Let me start by saying I am a newbie to the real estate game. I have hustle, but not much else. I'm using that to rapidly increase my knowledge of the industry, and I just came across a graduate degree offered by New York University; an M.S. in Real Estate Development.

The question I want to pose is this: would this roughly two-year program be a waste of time for someone trying to increase their knowledge? And to be precise, by waste of time, I mean would I be better served to stick to real estate books, forums, podcasts, meet ups and attempt to learn the game "on my own?"

This specific degree seemingly covers quite a bit, from real estate finance, to market analysis, valuation to common legal issues. There are also courses in multi-family units and construction, which is appealing to me.

All that considered, can I learn this in a condensed format outside of this setting? You never hear of any success stories with people starting out by going to a university to learn real estate (at least I have not).

Has anyone completed or participated in a program like this?

Possibly of note, I am a Veteran, so my G.I. Bill benefits would finance near the entirety of my studies (although there are obviously opportunity costs associated with this).

Thank you for any advice and/or recommendations!