SAN DIEGO—Recently, GlobeSt.com highlighted the value for real estate professionals of the University of San Diego's Real Estate Finance, Investments and Development Certificate–offered through the school's professional and continuing-education department—which partners with the Burnham-Moores Center at USD's School of Business. Later, we spoke with Scott Peterson, SVP at CBRE, who teach the “Real Estate Finance and Capital Markets” course, and Nathan Moeder, a principal with London Moeder Advisors and instructor of the “Real Estate Investment and Income Analysis” course—both part of USD's real estate certificate program. Here's what you can learn from their courses that you might not learn elsewhere.

GlobeSt.com: What made you decide to teach the class as part of the certificate program?
Peterson: As a real estate industry professional, I quickly recognized that the University of San Diego produces some of the best and brightest young commercial real estate talent coming into the field for more than the past decade. The undergraduate and graduate real estate programs prepare students to enter into the field with both the technical land practical skillsets as well as the social confidence to be successful. The certificate program, now with more than a decade track record, expands this high-quality, successful platform of the Burnham-Moores Center to the continuing-education program. The certificate program allows active professionals, in and outside of real estate, to supplement their understanding of specific commercial real estate subjects such as finance, development feasibility, legal aspects of real estate and much more.

Teaching the “Real Estate Finance and Capital Markets” course as part of the real estate certificate program has allowed me to contribute back in a significant way to the continued success of USD and of the BMC. Mentorship is a strong pillar of my personal foundation, so teaching this course has offered me a platform to mentor students, of all ages, interested in learning more about specific areas of real estate. The courses within the certificate program are taught by successful leaders in the real estate industry because of the strong connection the Burnham-Moores Center has with business leaders in this field. Participating as an instructor has also given me the opportunity to enhance my relationships in the real estate community through the various connections I have made as an instructor of this course.