The undergraduate major in Residential Property Management provides an interdisciplinary academic background to prepare students for success in entry level positions and beyond.  Students take courses in housing, interior design, construction, marketing, leasing, maintenance, management, accounting, real estate, and many others.  Many courses provide hands-on learning experiences and opportunities to interact with apartment industry professionals. 

A minor is required to complement the RPM major.  Many options are available; popular minors include interior design, marketing, foundations of business, Spanish, and construction management. 

Students pursuing the RPM major must complete an internship.  Through our numerous industry partners, many paid internship opportunities are available nationwide, some with furnished housing provided.

The RPM Program is approved by the National Apartment Association, which allows students pursuing the RPM major to sit for the National Apartment Leasing Professional (NALP) and Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) designation exams.  The NALP exam is taken in conjunction with the course FCSPM 275 "Marketing and Leasing."  The CAM exam is taken in a student's final semester of their senior year, covering all four years of their academic preparation.   Ball State RPM students have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success with both the NALP and CAM designation exams.  

Students graduating with an RPM major have gone on to pursue a variety of employment opportunities with traditional apartment communities, government housing, retirement housing, student housing, and condominium associations around the country. Others have used their RPM training to obtain positions in real estate sales or commercial property management.  Some graduates have advanced to corporate level positions in the property management industry after obtaining experience in an entry-level position. 

For additional information contact Dr. Carla Earhart, Director of the Residential Property Management Program in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, at cearhart@bsu.edu.