Jordan: Discovering newfound confidence in rejoining the workplace

Jordan Holt entered the MBA in Real Estate and Infrastructure at Schulich with an educational background in real estate and previous professional experience working at Rice Group. 

“I saw the MBA as an opportunity to expand my knowledge base and really broaden my horizon into different business sectors and develop a skill set that would be required for senior management in the future,” he explains. (00:18)

The MBA program at Schulich School of Business allowed Jordan to dive into the infrastructure side of the program, an area in which he had no previous experience. “Learning that asset class is very important,” he says, as it is gaining popularity and relevance in the business world. (01:14)

For Jordan, one of the highlights of the program was the Perspectives Lecture, a highly successful Schulich lecture series attended by students, alumni, and industry professionals. It was during this event that Jordan had the opportunity to hear from Blake Hutcheson, president and CEO of OMERS (one of Canada’s largest pension plans), as well as Schulich alumni and billionaire businessman Mitchell Goldhar.

“For me, I had a newfound confidence coming back into the workplace, so for that, I am very grateful that I took the plunge into the Schulich MBA”, says Jordan, who’s now back working at Rice Group as a Manager in Acquisitions and Finance.

Charline: Building well-integrated knowledge across disciplines

For Charline Chau, choosing the MBA specialization in Real Estate and Infrastructure at Schulich was a logical choice. “The Brookfield Centre in Real Estate and Infrastructure [at Schulich] is positioned to become one of the global hubs for education and research and it has deep connections with industry professionals,” she says. (00:36)

Schulich is known for its innovative tradition in real estate and infrastructure education and industry engagement. As Charline shares, “In [every] course, we are asked to challenge the old assumptions and to participate in case competitions.” (01:27)

Additionally, real estate and infrastructure is a complex industry that requires an understanding of many disciplines including finance, design, and marketing. According to Charline, the curriculum at Schulich did a wonderful job of integrating the various disciplines while providing a solid foundation in real estate and infrastructure management. Charline currently works as an Investments Analyst at NYX Capital Corp.

Jinny: Landing a full-time job

During her MBA studies, Jinny Tran became a member of the Schulich Real Estate and Infrastructure Club (SREIC). SREIC is a student-run club that acts as a link between academics and the real estate industry. As a participant in SREIC, Jinny had the chance to make connections with highly motivated peers with ties to the industry as well as interact with an engaged alumni network. 

In fact, it was through SREIC that Jinny landed her full-time job as a Development Manager at SmartCentres in Canada. “SREIC does a great job of organizing a series of regular events during the year,” she explains. “I had the chance to be exposed to a lot of previous alums. One of them reached out to me after seeing my resume as part of the resume book initiative that we have at SREIC. That’s how I landed my full-time role.” (02:03)

The MBA specialization in Real Estate and Infrastructure at Schulich in summary: academic excellence, industry outreach, and alumni engagement

Although Jordan, Charline, and Jinny come from diverse backgrounds and experiences and had varied reasons for choosing the program, they all make an excellent case for choosing to study at Schulich.

Schulich does a stellar job of combining classroom knowledge with unique co-curricular experiences. The MBA in Real Estate and Infrastructure, in particular, builds a solid bridge between theory and practical application through its guest lecture series, SREIC, and by effectively capitalizing on its network of successful alumni and industry partners. 

For students interested in a 12-month master’s program, Schulich also offers a Master of Real Estate and Infrastructure.

Interested in hearing more about what it’s like to do an MBA? Contact our Student Ambassadors who will be happy to share their experiences.