​(Orange, CA) - The Santiago Canyon College (SCC) online real estate program ranked #5 nationwide among the top 10 online real estate programs on Bestcolleges.com.

SCC’s online real estate program is the only such program on the list from Orange County. The real estate degree at SCC fulfills the education requirements students must meet in order to sit for the real estate salesperson exam or broker’s license exam. All courses focus on the world of real estate which can help those who wish to be a salesperson, broker, property manager, title officer, developer, and government employee. These courses also prepare students for the California real estate appraiser license exam, certified residential exam and certified general exam. Online learners receive the same access to academic tools such as the language lab and technical support services to ensure their optimal learning environment.

The program’s focus is on personal and interactive content. This practice helps professors connect with their students by showing that they are people not just computers. In classes, students look at real-world case studies provided by instructors who have valuable knowledge and real-world experience. These case studies provide a greater understanding of information that students need to know by relating it back to actual scenarios.

Program facilitator and instructor, Alana Gates realized how critical it is to improve the level of education for the real estate industry, so she began teaching courses. She has a passion for teaching not only her students, but also the other professors. Gates wants to ensure that the professors are as effective in their online courses as they are in their traditional on-site courses. Students can contact Gates by phone, text message or email with questions. Gates said, “It is critical to empower our students and be available to them for discussion, just as we would for our face-to-face classes.”

Juana Cruz recently enrolled in SCC’s real estate program. She wanted to take real estate courses at a community college when she found out about SCC’s program. Cruz wanted to talk to someone about the program to get more information so she called Gates. This phone call would become the start of her time at SCC in the real estate program, and Cruz recalls how helpful this professor was from that very first phone call.

Cruz had been working within real estate prior to taking classes so she had some previous knowledge coming into the program, but for the things that were a little more complicated Gates took the time to explain them one-on-one with Cruz. “Alana is really flexible and can always meet with you to explain what you don’t understand,” said Cruz, “She’s very helpful with the one-on-one conversations she has with all of her students, me included.”

For more information, contact Alana Gates by calling (714) 628-4883 or emailing gates_alana@sccollege.edu. Visit, www.sccollege.edu/realestate to learn more about the program.

About Santiago Canyon College
Santiago Canyon College (SCC) serves more than 17,000 credit and non-credit students each semester. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions and careers, and provides courses for personal and professional development, as well as customized training for business and industry. The college is recognized for its adult education program which keeps the working adult - and senior - in mind by offering flexible schedules, and community locations. Serving the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park, SCC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.

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