Online Property Management Courses and Certification

<p>You can find degree programs and individual courses in property management online to prepare for professional certification. Some programs allow for self-paced study and open-book exams that you complete through online and video chat sessions with industry experts. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> <b>Program Options</b> </td><td> Property Management Career Program, Apartment Management Certificate, Associate of Applied Science in Business Management and Accounting: Emphasis in Asset Management/Personal Property Management, Residential Property Management Minor, Master of Science in Property Management</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Courses</b> </td><td> Property management fundamentals, federal and contractor focused property management, property management applications, managing owner relations and marketing, managing federal/state laws and residential property, managing leases and lease negotiations, managing tenant relations, maintenance and construction</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Certification</b> </td><td> Voluntary certifications available to candidates with minimal experience and those with several years of experience</td></tr> </table><h3 id="section---WhatWillILearnInOnlinePropertyManagementCourses">What Will I Learn in Online Property Management Courses?</h3> <p>You'll learn how to select and evaluate investment properties, arrange favorable leasing terms and much more. You might also examine such topics as basic maintenance and customer service. Online property management training is offered in single courses, or as career diploma, certificate, and degree programs. The following topics may be explored: </p> <ul><li>Marketing </li><li>Project management </li><li>Finance </li><li>Ethics </li><li>Business law </li><li>Senior and government housing </li><li>Risk management </li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatKindsOfCertificationsCanIPrepareFor">What Kinds of Certifications Can I Prepare For?</h3> <p>You can prepare for one of the National Apartment Association's professional designations. These include the Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) and the National Apartment Leasing Professional (NALP) designations. The National Property Management Association (NPMA) also offers a variety of certification options, such as the Certified Property Professional Specialist (CPPS), the Certified Property Professional Administrator (CPPA) and the Certified Property Professional Manager (CPPM) credentials. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatDoINeedToKnowAboutTheseDesignations">What Do I Need to Know About These Designations?</h3> <p>In order to be eligible for the CAM designation, you'll need to have worked in the apartment industry for at least one year. This experience will be gained during the candidacy period. You must also complete an online course and pass the examination within one year of declaring your candidacy. You'll need to have at least six months of experience in the industry and complete seven courses in order to be eligible for the NALP designation. Just like the CAM designation, on-the-job experience for the NALP designation will be obtained during the candidacy period. You'll have one year to meet all examination requirements. </p> <p>The CPPS designation is intended for professionals who are new to property management. The CPPA designation might be right for you if you have at least three years of property experience and have work experience in contracts, valuation, warehousing and inventory management. You'll need your CPPS before you can earn the CPPA. </p> <p>Lastly, the CPPM designation is for you if have at least six years of property experience in such areas as acquisition, property accounting, maintenance, risk management and others, along with four years of management experience in any capacity, not just property management. You'll need to earn the CPPA designation first before you can earn the CPPM designation.</p>