REIT Portfolio Practicum

The Real Estate Investment Trust ("REIT") Portfolio Course is a unique program designed for highly motivated students interested in gaining the skills necessary to make real estate portfolio investment decisions. Undergraduate and Graduate students can gain hands-on experience managing a real investment portfolio comprised of Real Estate Investment Trusts. The portfolio emulates the real estate component of a balanced portfolio, as you would see in the real-world markets. The REIT Portfolio Practicum is a unique and robust benefit for Finance or Accounting bachelor's degree candidates at Arizona State University. The REIT Fund is directed by Professor of Practice Blair Koblenz.

What is a REIT? (Pronounced "REET") It is a public or private corporation with special tax treatment that combines investment capital of potentially thousands of individual investors to acquire or finance real estate assets. Similar to a mutual fund comprised of real estate assets, REITs provide investors the advantages of a diversified portfolio coupled with highly skilled management teams at the helm.

The course requires a full academic year commitment, with one and one-half credits earned in the fall semester and one and one-half in the spring semester. Students are assigned specific real estate sectors in the fall and choose individual REIT stocks to underwrite and present to the investment committee in the spring. This course requires commitment and initiative and in return provides real-world investment experiences.

How to apply

Meet academic pre-requisites:

  • REA 494 – W. P. Carey BS or BA student, OR Non-business students with minimum 56 earned hours and 3.0 ASU GPA. Must have completed: FIN 302 or FIN 303 or REA 456
  • REA 594 – MRED Student or 2nd year MBA student

Submit application no later than April 15, 2024. No late applications will be accepted.

Application should consist of the following:

  • Resume
  • Unofficial Transcript
  • 1-2 page statement to include the following:
    • Candidate's career goals and interest in fund management.
    • Candidate's exposure to real estate and financial statement analysis.
    • Candidate's academic and professional background that indicates what they would contribute to the fund (including quantitative skills).

Email complete application materials to wpcareyre@asu.edu with the subject line: REIT Portfolio Practicum Application

Applications will be reviewed by the fund director and other advisors. Selection will be announced in late April.