New Real Estate Major
Culverhouse College of Business boasts one of the largest real estate programs in the nation, with a diverse group of students from almost every U.S. state. In 2024, Culverhouse’s real estate minor reached a new milestone: over 900 students, a 300% increase in the last five years. And the real estate focus area remains a popular track for Manderson MBA, STEM MBA, and MS in finance students, allowing them to earn equivalency educational credit towards the prestigious CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) and MAI (Appraisal Institute) professional designations. The time has come for the next logical step: This coming fall 2025, Culverhouse launches an undergraduate major in real estate. The addition of this undergraduate major will likely result in Culverhouse’s real estate program becoming one of the most comprehensive in the United States.
The Culverhouse Bachelor of Science in Real Estate major will prepare students for a range of entry-level roles in the real estate field, including property and facility management, brokerage and leasing, appraisal and advisory, real estate finance and investments, corporate real estate advisory services, and development and project management. Real estate majors will learn to develop, purchase, sell, lease, appraise, and manage real estate through courses and instruction in real estate principles, finance, appraisal, law, management, construction, development, urban and land economics, and investment analysis. Students will choose one of three tracks within the major: Real Estate Finance and Investments, Real Estate Development and the Built Environment, or Real Estate Brokerage and Management. Like the existing minor, the real estate major will integrate academic course offerings with dual professional credit towards the Alabama Real Estate Salesperson License, and the Institute of Real Estate Management’s CPM designation.
New Graduate Certificates
Also debuting in fall 2025 are five new graduate certificate programs within the Manderson Graduate School of Business. Graduate certificates are an excellent way to gain and demonstrate marketable skills without investing in an entire graduate degree, but some students complete a certificate program alongside a graduate degree to supercharge their resume. The five new certificate programs are: business cyber security, data analytics, digital & social media, information systems solutions, and supply chain analytics.
Business Cyber Security
The business cyber security (BCS) graduate certificate program grounds students in the principles and practices of cyber security within business and organizational settings. Students learn the tools, techniques, and methods that aid cyber security professionals in participating in the full spectrum of security program planning, including security policy development and planning for incident response, business continuity, disaster recovery, and crisis management. Graduates will also be prepared for the more applied practices of network security, application security, threat detection analysis, prevention, and remediation.
Data Analytics
The data analytics (DA) graduate certificate program provides students with a fundamental understanding of statistical data analysis in a business environment. It introduces students to tools, techniques, and methods that aid data analytics professionals in properly identifying, evaluating, and analyzing data. Graduates will be prepared to support effective decision-making and improve the strategic planning of their chosen firms.
Digital & Social Media
The digital/social media marketing certificate program involves a deep dive into the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, with courses in marketing strategy, digital/social media marketing strategy, digital marketing analytics, and advanced digital marketing. Students who emerge with this graduate certificate will be prepared to contribute to the digital marketing efforts of firms in nearly every industry.
Information Systems Solutions
The information systems solutions (ISS) graduate certificate program introduces students to critical knowledge, skills, and abilities in leading the definition, creation, and deployment of systems serving businesses and other organizations. This includes both planning and managing systems projects and making direct technical contributions to those systems. This might include creating and aligning information technology (IT) strategies, determining systems requirements and designs, planning and executing project work, directly developing software capabilities, or creating architectures and deployment processes to deliver these systems capabilities to organizations. In addition to these technical skills, the certificate program emphasizes soft skills, including communication, teamwork, negotiations, and ethical behavior.
Supply Chain Analytics
The supply chain analytics (SCA) graduate certificate program trains students in the complex relationships involved in a supply chain and techniques related to their analysis. Students learn tools, techniques, and methods that aid supply chain professionals in properly identifying, evaluating, and analyzing supply chain issues, which then supports effective decision-making to improve the efficiency and productivity of firms within a complex supply chain.
For more information about enrolling in a graduate certificate program, contact Manderson’s Director of Specialized Masters & PhD Programs April Ingram.