The U.K.-based Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors recently accepted Georgia State University‘s masters of real estate degree into its accreditation program for property professionals, which provides its graduates a professional certification recognized worldwide, according to Chris Williams, vice president of the Royal Institution’s Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee chapters.

          The Georgia State degree and a degree offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are the only two programs that the Royal Institution has recognized in the United States.

          Currently, property professionals in the U.S., a category that includes land surveyors, developers and appraisers, are not certified by a governing body in their field, which creates difficulties for those who want to work abroad, Mr. Williams told GlobalFax.  

          Through the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors program, the educational portion of which can now be completed at Georgia State, graduates will be afforded an internationally recognized certification, similar to that received by architects and engineers, he said.

          The Royal Institution has provided professional certification to property professionals in Britain for 134 years and, more recently, through training worldwide.  The organization sent several representatives to the U.S., including Atlanta, last month to promote the idea of an internationally-recognized professional certification.

          Already at Georgia State, 60 students have completed the masters in real estate program, established in 2001, which satisfies the educational requirement for Royal Institution membership, according to Julian Diaz III, a real estate professor at the school.

          Those students pursuing full certification through the Royal Institution program must also attain work experience in the field and undergo a review by a panel to receive the institute’s full professional designation.

          Currently, the Royal Institution accepts 350 education programs worldwide as training for its professional certification. 

          For more information, contact Mr. Williams at (770) 395-1500 or via email at chris.williams@gleedsusa.com