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The Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in Real Estate and Land Use Economics (RELU). The professors for this program are Dr. Roger Sindt and Dr. Steven Shultz. RELU MISSION STATEMENTThe Real Estate and Land Use Economics program is concerned with assisting students to develop critical thinking and reasoning ability through the process of teaching applied concepts and theory to resolve real estate and real estate related business problems. These objectives are accomplished through a) providing instruction to traditionally enrolled undergraduate students majoring in real estate and land use economics, and b) servicing non-real estate and land use economics students. A second major objective is to conduct research that contributes to our understanding of real estate and land use economic issues. Finally, a significant objective is to provide faculty an opportunity to interact with their colleagues, the industry and the general public in a service and consulting role.REAL ESTATE AND LAND USE ECONOMICS PROGRAMBrochure to Read or Print:Description of RELU Programs and Career Opportunities
Brochure to Read or Print:
ObjectivesThe objectives of the Real Estate and Land Use Economics Program (RELU) involve three areas. The major objective is to maintain a quality and innovative academic program with primary emphasis at the undergraduate level leading to the BSBA degree. The program, through a blend of theory and practicum, prepares students majoring in RELU to meet the challenges they will likely encounter in their professional pursuits. To this end, our role is to assist students to develop critical thinking and reasoning ability through the process of teaching applied concepts and theory to resolve real estate and real estate related business problems. The program also provides courses to service non-RELU degree pursuing students to fulfill their upper division elective requirements.A second extremely important objective is to maintain an environment conducive to research. It is through research that individual Real Estate faculty members continue to grow; and through program presentations and published research, that peer awareness to a given program is achieved. Lastly, a significant objective of the RELU Program is to provide faculty an opportunity to interact with their colleagues, the industry and the general public in a service role. It is, therefore, an overall objective to promote a well rounded, qualified, visible faculty who will provide a learning environment that will encourage students to pose and explore new questions of inquiry which result from the presentation of current theory and applications and can be employed to resolve current real estate problems and in making real estate decisions.
Academic Program Descriptions and Other ActivitiesThe academic program leading to a BSBA degree with a specialization in RELU requires completion of a total of 21 hours, which includes 12 hours in required core courses, a minimum of 3 hours in real estate electives, and a minimum of 6 hours in specialized electives. These requirements are in addition to the general and core requirements for the BSBA degree in the College of Business Administration.The CBA undergraduate RELU program is best described as an innovative one. Some real estate programs are agency oriented; some are financial management oriented; some investor oriented; our program can further be described as a blend of theory and practicum through a wide- ranging choice of courses. The 12 hour required courses (Principles and Practices; Finance; Law; Appraisal) provides a basic foundation in real estate theory. The elective courses add an applied dimension to the program, and some are taught by part-time faculty with special, and often times nationally recognized, expertise in their areas. The research thrust of RELU faculty members is primarily applied in nature. The strength of the faculty in the research area is demonstrated by the number of articles published in refereed journals, trade publications, and textbooks authored. Past publications have included textbooks in real estate principles and practices and work underway includes a text in real estate investment. Research publications have dealt with issues in real estate law, finance, investments, appraisal, brokerage, and the future for real estate education at the university level. RELU faculty have authored courses for the University of Nebraska at Lincoln Division of Continuing Studies in real estate management, residential appraisal and real estate investment.
MEASURES OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESSProgram QualityProgram quality can be viewed from several aspects. In terms of a quality faculty, the RELU program has all terminal degree qualified faculty, and both faculty on full-time tenure track positions are members of the graduate faculty.The RELU program conforms with a number of other University offerings in the subject matter area and is highly regarded as one of the most innovative programs available to students according to Dr. Mike Davis of Arizona State University writing in an article of the Appraisal Journal, one of the foremost journals in the real estate discipline. A valuable dimension of the RELU program is that of part-time faculty involvement in course offerings. These part-time faculty bring unique and nationally recognized expertise to certain course offerings that would be difficult to duplicate by full-time faculty members. The part-time faculty members contribute their professional expertise from backgrounds in management and brokerage. In terms of undergraduate student placement, excellent career opportunities are available for identifiable majors. Career placement for UNO Real Estate majors has been made in both the public and private sectors of the economy. Public sector placements include staff appraisers for government, teaching real estate at junior colleges, and city planning work. In the private sector, placements have been made in brokerage, fee appraisal, property management, mortgage lending at banks, savings and loans, insurance companies and pension funds, in real estate counseling, development and some have gone on to pursue advanced degrees at other universities. Real Estate majors are also actively involved in their on campus professional organization, Rho Epsilon Real Estate Fraternity. Many of the leaders of this organization have gone on to positions of prominence and leadership in the real estate sector of the business community.
Role of RELU within the College of Business AdministrationThe College of Business Administration is recognized as an essential part of the University with a record of outstanding accomplishments by identifiable majors upon graduation. The CBA's role and mission is to prepare professionals with the ability to interact with the business community and provide the academic credentials necessary for tomorrow's leaders and innovators in the business community. Consistent with this mission, the Real Estate and Land Use Economics program provides the academic credentials necessary for those qualified individuals who seek to take a position on the leading edge of business acumen in the real estate industry. Our program also provides career enhancement for qualified non-majors and part-time students.
Student DemandThe student demand for real estate course offerings has generally been growing in recent years and is currently very strong. Several significant factors have continued the demand for real estate education. The professionalism of the industry has required individuals in the industry to compete at the same level as their counterparts in other parts of the business arena. State licensure requirements have also been instrumental in enhanced enrollments through pre-licensure and continuing education requirements.
SUMMARYThe major strengths of the RELU program are both in the quality of its faculty and in its students who have graduated and are productive and visible members of the real estate business community. As noted above, the program has graduates in many positions in the business community. Our program is highly regarded in the local real estate community and throughout the state. Furthermore, favorable exposure in professional circles has elevated the program to a position of national prominence at the undergraduate level.
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