Pace also has an advanced certificate in information communications and technology (ICT) for e-government. According to Dr. James Gabberty, the program’s creator and coordinator, the U.S. Government is just beginning to develop its e-government programs for communication—both internally and publicly—and will have opportunities for lots of tech-savvy candidates.

Skilled operators of all these systems are key, and technology programs are plentiful at the City University of New York (138th St at Convent Ave, 212-650-7312; cuny.edu). “IT had been big until the dot-com bubble burst,” says Rita Rodin, director of public information. “Now it’s making a comeback.”

ART APPRAISAL
The art market hasn’t seen such a boom since the ’80s, only this time around, few in the industry—including artists—have any compunction about art as commodity. If you aren’t especially creative yourself, you can still get in the game by developing appraisal skills. Christie’s (20 Rockefeller Plaza between 48th and 49th Sts, 212-636-2000; christies.com/education) has its own education program, with both certificates and master’s degrees. The certificate in modern art, connoisseurship and the history of the art market aims to provide students with knowledge of art and the art world, and to help them develop basic connoisseurship skills.

The market for decorative objects isn’t restricted to art. You can prepare for your own Antiques Roadshow at Pratt Institute (144 West 14th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves, 212-647-7199; 200 Willoughby Ave between Hall St and Emerson Pl, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn; 718-636-3600; pratt.edu). The school has a new certificate program in fine and decorative art appraisal; the classes are offered in partnership with the American Society of Appraisers (ASA).

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
The political situation after September 11 and the unrest in the Middle East have created a demand for more Arabic-language studies at The New School (79 Fifth Ave between 15th and 16th Sts, 212-229-5630; nsu.newschool.edu), according to Hani Alam, coordinator of Arabic in the Department of Foreign Languages. “The department is expanding, and we’re offering higher, more advanced levels because of that.” The school offers Modern Standard Arabic through level seven (level eight is coming next spring). “Many of the students who are interested in this are journalists or human-rights professionals, or they work in documentary film,” says Alam. In addition to becoming fluent for practical and professional reasons, students in higher level classes read poetry and novels in Arabic.

In addition to teaching foreign languages, teaching in foreign languages has become a growth area. Pratt’s more innovative programs include the first Spanish-language Autodesk-certified course, which teaches aspects of software used by animators, painters, illustrators, architects and interior designers.

REAL ESTATE
Where but in New York would they dream up a Ph.D. in real estate? “There’s a lot of interest in this, and a lot of recruiting for positions,” says Ray Yao, assistant professor in the real estate department at Baruch College (1 Bernard Baruch Way between 25th and 26th Sts, 646-312-1000; baruch.cuny.edu). “New York is a unique place for real-estate education. There’s a lot of demand for it. Students of ours in accounting and finance were getting recruited by real-estate firms, and we realized that there was a need for a more specific type of education in the field.” If you’re not ready for a doctorate, the school also offers bachelor’s and master’s programs.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
No matter where you’re reading this, if you look out the nearest window, chances are that you’ll see a construction project underway. With so many new buildings going up and so many older buildings being rehabbed, construction managers are in high demand. CUNY (cuny.edu) offers construction management at three of its schools—LaGuardia Community College, City Tech and Borough of Manhattan Community College. “The courses teach students how to develop and manage every aspect of construction programs,” says Rodin, “including how to estimate the cost of a specific project, how to schedule things like material deliveries and manage relationships with subcontractors. This is a growing field with a lot of job opportunities in companies of all sizes.”

Columbia University has a course in Residential Construction and Renovations that’s geared not just to contractors or construction professionals, but also homeowners contemplating renovations. “Residential interior renovation is a multibillion-dollar industry, and while many construction professionals enter the field of commercial work, there are many high-paying positions in residential construction and renovation,” says George Calderaro, director of communications. “Topics include budget development, contracting and subcontracting, schedule management, change orders, quality…and psychological issues.” Surely there will always be a market for the latter in New York.