Property education in New Zealand: Industry requirements and student perceptions

Abstract

Final year BBS (Valuation and Property Management) students at Massey University were surveyed on their perceptions of the property professions and their preferred area of employment. Recent graduates were also surveyed to determine how the BBS (Valuation and Property Management) degree prepared them for a career in the property industry. Finally industry employers were surveyed to assess the theoretical and practical knowledge of recent graduates. Research revealed that graduates feel that more practical fieldwork should be included in their program, whereas employers feel that graduates lack sufficient practical expertise to be able to relate theory to practice. Results are in accord with the current paradigm shift in university teaching to producing learning that recognizes the importance of industry involvement.