It’s hard to pinpoint just one thing, as we learnt so much in a short time. As my background was not in real estate, with hindsight, I’m even more glad I joined the program because I now realize how little I knew previously. Still a long way to go, but it feels much easier as part of the MRED+D community.
Yasmina Mekouar
Abbey MRED+D Class of 2020
University College London - B.Eng in Electronic & Electrical Engineering
London School of Economics - Master of Science in Finance
San Francisco, CA
Vice President, Apis Partners (private equity fund manager)
HiPE Leadership Development Associate, Prologi
Spending a full year immersed in a real estate development course helped me fast-track my transition into real estate from finance. By pursuing a graduate degree, I hoped to learn key real estate concepts, build relationships in a new industry, and figure out if I wanted to specialize in any particular area by gaining a broad exposure to most real estate verticals. The Abbey MRED+D delivered on all these fronts.
The reputation of UC Berkeley’s world-class research centers such as the Terner Center for Housing Innovation, the focus on sustainable real estate development, and the small class size relative to other programs attracted me to the program.
The Affordable Design and Development Studio was one of the most valuable experiences, as it was the closest experience to a real-world ground-up development. I particularly enjoyed working with students from other departments; the competitive tension amongst groups, which made the class even more exciting; and the opportunity to present our ideas and get feedback from industry leaders.