So, you've got a knack for finding great properties, an eye for detail and impeccable taste, but you feel you lack the necessary business acumen to make the most of your deals. For ambitious property developers, an MBA in Real Estate can make you as much of an expert on "market" as you are on "property", and give you that crucial edge over your competitors.

The program exists to provide high-level corporate business administration with an emphasis on Real Estate and construction. Anyone wishing to pursue real estate development as a career should consider an MBA.

The course will help you understand the complex environments of consultants and their client organisations in real estate and construction. Lectures, discussions, role-playing activities and seminars will be linked with case studies to strengthen your decision making skills and practical analysis. Group assignments incorporate the personal touch that students can bring from their own lives into debates. More usually MBA students will have a pool of previous work experience in the business industry already and will utilise these skills in the classroom.

Everything you need to combine a sound knowledge of property with all the requisite business skills to make you a success is offered on a typical MBA course and their popularity means there are a wide selection of courses to choose from. One MBA course, at Ashridge Business School, has been ranked for the third year running as the premier MBA for salary growth. It has accreditation from the Association of MBA's as well as AACBB and Equis. Other reputable courses are run at Oxford Brookes business school, Reading University, and the LSE.

Despite a seemingly shaky job market, and an even shakier property market, an MBA should easily pay for itself. If you get onto a course, you probably already have the skills, commitment, vision, and good work ethic to see it through. The cost of attending a prestigious business course can seem daunting, but your chances of walking into a high-paid job are markedly improved.