Topic: College of Applied Sciences and Technology

March 3, 2009

For students enrolled in Ball State University's Residential Property Management (RPM) program, many internship and job offers await even in this current recession.

"The apartment industry is thriving, and our students and alumni continue to be in high demand," said Carla Earhart, RPM program director. "This was demonstrated by our recent Face to Face event and the university job fair the following day.

Having 16 regional and national companies come to campus resulted in many of our students netting multiple internship and job offers."

Currently, there are about 100 students pursuing RPM majors, minors and graduate degrees. And each year, companies such as Associated Estates Realty Corp., CWS Apartment Homes and Edward Rose Companies come to Ball State to recruit the program's top students, Earhart said.

"I regularly receive employment announcements from our alumni and advisory board members. In fact, I had three firms that were hoping to recruit our December graduates," Earhart said. "However, we had only one graduate, and he had already accepted a position several months before graduation. It was such an attractive offer that he started the job before graduating and completed his last semester through distance education."

Earhart doesn't have to look too far for testimonials on RPM's success. Many can be found in the College of Applied Sciences and Technology or during job fair events such as the recent Face to Face.

During the 2008 event, James Workman received several internship offers. This year, however, he earned a solid job offer.

"Last year, I met many professionals who I used for job shadows and to e-mail questions regarding class assignments," he said. "This year I'm graduating in May, and I've already accepted a position with the Sexton Companies in Indianapolis as a manager-in-training."

High praise for the RPM program comes from company representatives attending each recruiting fair.

"We view the Face to Face event as the single most valuable recruiting opportunity," said David Hinds of CWS Apartment Homes. "The caliber of Ball State students is second-to-none in our industry."

Additional endorsements come in from many recent graduates, such as 2005 alumna Ashley Benner, who recently sent a letter to Earhart alerting her former professor of her promotion to property manager of Castle Creek apartments in Indianapolis. Along with her promotion, Benner has been instrumental in the apartment community's securing multiple statewide awards.

Students interested in studying RPM at Ball State can apply for a freshman scholarship that pays $2,500 annually and is renewable for four years or a total of $10,000. Additional RPM scholarships are available for sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students.

For more information, contact Carla Earhart at 765-285-3707.