The NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate (scps.nyu.edu/schack), a unit of the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies, will offer three noncredit certificate programs - construction project management, real estate finance and investment, and real estate development - online, for the first time, in Spring 2013. These certificate programs already are offered in a traditional classroom setting, taught by leading real estate and construction management professionals with real-world experience; however, to serve the needs of a broader range of students, they now will be available in a fully online format. "NYU Schack is dedicated to providing an education that evolves along with the real estate industry," said Rosemary Scanlon, divisional dean of the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate. "The noncredit certificate programs are popular among professionals who are interested in pursuing specializations within their fields or in gaining new expertise in an emerging area. The new online offerings afford individuals who are working toward earning the Certificate in Construction Project Management, the Certificate in Real Estate Finance and Investment, or the Certificate in Real Estate Development more options and make it easier for them to access lectures and other course materials from their computer - at home, on the road, or in the office." The Certificate in Construction Project Management is a highly popular program that is recognized by the construction industry for its comprehensiveness and relevance, as well as for its role in professionalizing the industry. Students enrolled in this program learn how to bring a construction project to fruition in a timely and cost-effective manner. In addition, they gain an understanding of pre-construction services, bidding and award practices, planning, project delivery methods, contracts, safety, and dispute resolution. Students enrolled in the Certificate in Real Estate Finance and Investment gain a complete understanding of how commercial real estate investment deals are financed, structured, and completed. The program covers how to identify sources of capital and different types of financing structures, mortgage instruments, real estate investment and income analysis, valuation and underwriting methods, financial calculations, and comparisons of investment deal structures. The Certificate in Real Estate Development explores all aspects of the development process and provides participants with a solid foundation in the phases, issues, and complexities that come into play in the development of real estate - from inception to disposition. Students learn to identify the stages of real estate development, to apply market analysis and project site techniques, to analyze the legal and the regulatory environment of a project, to identify entitlements and partnership opportunities, and to apply planning, design, construction management, and asset management techniques to projects. All three of the noncredit certificate programs offer students two options for completing the requirements - four core classes and two electives, or an accelerated option of three real estate intensives. NYU Schack offers more than 500 noncredit courses, certificate programs, and intensives annually to keep professionals up-to-date on the latest trends affecting the industry, in addition to offering comprehensive programs for those with no real estate background who are interested in entering these rapidly evolving fields. The courses in real estate help industry professionals to remain on the cutting edge in today's challenging and changing real estate market. Courses, certificates, and intensives cover finance, development, leasing, facility and property management, title issues, and other topics of importance to the industry. NYU Schack also offers courses that fulfill the New York State continuing education requirements for licensed real estate professionals and help those new to the field to prepare for the salesperson's licensing or appraisal examinations.