The new dual bachelor's degree program Business Studies / Real Estate Evaluation will start at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in the coming winter semester 2021/22. We asked Degree Program Advisor Professor Maik Zeißler how practical phases and academic training will be combined to qualify students for the profession of real estate appraiser.
Prof. Zeißler, the new Business Studies / Real Estate Evaluation degree program combines theoretical and practical phases at selected partner companies. How exactly is the course structured?
Prof. Zeißler: The degree program, which is closely interlinked with practice, is spread over six semesters, in each of which 12-week university phases alternate with 12-week practical phases. Around half of the curriculum is made up of traditional Business Studies content. The other half is supplemented by technical, legal and Real Estate content. Real Estate Evaluation topics are dealt with in depth. The training components at the practice partner help our students to consolidate the lecture content.
You mention the training components at the practice partners as a special feature of the new degree program. How is this dual structure implemented in practice?
Currently, 17 partner companies throughout Germany offer over 20 practical placements. The number of companies and places is constantly growing. Once prospective students have decided on a practice company, they sign an employment contract with the company of their choice before enrolling on our degree program. A company mentor and a university mentor are available as contact persons for the entire duration of the course. The practical phases within the semesters are defined and coordinated with the upstream lecture content.
Who is the degree program suitable for?
The main target group is high school graduates with an affinity for Real Estate who want to work on practical Real Estate topics right from the start of their studies.
What advantages does this offer students?
The practical phases provide an even stronger link between theoretical university education and the practical application of what has been learned in the company. In addition, the dual study program offers students financial security. The partner companies pay a monthly salary throughout the course and in most cases even cover the tuition fees.
The demand for appraisers and Real Estate Evaluators is high. What are the career prospects for students?
Primarily, graduates can be employed in all areas in which real estate values are important. Potential employers include, for example Banks, valuation companies or expert offices (freelance or employed), consulting companies (management consultants, auditors, brokers), construction and fund companies, valuation departments in the public sector but also project development offices. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of Real Estate Evaluation with the areas of Economics, Law and Technology and thus also the wide-ranging content of the bachelor's degree program, I believe that graduates are very well positioned for all Real Estate professions.
In contrast to traditional real estate management studies, students on the Real Estate Evaluation degree program specialize in their career path right from the start. For whom is this on-campus program better suited?
Graduates of the Bachelor's degree program in Real Estate Evaluation at our university, which has been running for over 20 years, are undoubtedly somewhat more broadly positioned than graduates of the new dual Bachelor's degree program in Business Studies / Real Estate Evaluation. For example, the new degree program only deals marginally with topics such as classic property management or real estate marketing. If you want your future career to include these areas, I would recommend the Real Estate bachelor's degree program.
In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between the two programs?
I see the biggest difference in the form of study. The new and dual bachelor's degree program is even more closely interlinked with the later fields of work than traditional degree programs at a university of applied sciences due to its large practical component over the entire program sequence. In addition, the demand for practically trained Real Estate Evaluators is extremely high, regardless of the economic situation. In the "Real Estate Evaluation" master's degree program, which has also been running at our university for over 20 years, the number of vacancies usually far exceeds the number of graduates.
Prof. Zeißler, thank you very much for talking to us.
