UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Smeal College of Business students who graduate with a master’s degree in real estate analysis and development will be on the fast track to an appraisal career.
The Appraisal Foundation (TAF) Appraisal Qualification Board (AQB), which is authorized by Congress as the source of appraisal standards and appraiser qualifications, recently approved Smeal’s Master’s in Real Estate Analysis and Development. It is the 25th university degree to be approved under the Real Estate Degree Review Program.
The program allows universities to have their real estate degrees reviewed to see if their coursework meets the required core curriculum in the real property appraiser qualification criteria. Students pursuing a degree that has been approved by this program can apply their coursework toward qualifying education to become a real estate appraiser.
“As our real estate program at Penn State grows, our primary mission has always been to provide our students with the tools necessary for success,” said Brent Ambrose, the Jason and Julie Borrelli Faculty Chair and director of the Institute for Real Estate Studies. “Now, with AQB approval, our students have the opportunity to fast track to an appraisal career and begin applying what they learned in the classroom to the workplace.”
The Smeal master’s degree is one of just eight graduate degrees nationwide to receive approval.
“The Real Estate Degree Review Program enables college students to begin working towards becoming an appraiser long before they graduate. We are proud that so many schools, including Penn State, have taken advantage of this free program to give their students a head start,” said TAF Vice President of Appraisal Issues Lisa Desmarais. “We hope more universities will consider submitting their real estate degrees for review so that more students can apply their college coursework towards a career in the appraisal profession.”
Smeal is currently accepting applications through Feb. 1 for students who want to begin the program in May 2021. To learn more, visit the website.