Awards, Fellowships & Resources for Real Estate Students
A variety of awards are available for entering and continuing students. In addition to financial support, awardees become members of Columbia Business School's community of real estate scholars and fellows.
Columbia Business School alumni are generous supporters of fellowships and scholarships. The MBA Real Estate Program is also proud of the awards its students earn through such distinguished organizations as the Association of Real Estate Women (AREW), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), New York's Women Executives in Real Estate (WX), and the Young Men's/Women's Real Estate Association of New York (YMWREA).
Merit-Based Fellowships Awarded by the Admissions Office
There is no separate application for the fellowships described below. Your eligibility is determined by the admissions committee. Applicants will be notified of an award should it become available.
Alexander Bodini Memorial Real Estate Fellowships
Awarded by Daniele D. Bodini '72, chairman of American Continental Properties Group, the Alexander Bodini Memorial Real Estate Fellowship provides up to three* entrance fellowships each year. Fellows receive $50,000 for one year and are invited to attend the Real Estate Forum Annual Meeting. (*Prior to the 2015-16 academic year, two fellowships were awarded each year.)
Caswell J. and Mark M. Caplan Fellowship
The two-year Caswell J. and Mark M. Caplan Fellowship was endowed by Mark M. Caplan '84, president of The Time Group and Washington Place Management. The award is given to an outstanding student with a demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship who plans to focus on real estate within the MBA program.
Jeffrey A. Barclay '83 Memorial Scholarship
A combination need- and merit-based award, the Barclay Scholarship is intended to support students interested in studying real estate at the School.
Need-Based Scholarships Awarded by the Financial Aid Office
There is no separate application for the scholarships described below. Your eligibility is determined by the financial aid office. Applicants will be notified of an award should it become available.
Real Estate Circle 2nd Year Fellowship(s)
The Real Estate Circle Fellowship is awarded to a select group of 2nd Year students who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership capability as well as academic excellence. Ambitious and energetic, these students have a proven record of success and are recognized for their potential to become future leaders in the real estate industry, colleagues to our exceptionally distinguished Columbia Business School real estate alumni, and engaged supporters of the next generation of students. Selection as a Real Estate Circle Fellow provides partial tuition support for your 2nd academic year, an invitation to a select Real Estate Circle events occurring on a monthly basis, as well as to the distinguished Annual Real Estate Forum Meeting, and two years of membership in the Real Estate Circle upon graduation.
The Real Estate Circle is a dynamic group of business school alumni in the real estate industry who wish to maintain close ties to the Program as well as the Columbia Real Estate Community. Members are able to continue building and enhancing their individual networks while also engaging with and supporting the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate, and real estate education at Columbia Business School. The Circle supports Real Estate Circle Fellowships through their membership. Members are offered access to myriad of events and programs which are designed to encourage network and relationship building and professional development, and often include intimate gatherings with leading real estate practitioners and other business leaders, exclusive behind the scenes tours of signature real etc.
John J. and Theresa M. Azrack Scholarship
Established by Joseph Azrack '72, former chair of the Real Estate Program Advisory Board and president and CEO of Citigroup Properties Investors, the John J. and Theresa M. Azrack Scholarship recognizes an exceptional second-year student in the Real Estate Program.
Bernhaut Family Scholarship
Recognizes a second-year student who has demonstrated interest, leadership, or achievement in the real estate field.
The Charles Grossman/PREA Real Estate Scholarship Established by the Pension Real Estate Association and its Members
Established in 2008 by the Pension Real Estate Association and its members to honor Charles Grossman '68, the Charles Grossman/PREA Real Estate Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding student who demonstrates financial need, with preference given to students with a proven interest in real estate.
External Scholarships
These scholarships are awarded through outside foundations and organizations. Approximate deadlines and links for more information are provided below.
Charles Grossman/ICSC Foundation Graduate Scholarships
The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Foundation offers graduate-level scholarships for those studying retail real estate or a related curriculum. Two $10,000 USD scholarships are available to full-time graduate students or part-time graduate students who are working full-time and who are also ICSC members. Deadline: February. Details →
CoreNet Global - New York City Chapter Award for Academic Excellence
The CoreNet Global – New York City Chapter Academic Excellence Scholarship recognizes one graduate student who embodies the values of vision, knowledge, respect, perseverance and innovation that define CoreNet Global and its NYC Chapter. The award recipient is someone who has distinguished themselves through excellence in the study of real estate and its corollary subjects. The recipient will receive a partial scholarship. Additionally, the winner will receive a one year membership to CoreNet Global – New York Chapter, and one year of free admission to CoreNet Global – New York Chapter educational and networking events, and a profile in the Chapter newsletter. Details→
CREW Network Foundation Scholarship
The CREW Network Foundation Scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic excellence and is intended to help finance the educational endeavors of female undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in accredited real estate programs, or enrolled in other fields of study with the intent to pursue a career in commercial real estate. Each scholarship recipient will also be provided with a paid internship at a commercial brokerage firm. Deadline: April. Details→
New York's Women Executives in Real Estate (WX)
WX offers scholarships each year to second-year students pursuing an MBA degree with a concentration in real estate. Applicants must demonstrate academic excellence, a commitment to the program, and financial need. Watch Video Deadline: February. Details→
Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) Scholarships
PREA awards scholarships on an annual basis to promising students studying real estate at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
PREA also partners with the Robert A. Toigo Foundation to grant a PREA/Toigo scholarship, which is awarded to minority and women students. Deadline: April. Details→
David Winoker Scholarship for YMWREA
Annual award by the Young Men's/Women's Real Estate Association of New York to an undergraduate or graduate real estate student studying in New York who demonstrate charitable or community service involvement. Deadline: December.
The Goldie Initiative Scholarship Program
The Goldie Initiative offers a prestigious leadership program designed to develop the next generation of women executives in the commercial real estate (CRE) industry. The Goldie Initiative was founded by Goldie B. Wolfe Miller, a renowned commercial real estate broker and entrepreneur. Their mission is to prepare women for senior leadership roles in all sectors of CRE. The Goldie Initiative does this by providing scholarship support for graduate study, mentorship, and networking opportunities for women with high potential who are committed to becoming leaders in the real estate industry.