The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate’s Ross Program has announced 18 new graduates for their 2023 winter session, which marks the program’s 30th anniversary. Since its inception, the Ross Program has graduated over 1,000 students as an academic asset to equip professionals with critical real estate development and finance skills.

Following the Rodney King verdict and the ensuing civil unrest in 1992, USC and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) of Los Angeles recognized the need for experienced, real estate professionals to aid in rebuilding part of South Los Angeles. With the lack of minority developers, USC, CRA and civic leaders formed the Ross Program to help foster diverse talent in real state development. In the 2023 winter session, 38% of the graduates were black, nearly half were women and 33% were hispanic.

“Through rigorous curriculum and real-world case studies, the Ross Program prepares real estate professionals with the next steps to advance their career or upskill their talents in real estate finance and development,” said Richard Green, director of the USC Lusk Center.