Integrating practical work place experience into the property studies degree in South Africa

The undergraduate BSc degree in property studies offered by the School of Construction Economics (CEM) at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) currently does not have work place experience or internship as a curriculum requirement. Practical work experience has been included in numerous real estate degree programmes at various universities around the world. Given the numerous work opportunities that graduates have when entering the real estate profession, the value of work place experience as a curriculum requirement may assist the property student to decide upon a suitable career path and also make that student more valuable to potential employers when graduating. Work place experience or an internship programme will allow for the integration of theoretical concepts learned in the classroom environment with practical application in the work place. This may also ensure that the graduate is able to find employment far sooner than without having the work place experience and improve the value of the graduate to potential employers.This paper is part of an ongoing research project. The undergraduate BSc degree in property studies offered by the School of Construction Economics (CEM) at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) is a fairly new degree with the first group of students having graduated in 2005. Final year property studies students, as well as all graduates since 2005, were surveyed to assess their views regarding certain aspects of the property profession generally and more specifically the potential value of work place experience as a formal curriculum requirement.The purpose of this paper is to:Share the results of research conducted with the final year undergraduate property studies students in CEM at WITS; Share the results of research conducted with graduates of the undergraduate property studies degree in CEM at WITS; Compare the results of the research of each sample; Suggest how work place experience or an internship programme could be included in future curriculum development of the undergraduate property studies degree offered by CEM at WITS; and Suggest how work place experience or an internship programme could be included in other real estate programmes in South Africa as well as other emerging countries."