Insight Blog
Recruiting Facilities Professionals from IFMA-Accredited Schools
May 23, 2019
Attracting young professionals to the field of Facilities Management (FM) has been no easy feat over the last decade. Industry associations, along with private and public organizations, have made a big push to make young people aware of the industry, its professional opportunities, and potential career tracks. A significant part of this effort has been universities creating degrees related to FM.
With much of our audience being directly involved in FM and/or having responsibility for FM departments within their expansive organizations (i.e. colleges and universities, corporations, hospitals and healthcare systems, public agencies, non-profits), we wanted to provide an update of higher ed IFMA-accredited FM programs across the country. Why? Because, recruiting aspiring FM professionals from institutions that take this career path seriously can be very effective.
To give you a background of this group of IFMA-accredited institutions, IFMA is the largest and most widely recognized association for FM professionals in the world. To encourage higher education institutions to develop core programs around FM and related sectors, and to ensure that they are of high quality, IFMA created the IFMA Foundation, which accredits institutions on 11 core competencies:
- Leadership & Strategy
- Operations & Maintenance
- Project Management
- Communication
- Finance & Business
- Human Factors
- Quality
- Real Estate & Property Management
- Technology
- Emergency Preparedness & Business Continuity
- Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability
Current IFMA-accredited schools in the U. S. are:
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ – Offers an M. S. Facility Management.
Brigham Young University, Provo, UT – Offers a B. S. Construction and Facilities Management, and a thesis-based Master’s degree in Construction and Facilities Management.
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY – Offers Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees. Only the Bachelor’s degree program is IFMA-accredited.
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL – Offers two facility management degree programs: B. S. in Business Administration with a Program Major in Facilities Management, which is housed within the institution’s business school with the School of Architecture and Engineering Technology as its partner; and a Master’s degree program.
Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI – Offers a B. S. Facility Management.
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA – Offers Masters and Doctorate degree programs. The graduate study in Integrated Facility and Property Management is a multi-disciplinary program that combines real estate development, construction, and operational management with business, communication, and financial studies. Graduates receive an M. S. degree in Building Construction and Facility Management.
Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN – Offers a 100% online M. S. degree in Technology, Facilities Management concentration.
Kennesaw State University, Marietta, GA – The School of Architecture and Construction Management offers as B. S. degree in Construction Management with a Facility Management Concentration.
Lane Community College, Eugene, OR – Offers an online Energy Management Technician Program due to the drastic shortage of practitioners in the energy efficiency industry.
Madison College, Madison, WI – The college offers a fast-track Facilities Management Certificate to address the critical need for trained facility managers.
New York City College of Technology (CUNY), New York, NY – Offers two degree programs: Bachelor’s of Technology degree in Facilities Management and an Associate’s in Applied Science degree.
Pratt Institute, New York, NY – Offers Associates, Bachelors, and Masters degrees in Facilities Management.
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY – This institution offers the only online IFMA-accredited M. S. degree in Facility Management program in North America.
South Seattle College, Seattle, WA – Offers a Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Sustainable Building Science.
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA – Temple’s B. S. Facilities Management incorporates two years of Architecture Foundation Studies.
Texas A & M University, College Station, TX – Offers a Graduate Certificate in Facility Management.
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN – Offers a Bachelor’s of Applied Science with a transcripted track in Facility Management.
University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC – UNC’s 30 credit-hour program leads to a Master’s degree in Construction and Facilities Management.
Weber State University, Layton, UT – Facilities Management program is offered as an emphasis within Construction Management.
Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA – Offers B. S. in Facilities Planning & Management, as well as an M.S. in Facility Management. The undergraduate program is accredited by IFMA and IACBE (International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education).
For more information about these programs and links to their websites, as well as contact information, visit the Foundation’s Facility Management Program Registry.
Of course, getting accredited is voluntary for institutions. But, make no mistake that IFMA has a rigorous set of protocols and research-based processes for evaluating a school's effectiveness. With IFMA's reputation, deep industry knowledge, and extensive participation with FM, the schools named above should be proud of their achievements. Their FM programs are top-notch and, therefore, their graduates would be considered some of the most qualified and capable candidates for roles within FM, perhaps within your organization. Good luck in your recruiting!
*The IFMA Foundation does not receive funding from IFMA membership dues and relies solely on private support.