W. P. Carey School introduces new degrees this fall

The highly ranked W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is offering three new degree options, just in time for the new school year starting this week. All focus on very timely fields: public service, real estate and information technology (IT).

When President Barack Obama spoke at ASU’s commencement in 2009, he talked about doing “what helps others, what makes a difference in this world.” The new Bachelor of Arts in Business with a concentration in public service and public policy is designed for that. It’s available for those who want to work in the public, nonprofit and private sectors, with a strong understanding of public policy and public administration. The program combines a traditional, high-caliber business degree from the W. P. Carey School with classes from ASU’s College of Public Programs.

“We are already internationally recognized for training future business leaders, but we also want to prepare students specifically to succeed in the advancement of nonprofits and government agencies,” said Robert Mittelstaedt, dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business. “Our mission is to change lives through education, and reaching out through nonprofits and the public sector is an important way to do that. We want to add to the number of our graduates who have gone on to jobs at great organizations, including the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society and the United Way.”

The W. P. Carey School is also introducing a new minor in real estate this fall. Any ASU student can pursue this minor, regardless of whether he or she is a business major. Students will learn the fundamentals of real estate, related law, appraisal and land development. Given the recent turmoil in the real estate and mortgage industries, this is a hot topic and one where education could make a big difference. The school already has a popular Master of Real Estate Development program at the graduate level.

Earlier this summer, the W. P. Carey School first announced a new graduate-level offering in information technology, one of the fastest-growing fields in the country. About 1.4 million IT job openings are expected by 2018, and the new online Master of Science in Information Management program is aimed at helping working professionals to get ahead in the field. The degree is available in a flexible online format, and the school’s graduate-level information-management programs are currently ranked Top 20 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.