* The Certificate in Residential Property Management is currently being offered at the Milton Campus only.

What is Residential Property Management (RPM)?
Because the multi-family residential property industry is becoming increasingly complex, a growing number of property owners entrust the operation of their properties to management professionals.  An increase in the nation’s stock of apartments, condominiums, homeowners associations, and planned communities, coupled with a growing number of facilities for senior housing, is fueling the need for more residential property managers.  The rapidly growing asset value demands those managers be well trained in their field.

Most people in the multi-family residential property industry work for real estate owners, operators or for property management firms.  Others work for real estate development companies, banks, institutions and government agencies that own or manage large scale residential developments.

To be successful in the property management field you need good speaking, writing, computer, and financial skills, as well as the ability to tactfully deal with a diverse audience in a wide variety of settings.

Who Should Pursue This Program?
If you seek operating responsibility for a business with a high asset value; enjoy working in a fast paced, customer service oriented environment; and want a rewarding career that allows you to work in diverse settings and with many different types of people, Curry’s RPM program is for you.   You may be:

• Already in the workforce but looking for a rewarding new career, whether you already hold a bachelor’s degree or not…

• Or… Already working in the RPM industry but need the credentials to get ahead… Consider earning the Certificate in Residential Property Management.  To meet the needs of busy, working adult students, we offer the courses on a part-time basis in the evenings, at three convenient locations:  Milton, Plymouth, and Worcester.

• An adult student who wishes to return to school to complete your bachelor’s degree on a part- time basis in the evenings…Consider preparing yourself to work in the field of residential property management by coupling the general liberal arts and management core requirements in the Bachelor of Arts in Management with the Certificate in Residential Property Management. 

Goals of the RPM Program
The purpose of Curry’s RPM program is to prepare you for entry level management positions in the multi-family residential property management industry.  Graduates of the program will have demonstrable competence in the marketing, management and financial analysis of residential real estate from the on-site manager’s perspective.  You will understand the manager’s fiduciary responsibility to the real estate investor/owner.  You will be able to complete a comprehensive market and management analysis of an apartment community.  You will be able to apply classroom concepts to real world experience through a fieldwork placement, during which you will undertake a comprehensive community analysis project.

Certificate in Residential Property Management
Curry’s certificate program addresses the unique needs of part-time adult students by offering the courses in an accelerated evening schedule that is more convenient for those who work during the day.  At the pace of one or two courses per 8-week accelerated term, you can complete the program in approximately one year.

Some students pursuing the Certificate may already have earned a bachelor’s degree, but others may come to Curry solely to earn the Certificate as a free-standing program.  In order to produce a well-rounded residential property management professional, and acknowledging that some students may not have had the benefit of taking other bachelor’s level courses, the Certificate program requires students to take two additional elective courses in one of three broad areas of specialization:

Traditional apartments comprise the majority of apartments.  These are mostly for-profit operations open to all who can afford them.  They range in scope from student housing to the most expensive apartments.  A subset of traditional apartments is condominiums and community associations.  People working in these settings use traditional property management skills and practices, but have additional considerations due to the form of ownership and community rules.

Public/subsidized housing facilities rely on government subsidies to reduce the cost of housing for the low income individuals in the community.  Standard property management skills and practices are necessary here too, but additional skills are needed to manage this population.

Seniors’ housing has become a more important and very large component of the traditional apartment segment, as are retirement communities.  There are also many subsidized apartment communities for seniors.  Again, while standard property management skills and knowledge are needed, it requires additional knowledge to effectively work with this population.

The following course curriculum for the Certificate in Residential Property Management recognizes the need to give you the choice of specialization based upon your interest or current employment.

Required Courses for the Certificate 

Select two courses from one of the following groupings:        

Traditional

Public/Subsidized Housing

Seniors’ Housing

Total Credits Required           21

Capstone Fieldwork/Project
An important feature of the RPM program is the semester-long capstone fieldwork/project  component.  Part of what will make you marketable is the relevant industry experience you gather while you are a student.  Scheduled during either the 15-week traditional fall semester or the 14 week summer semester, this is the last required course in the program.  Students will complete a comprehensive Community Assessment project, which serves as a main component of the course grade and also meets a portion of the requirements for the National Apartment Association’s Certified Apartment Manager examination.   Students will meet together with the instructor periodically throughout the semester, and will in addition spend time at their company placements working on their projects.

Certification
After completion of the RPM program at Curry College, you will earn the National Apartment Association’s Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) designation.  The CAM designation is recognized industry-wide and is a significant credential for a new manager.  In addition to the CAM course material the capstone fieldwork/project course is designed to fulfill the community assessment component of the CAM certification requirements.

There are other intensive, non-credit CAM examination preparation courses offered by local affiliates of the National Apartment Association for people who already work in the RPM industry.  However, the Curry RPM certificate is ideal for career changers or for those in the industry who prefer a more extensive college-based academic program delivered over a longer time frame and who wish to explore both broad issues and specialized RPM topics, while at the same time preparing for the CAM examination.

Faculty
At Curry College, we recognize the potential in all of our students.  It’s the dedication of the Curry faculty that sets Curry apart and empowers you to achieve a level of excellence that goes far beyond the classroom.  Class size is small, and the faculty quickly learn your individual strengths and goals.  Many of the faculty teaching in the RPM program are professionals from the RPM field who will help you make connections between the classroom and the RPM world.

Industry Connections
Several national property management firms are headquartered in the Boston area and many other major property management firms own and manage apartment communities in the area.  Significant interest in the Curry program has been expressed by numerous local and regional leaders in the property management industry.  Some of these individuals have come together to form an Advisory Board for the RPM program that will assist Curry with many aspects of the program.  Their involvement in providing internship opportunities, fieldwork projects, networking and job opportunities will be a key benefit to students.

For more information, please contact the Division of Continuing and Graduate Studies at (617) 333-2364.