Article: You do not need a certain degree to become licensed, but degrees in finance, economics, or business may be useful.  If you want to reach the highest tier of certification, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree. If you’re currently in school, you can become a trainee appraiser without a degree. To become licensed, however, you will need at least 30 credit hours at a university or an associate’s degree. While minimum standards are set by the Appraisal Foundation, each state has their own rules and requirements for certification. Check to see what requirements and resources your state has. You can find your state board here: https://www.appraisalinstitute.org/education/education-resources/state-appraisal-regulatory-agencies/ To become a trainee, you must first take certain courses, including USPAP, Basic Appraisal Practices, Basic Appraisal Procedures, and a Supervisor/Trainee course. You can then apply for a traineeship from a certified appraiser. If you cannot find any traineeships in your area, you might check if your state offers a formal training program. If they do not offer a training program, consider contacting a professional organization, such as the Appraisers Association of America, to see if they can connect you to a local supervisor. Download an experience log from your state’s appraisal board’s website. Track the hours you work in your first 12 months. Have your supervisor sign the form. You will submit this log with your application. Your state appraisal board will give you a list of the required courses. You can take these courses from state-approved community colleges, online schools, or from a professional appraisal organization.  You may be asked to take classes on market analysis, report writing, cost approaches, and sales comparisons. Most states will require that you take at least 150 hours of education before you are certified, but some states may have different requirements. Always check with your state appraisal board to see a list of approved programs and schools. Apply to take the examination through your state appraisal board. If your state uses the national examination from the Appraisal Foundation, the examination will be 125 questions long. Other states may have their own tests, however. Once your training is done, you can become a licensed residential appraiser. Find the application on the state board’s website. Attach a copy of your experience log to the application and mail both documents to your state’s appraisal board.  You may need to pay a fee to apply. While this fee may vary from state to state, it can be around $200. Some states require background checks for licensing. Once you have received your license, you can work as an appraiser, although you may be limited to appraising certain types of property. There are 2 higher certifications. While the qualifications may vary by state, there are some general practices.  After 1 year as a residential appraiser, you can apply to be a Certified Residential Appraiser. This requires around 200 hours of coursework and about 2,500 hours of experience. The highest tier is Certified General Appraiser, which allows you to appraise any type of property. This requires 300 hours of coursework, a bachelor’s degree, and 3,000 hours of experience.

What is a summary?
Complete at least 30 hours at a university or an associate’s degree. Research your state's appraisal board. Become certified as a trainee appraiser. Gain 2,000 hours of experience in 12 months. Complete the required classroom hours. Take the state examination. Apply for a license from the state. Apply for more advanced certification the year after.