The Advanced Management Development Program (AMDP) is Harvard’s premier advanced leadership program in real estate. Designed for experienced practitioners and heads of firms seeking a fresh view of is driving change in the built environment, AMDP participants become Harvard alums in just one year, with five weeks spent on campus.
In that year, a global cohort of leaders from disciplines across the built environment engage in an intensive series of sessions, projects, and electives that provides participants with:
- a comprehensive understanding of core real estate functions;
- new approaches for leading change;
- a broader grasp of areas including strategy, leadership, planning & design, development, technology and finance.
During the three on-campus terms, the case study method is the primary form of instruction, and participants attend an average of fifteen 90-minute interactive sessions per week in leadership, development, finance, planning and design, technology, and strategy. Participants learn from world-class Harvard faculty and industry experts.
The program also features two intensive projects that bring the program’s teaching to life: the Team Project and the Independent Project. The Team Project is an academic exercise employing professional experience and class learning. Participants are divided into teams and compete to solve complex development problems in real-world locales.
Problems for the Team Project are as diverse as the redevelopment of dying shopping malls in Denver and Los Angeles or brownfield sites on Staten Island to exploring possibilities for the city of Toronto or the East Boston waterfront. The project begins during Term 1 and culminates with an intensive design charrette, where teams present their proposals to a jury panel during Term 2.
The Independent Project is a unique opportunity for participants to integrate their new learning from the AMDP with their aspirations for themselves, their organizations, and their communities. The Independent Projects are individual, but the work will be developed, reviewed, and discussed with two coaches, who are available to provide advice and answer questions. The Independent Project work takes place between Term 2 and 3, culminating with individual presentations during Term 3 to classmates and faculty.
The AMDP also allows each participant to explore the subjects most relevant to them and their goals through electives. Topics range from designing more walkable cities to redesigning workplaces in a post-pandemic world, building decarbonization, and the impact of AI on the built environment.
Participants come from all over the world and reflect a variety of industry sectors connected to the built environment. All are proven leaders in their field, with many years of success in leadership roles and progressive experience. As one recent participant said, “I would describe the program as a crash course in how to think differently and most importantly a chance to meet inspiring classmates who are looking to do the same thing.”
Learn more about the Advanced Management Development Program at Harvard here.