Admissions
Source: https://luskin.ucla.edu/mred/admissions
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:30
Admissions
Admissions
Applications are submitted through the
UCLA Graduate Division
. Please see the division’s admissions requirements for the most up-to-date information about the application process. Below, you’ll find additional information specific to the UCLA MRED application.
To learn more about the UCLA MRED experience, see our
admissions FAQ
.
We also invite you to
request a meeting
with MRED admissions.
Please
sign up for our mailing list
to stay in touch with the admissions team and learn more.
View
upcoming MRED admission events
.
Application Deadlines
To be considered for our
Fall 2026 start date
, applications must be submitted no later than the posted deadlines by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
ROUND
APPLICATION DEADLINE
DECISION RELEASED
ACCEPTANCE / DEPOSIT
Early
November 15, 2025
Mid December
January 15, 2026
Primary
January 15, 2026
Mid February
March 15, 2026
Final
March 1, 2026
Mid March
April 15, 2026
Application Deadlines
To be considered for our
Fall 2026 start date:
Early Round
applications must be submitted by
November 15, 2025*
, no later than11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Decisions will be released in mid-December, and acceptance and deposit are due on
January 15, 2026
.
Primary Round
applications must be submitted by
January 15, 2026
, no later than by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Decisions will be released in mid February, and acceptance and deposit are due on
March
15, 2026.
Final Round
applications must be submitted by
March
1, 2026
, no later than by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Decisions will be released in mid March, and acceptance and deposit are due on
April
15, 2026.
Note that final round applications are unlikely to be eligible for funding consideration.
Please see our
Tuition & Fees page
for information about program cost, the value proposition of MRED and information about financing your education.
Application Criteria + Tips
ONLINE APPLICATION
The online application is designed so that you can enter and update your information at any time before you submit your application.
Click here to access the online application.
Under “Plans for Graduate Study,” please select “Master of Real Estate Development MRED” from the drop-down menu.
GPA
UCLA requires that graduate applicants have a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0. Applicants with cumulative undergraduate GPAs below 3.0 may be admitted by exception.
RESUME
We are interested in learning about your work and experiential background. Please upload your most current resume under “Supporting Documents” and be sure to highlight experiences and organizations that are most relevant to your application to a real estate program. These are typically a maximum of 2 pages in length.
TWO SHORT ESSAYS
Applicants are required to complete two essays. These should be well-written, succinct and provide a clear picture of yourself and your candidacy.
Statement of Purpose (no longer than 1,000 words)
Our essay question was created to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. The admissions committee is interested in learning how your professional or other experiences and achievements equip you and motivate you to enroll in our program. At a minimum, the Statement of Purpose should indicate, with clarity and focus, your purpose for entering the UCLA MRED program and how completion of the program will advance your professional and personal goals. We are especially interested in understanding both your experience in and your capacity to take full advantage of an intensive, fast-paced degree program. For those applicants with less than two years of full-time post-undergraduate work experience, please discuss why you feel ready for the program at your current level of experience.
Personal History Statement (no longer than 500 words)
Anything that can give the admissions committee a sense of you as a person belongs here. Do not repeat information provided in your Statement of Purpose. You may wish to indicate where your passion for the built environment and real estate came from. This statement is also where you can give us any context that will help us better understand other aspects of your application, like extenuating circumstances that affected GPA or pauses in your work history, or personal experiences that have shaped who you are, or challenges that you have overcome,
THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
The three required letters of recommendation provide the admissions committee with third-party, qualitative accounts of your potential for success in our program. We prefer that two letters of recommendation come from a current direct supervisor, former direct supervisor or another individual with whom you have had significant professional interaction. The third letter of recommendation would ideally come from a previous professor or someone who can speak to your academic abilities and track record. Please select individuals who know you well and who will take the time to write thorough and thoughtful letters on your behalf. The title of those you select is not important. What does matter is how closely your letter writers have worked with you and whether they can attest to your value as an employee, your professional accomplishments, your personal qualities and/or academic abilities. We have found the most helpful letters to be recent, relevant and written specifically for this application. We do not accept letters of recommendation from subordinates, family or friends. When completing the online application, you will enter the email address of your recommender and click the appropriate box to have the recommender upload their letter. You are responsible for ensuring that required recommendations are submitted prior to the application deadline.
VIDEO QUESTION
You will need to submit a personal video (max 2 minutes) addressing the following two questions:
What drives your interests in real estate?
What do you see yourself doing after you graduate from the MRED program?
Please do not read your responses (i.e. speak naturally, as we are interested in both your responses and how you present yourself, as this is an opportunity to give us insights into your personality).
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT
Please see the
UCLA Graduate Division’s website
for information regarding demonstration of English proficiency, as this is a university requirement. Please note that IELTS and TOEFL scores should be submitted electronically. The UCLA MRED program prefers to see TOEFL scores of 100 or greater and IELTS scores in the 7.5 band or greater. We may consider TOEFL scores between 90-100 and IELTS scores in the 7 band.
PORTFOLIO OR WORK SAMPLES (optional)
While this is not a requirement, applicants may submit images of work and/or past projects with their application. Acceptable documents include presentations, pro formas, publications and design portfolios, among others. Do not submit long documents. These samples should not exceed 15 pages in length. Feel free to redact any confidential information.
GMAT or GRE EXAM (optional)
GRE or GMAT scores are not required but may be submitted if they help you demonstrate skills that are otherwise not present in your application. In particular, these scores are helpful to strengthen your application if you do not have evidence in your transcripts of quantitative course work. Please self-report your scores on the application and send the official results to UCLA. For the GRE, please use institutional code
4837
. For GMAT scores, please use institutional code
N2V-M5-04
.
Questions?
See our
Frequently Asked Questions
.
Make an Admissions Appointment
Sean Campbell
Associate Director of Admissions & Recruitment
Public Affairs Building, Room 3357E
sean@luskin.ucla.edu
(310) 825-8957
Schedule an appointment
here
Notice
There are no upcoming events.
Contact
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
3250 Public Affairs Building - Box 951656
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1656
Campus Resources
Maps, Directions, Parking
Directory
Contact
Academic Calendar
Careers
Diversity
University of California
Terms of Use
Follow
The statements on this page represent the views of people affiliated with the Luskin School of Public Affairs and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of California, or UCLA or its Chancellor.
Posts and comments by individuals at UCLA on social media channels may not reflect the opinions or
policies of UCLA
, the University of California or the Luskin School, nor its benefactors and academic partners.
Scroll to top
Admissions
Applications are submitted through the
UCLA Graduate Division
. Please see the division’s admissions requirements for the most up-to-date information about the application process. Below, you’ll find additional information specific to the UCLA MRED application.
To learn more about the UCLA MRED experience, see our
admissions FAQ
.
We also invite you to
request a meeting
with MRED admissions.
Please
sign up for our mailing list
to stay in touch with the admissions team and learn more.
View
upcoming MRED admission events
.
Application Deadlines
To be considered for our
Fall 2026 start date
, applications must be submitted no later than the posted deadlines by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
ROUND
APPLICATION DEADLINE
DECISION RELEASED
ACCEPTANCE / DEPOSIT
Early
November 15, 2025
Mid December
January 15, 2026
Primary
January 15, 2026
Mid February
March 15, 2026
Final
March 1, 2026
Mid March
April 15, 2026
Application Deadlines
To be considered for our
Fall 2026 start date:
Early Round
applications must be submitted by
November 15, 2025*
, no later than11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Decisions will be released in mid-December, and acceptance and deposit are due on
January 15, 2026
.
Primary Round
applications must be submitted by
January 15, 2026
, no later than by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Decisions will be released in mid February, and acceptance and deposit are due on
March
15, 2026.
Final Round
applications must be submitted by
March
1, 2026
, no later than by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Decisions will be released in mid March, and acceptance and deposit are due on
April
15, 2026.
Note that final round applications are unlikely to be eligible for funding consideration.
Please see our
Tuition & Fees page
for information about program cost, the value proposition of MRED and information about financing your education.
Application Criteria + Tips
ONLINE APPLICATION
The online application is designed so that you can enter and update your information at any time before you submit your application.
Click here to access the online application.
Under “Plans for Graduate Study,” please select “Master of Real Estate Development MRED” from the drop-down menu.
GPA
UCLA requires that graduate applicants have a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0. Applicants with cumulative undergraduate GPAs below 3.0 may be admitted by exception.
RESUME
We are interested in learning about your work and experiential background. Please upload your most current resume under “Supporting Documents” and be sure to highlight experiences and organizations that are most relevant to your application to a real estate program. These are typically a maximum of 2 pages in length.
TWO SHORT ESSAYS
Applicants are required to complete two essays. These should be well-written, succinct and provide a clear picture of yourself and your candidacy.
Statement of Purpose (no longer than 1,000 words)
Our essay question was created to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. The admissions committee is interested in learning how your professional or other experiences and achievements equip you and motivate you to enroll in our program. At a minimum, the Statement of Purpose should indicate, with clarity and focus, your purpose for entering the UCLA MRED program and how completion of the program will advance your professional and personal goals. We are especially interested in understanding both your experience in and your capacity to take full advantage of an intensive, fast-paced degree program. For those applicants with less than two years of full-time post-undergraduate work experience, please discuss why you feel ready for the program at your current level of experience.
Personal History Statement (no longer than 500 words)
Anything that can give the admissions committee a sense of you as a person belongs here. Do not repeat information provided in your Statement of Purpose. You may wish to indicate where your passion for the built environment and real estate came from. This statement is also where you can give us any context that will help us better understand other aspects of your application, like extenuating circumstances that affected GPA or pauses in your work history, or personal experiences that have shaped who you are, or challenges that you have overcome,
THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
The three required letters of recommendation provide the admissions committee with third-party, qualitative accounts of your potential for success in our program. We prefer that two letters of recommendation come from a current direct supervisor, former direct supervisor or another individual with whom you have had significant professional interaction. The third letter of recommendation would ideally come from a previous professor or someone who can speak to your academic abilities and track record. Please select individuals who know you well and who will take the time to write thorough and thoughtful letters on your behalf. The title of those you select is not important. What does matter is how closely your letter writers have worked with you and whether they can attest to your value as an employee, your professional accomplishments, your personal qualities and/or academic abilities. We have found the most helpful letters to be recent, relevant and written specifically for this application. We do not accept letters of recommendation from subordinates, family or friends. When completing the online application, you will enter the email address of your recommender and click the appropriate box to have the recommender upload their letter. You are responsible for ensuring that required recommendations are submitted prior to the application deadline.
VIDEO QUESTION
You will need to submit a personal video (max 2 minutes) addressing the following two questions:
What drives your interests in real estate?
What do you see yourself doing after you graduate from the MRED program?
Please do not read your responses (i.e. speak naturally, as we are interested in both your responses and how you present yourself, as this is an opportunity to give us insights into your personality).
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT
Please see the
UCLA Graduate Division’s website
for information regarding demonstration of English proficiency, as this is a university requirement. Please note that IELTS and TOEFL scores should be submitted electronically. The UCLA MRED program prefers to see TOEFL scores of 100 or greater and IELTS scores in the 7.5 band or greater. We may consider TOEFL scores between 90-100 and IELTS scores in the 7 band.
PORTFOLIO OR WORK SAMPLES (optional)
While this is not a requirement, applicants may submit images of work and/or past projects with their application. Acceptable documents include presentations, pro formas, publications and design portfolios, among others. Do not submit long documents. These samples should not exceed 15 pages in length. Feel free to redact any confidential information.
GMAT or GRE EXAM (optional)
GRE or GMAT scores are not required but may be submitted if they help you demonstrate skills that are otherwise not present in your application. In particular, these scores are helpful to strengthen your application if you do not have evidence in your transcripts of quantitative course work. Please self-report your scores on the application and send the official results to UCLA. For the GRE, please use institutional code
4837
. For GMAT scores, please use institutional code
N2V-M5-04
.
Questions?
See our
Frequently Asked Questions
.
Make an Admissions Appointment
Sean Campbell
Associate Director of Admissions & Recruitment
Public Affairs Building, Room 3357E
sean@luskin.ucla.edu
(310) 825-8957
Schedule an appointment
here
Notice
There are no upcoming events.
Contact
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
3250 Public Affairs Building - Box 951656
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1656
Campus Resources
Maps, Directions, Parking
Directory
Contact
Academic Calendar
Careers
Diversity
University of California
Terms of Use
Follow
The statements on this page represent the views of people affiliated with the Luskin School of Public Affairs and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of California, or UCLA or its Chancellor.
Posts and comments by individuals at UCLA on social media channels may not reflect the opinions or
policies of UCLA
, the University of California or the Luskin School, nor its benefactors and academic partners.
Scroll to top