Program Structure & Timeline
The Affordable Housing Certificate program consists of eight course modules that can be completed in eight months. Coursework will be offered primarily online, but participants will be required to attend two in-person, weekend-long residencies. Those two intensive modules are the Orientation Workshop at the beginning of the program and the Capstone Project at the end.
Course Modules
Orientation Workshop
Overview of Affordable Housing
Housing Policy
Federal, State, & Local Approaches
Legal & Regulatory Context
Land Use, Planning, Zoning, & Entitlement
Social Dimensions of Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing & Project Finance
Construction Management, Design, & Innovations in Affordable Housing
Development & Management of Affordable Housing
Capstone Project
The Practicum
Key Topics Covered
- Housing market fundamentals and the current housing crisis
- Types of affordable housing
- The role of planning and zoning in affordable housing development
- Permitting and entitlement processes
- The social, economic, and environmental impact of affordable housing
- Barriers and challenges to project development
- Project funding sources, tools, and emerging trends
- Project finance structures
- Pro forma development
- Construction management and design best practices
- New construction and design technologies
- Affordable housing project development — strategies and schedules
- Introduction to affordable housing management and operations
Program Timeline
The program begins in late September with an in-person, intensive Orientation Workshop to be held on DU's campus over the course of a single weekend — a half-day on Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.
Subsequent course modules will be offered online, on Wednesdays from 6–8 p.m. Each module will last between three and five weeks. Participants can expect a total time commitment of three to four hours per week — two hours of live online classes and one to two hours of independent learning.
The program concludes in early June with a Capstone Project. Like the Orientation Workshop, the Capstone Project will be conducted in person on the DU campus over one weekend — a half-day on Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.
Important Dates
- Early Bird Deadline for Applications (discounted $75 application fee): March 30, 2025
- Final Deadline for Applications: May 30, 2025
- Acceptances sent/students notified: Week of June 16 (Latest by Friday, June 20)
- Program Launch Reception and Dinner: September 19, 2025
- In-Person Bootcamp and Orientation: September 20-21, 2025
- Online Classes Begin: October 1, 2025
Course Schedule
How do I apply?
To apply, click here.
Important Application and Program Dates for 2025 are Listed Below:
- Early Bird Deadline for Applications (discounted $75 application fee): March 30, 2025
- Final Deadline for Applications: May 30, 2025
- Acceptances sent/students notified: Week of June 16 (Latest by Friday, June 20)
- Program Launch Reception and Dinner: September 19, 2025
- In-Person Bootcamp and Orientation: September 20-21, 2025
- Online Classes Begin: October 1, 2025
Program Homepage
Return to the DU Executive Certificate in Affordable Housing program homepage.
Our Faculty
Meet our faculty members from the Burns School of Real Estate, the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute, and elsewhere at DU, who collaborated to develop and administer the DU Executive Certificate in Affordable Housing program.
Enrollment
Find information on enrolling in the DU Executive Certificate in Affordable Housing program, including associated costs and fees, scholarship opportunities, attendance requirements, and the application process.