The Department of Finance and Business Law has been renamed the Department of Finance, Real Estate and Business Law, and to celebrate, the department is hosting an Open House on Wednesday, Dec. 6 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the University Business Center Gottschalks Gallery.

“We changed the name of our department because real estate is one of the most important sectors of our local economy, and preparing students for careers as real estate professionals is such an important and growing part of our curriculum. We want our name to be inclusive of all our faculty and students,” said department chair Dr. Jennifer Miele.

Students who major in business administration choose among 12 different options for specialized studies, and the real estate and urban land economics option is an increasingly popular choice. From fall 2020 to fall 2023 enrollment in the real estate option has grown from 8% to 21% of students in the department.

“The goal of the real estate option is to prepare students for a variety of careers in real estate, from construction to development to lending to real estate sales. Students who complete the real estate option will be fully ready to take the California Brokers License Examination,” Miele said.

Miele said the open house will feature a casual atmosphere and networking opportunities for real estate professionals and students. “We’re inviting the real estate community to have some food, drinks and fun to get to know our students, who will be their future colleagues.”