the opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals through six one-on-one meetings between September and April. Students are provided with self-assessments and required orientation in advance of program launch so that they are prepared to think about their goals and come to meetings with their mentor well-prepared. The program hosts events throughout the year offered jointly to mentors and mentees as well as events for only mentors or only mentees.
Real Estate Related Job Postings on Elevate
Postings with an Elevate Job ID can be found on Elevate. Sign in with your UofC ID and search for the Job ID. For more information on job postings and career events at the Haskayne School of Business, please contact the Haskayne Career Development Centre.
Many real estate industry associations offer student memberships at discounted prices. All students are highly encouraged to join the industry associations as they offer educational and professional development opportunities for future industry members.
The industry associations that currently offer student memberships are:
BILD Calgary is the result of an amalgamation between Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) – Calgary Region and Urban Development Institute (UDI) – Calgary, creating a stronger, more unified voice for the industry. For student membership click here.
BOMA Calgary is the valued source of knowledge and leadership for commercial real estate. BOMA Calgary demonstrates commitment to building excellence in the commercial real estate sector through advocacy, education and professional relationships. For student membership click here.
CREW Calgary aims to promote and support the advancement of women as leaders across all disciplines of Calgary’s commercial real estate industry. CREW Calgary offers its members a network for professional and personal development that supports their growth in the commercial real estate industry. CREW Calgary does not offer a student membership. For membership click here.
NAIOP, the commercial real estate development association, is the leading organization for developers, owners and related professionals in, industrial and mixed-use real estate. On behalf of its members, NAIOP advances responsible commercial real estate development, advocates for effective public policy and offers quality professional development programs. For student membership click here.
ULI’s mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. ULI Alberta carries forth that mission by serving Alberta’s public and private sectors with pragmatic land use expertise and education. For student membership click here.
Instructors
There are a number of sessional instructors engaged in teaching the courses offered through the Real Estate Studies program at the Haskayne School of Business. The instructors are highly qualified in the subject matter that they teach and are passionate about sharing their industry knowledge with students through a well-designed course curriculum.
Current instructors include:
JT Dhoot
Inderjot (JT) Dhoot is the Founder and Principal of Omnis Valuations & Advisory Ltd, a boutique consulting firm specializing in commercial real estate advisory, business valuations, consulting and litigation support services. JT also serves on multiple boards and committees, including the Practice Review Committee of CPA Alberta and the Calgary Assessment Review Board. JT is a recipient of the Appraisal Institute of Canada’s Tyler Beatty Top Appraiser Under 40 Award, a graduate of the Master of Forensic Accounting (MFAcc) program at the University of Toronto, and a holder of the Accredited Appraiser (AACI), Chartered Business Valuator (CBV), and Corporate Director (ICD.D) designations. He co-teaches REAL 427 titled Real Estate Investment and Analysis.
John Fisher
John Fisher is a Senior Vice President at CBRE Limited, a Fortune 500 commercial real estate brokerage firm. He is the former President, Board of Directors for NAIOP Alberta, and a frequent panelist, speaker and writer for the commercial real estate industry. John has a BA in Economics, and an MBA from York University and Northwestern University. He teaches REAL 627 titled Real Estate Investment & Analysis.
Jason Hardy
Jason is Co-Founder and CEO at Proptech start-up, Ownly. Ownly is helping to bring the homebuilding industry into the 21st century with its revolutionary new home shopping tool. Jason is also Founder and Chairman of Chatterson, an award-winning marketing and strategy firm, proudly serving all asset classes of the real estate industry across North America. Self-described as a serial entrepreneur, he’s been on the front lines of the real estate development world for nearly 20 years. Jason teaches REAL 457 / 657 titled Real Estate Marketing.
Jason Jogia
Jason Jogia is the CEO of Avenue Living Opportunity Trust and CIO of Avenue Living Asset Management, one of the largest private real estate owner/operators in Western Canada. Jason is also the Co-Founder of Circuit Stream. He specializes in debt and equity analysis, investment analysis, asset management, and corporate finance. Jason has an MBA (Finance) from the University of Calgary, and a Masters in Corporate Finance from SDA Bocconi. He co-teaches REAL 427 titled Real Estate Investment and Analysis.
Grace Lui
Grace Lui is a Director, Asset Management at Triovest. Triovest is a fully integrated commercial real estate advisory and management firm with over $11 billion in assets under management and $2 billion in development. In addition to asset management, Grace’s expertise also includes real estate development, project management, business strategy, regulatory environments and government relations. Her past roles include Senior Development Manager at Brookfield and Senior Manager, Strategic Initiatives at BILD Calgary Region. She holds an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business and a Master of Urban and Rural Planning from Dalhousie University. Grace teaches REAL 607 titled Fundamentals of Real Estate.
Morgan Tingle
Morgan Tingle is the principal and senior counsel of Morgan F. Tingle Professional Corporation, a boutique law firm focused on servicing clients in the real estate and corporate commercial fields since 2008. Mr. Tingle graduated from the University of Calgary with a BA in Political Science and pursued post-graduate work at the University of Alberta where he received his Masters in Business Administration and his Juris Doctor (LL.B.). Following graduation, Mr. Tingle articled and practiced with one of Canada’s largest national law firms and eventually with a local boutique securities law firm until his passion for real estate led him to start his own firm to provide specialized corporate counsel service to real estate developers and home builders. Mr. Tingle has extensive experience over more than 20 years in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate law.
Ed Romanowski
Ed is the President and COO of Touchstone Holdings and Nunastar Properties, both based in Northwest and Nunavut Territories. Touchstone Holdings Ltd. is a privately held Canadian corporation focused on investment and asset management. Nunastar Properties is one of northern Canada’s largest income property owners and is the largest hospitality industry operator in the Territories. Previously, Ed has held executive management positions with a variety of companies in the real estate industry. Ed holds a BA from the University of Winnipeg, and a Master of City Planning from the University of Manitoba. He teaches REAL 667 titled Real Estate Advanced Capstone.
Peter Schryvers
Peter Schryvers is an urban planner and author. He is currently working as a Senior Planner at the City of Calgary. Peter has worked in the planning profession for 12 years with experience in both the private and public sectors. He has a Master in Environmental Design (Planning) from the University of Calgary and is a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners. He is also the author of the book “Bad Data: Why we measure the wrong things and miss the metrics that matter” (2020) and the founder of the Beltline Urban Murals Project (BUMP). Peter co-teaches REAL 437 / 637 titled Land Development and Planning.
Jaydan Tait
Jaydan is the President and CEO Attainable Homes Calgary, a non-profit organization created and owned by the City of Calgary dedicated to making homeownership a reality for people who may not traditionally qualify. Prior to joining Attainable Homes Jaydan held senior development roles at Brookfield Residential and Anthem Properties in Calgary. Jaydan is a registered professional planner and holds a Master of Environmental Design in Planning from the University of Calgary. Jaydan co-teaches REAL 437 / 637 titled Land Development & Planning.
Jessica Karpat
Jessica is a co-owner and Principal – Planning at QuantumPlace where she and her team is responsible for development management, municipal approvals, and construction of development projects for her clients and Quantum Lifespaces, QuantumPlace’s home building arm. She has worked in the commercial real estate industry for over 20 years and began her career as an urban planner. She worked in both public and private practice and then moved to QuantumPlace ten years ago where she is a co-owner with two other partners. She co-teaches REAL 317 titled Real Estate Development & Urbanization.