Apply to Become an AI in Real Estate Lab Student Fellow

Marquette University’s Vieth Institute for Real Estate Leadership invites applications for the AI in Real Estate Lab 2026–2027 Cohort.

Students - Apply Here

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Frequently asked questions

This highly selective, yearlong fellowship is designed for students who are already building with artificial intelligence and are ready to grow further — not just by learning more about AI, but by applying it in meaningful ways alongside faculty experts, ambitious peers, and real-world company partners.

At its core, the AI in Real Estate Lab is about bringing together three things that rarely come together this intentionally: exceptional student talent, nationally relevant industry engagement, and deep faculty-guided learning.

The history of the AI in Real Estate Lab began with a small group of business leaders and Marquette faculty coming together around the same question – as AI continues to emerge as a game-changing technology in our landscape, how can we work together to learn, grow, and maximize this technology for the good of our students, employees, industry and world? How can Marquette lead nationally in this space?

Through the AI in Real Estate Lab, we are convening companies across the commercial real estate realm — spanning real estate development, engineering, investment, architecture, contracting, law, and finance — to work alongside outstanding Marquette students under the guidance of expert faculty leadership. These companies are not only advancing their own learning and projects; they are also learning from one another through a collaborative lab model built to share ideas, surface best practices, and push the conversation forward.

Our approach was developed through research into peer leading universities that share a similar mission: to push the envelope and lead the way through applied learning and real-world experiential projects. What makes the Marquette model distinctive is how intentionally it combines interdisciplinary student talent, close faculty mentorship, and direct company engagement in a way that is both deeply educational and practically useful.

For students, this is a rare opportunity.

As an AI in Real Estate Lab Student Fellow, you will be part of a small, highly motivated cohort selected to learn, build, troubleshoot, collaborate, and contribute in a real-world environment. You will gain exposure to how organizations are thinking about AI adoption, where the real friction points are, how smart questions shape better solutions, and what it looks like to build tools and workflows that matter outside the classroom.

 

Just as important, you will do this while learning closely with Dr. Jeremy Welland, whose mentorship will be one of the defining strengths of the fellowship. Through regular cohort sessions, problem-solving conversations, project review, technical guidance, and ongoing coaching, Student Fellows will have the opportunity to deepen both their AI capabilities and their judgment — learning not only how to build, but how to think.

This is what makes the fellowship so meaningful: students will be learning advanced concepts, experimenting with real tools, working through real ambiguity, and contributing to real company projects — all within a setting designed to accelerate growth.

For the right student, this will be an extraordinary experience: intellectually demanding, professionally formative, and difficult to replicate anywhere else. It is the kind of opportunity that can sharpen your technical skill, expand your perspective, strengthen your confidence, and leave you with meaningful work, stronger instincts, and a network that continues to matter long after the fellowship ends.

Only 12 students will be selected to serve as AI in Real Estate Lab Student Fellows for the 2026–2027 cohort. 

Ready to Apply?

If you are a Marquette student who is already building with AI, eager to learn in a serious cohort environment, and excited by the chance to work with real companies on real problems, we encourage you to apply.

This fellowship is designed for students who want more than surface-level exposure. It is for students who want to learn deeply, build thoughtfully, collaborate meaningfully, and grow through an experience that is both challenging and unusually valuable.

Apply by Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CST.  

Application link: AI in Real Estate Lab Student Fellow Application 2026–2027 Cohort – Fill out form

Students - Apply Here