Online Master's in Project Management

Human capital management creates a paradigm to strategically look at people as the most valuable asset. This course provides a framework for students to integrate human capital management as part of the overall business strategy. By understanding, evaluating and integrating the human capital management model, the student will also be able to apply these approaches both domestically and globally.

This course emphasizes the practical application of descriptive and inferential statistics to decisions made in a managerial role. The following subjects are addressed in the course: data summarization and presentation, data analysis, test of hypotheses, discrete and continuous distributions, estimation theory, simple and multiple correlation and regression, analysis of variance, multivariate statistics and non parametric methods. The student will apply the knowledge learned by completing a data aggregation and reduction exercise report and by accomplishing a research report summarizing an application of applied statistics from either the academic or professional literature.

After this course the student will be able to help potential managers deal effectively with the human element in organizations. It examines causes of human behavior and how it affects management challenges such as communication, decision-making, leadership and motivation. The course is oriented toward team and project-based organizations and builds knowledge and skills to successfully operate in contemporary organizations. As a class, students will reflect on both our experience in organizations (companies) and as an organization (class).

This course provides an overview of the issues and decisions involved in the production of goods and services. This course emphasizes the latest approaches, methods and systems to ensure management success under demanding cost, schedule, and performance requirements. As such it focuses on production design, enterprise planning, production scheduling, implementation and the control of production systems. Concepts examined include operations strategies, process analysis, quality and improvement, planning and control, inventory management, risk control systems, and supply chain management.

This course emphasizes the application of marketing concepts, tools and decision-making processes middle managers use in developing marketing plans, programs and strategies. Within the marketing strategy framework, it also examines market analysis and measurement, profitability and productivity analysis, product development, promotion and pricing strategies, the logistics systems approach and the marketing plan. The student will apply the knowledge learned by structuring and presenting to the class a practical strategic marketing plan.

This course emphasizes the development and integration of project management in organizations. It provides an overview and introduction to the discipline of project management, coupled with an examination of the techniques that project managers use to complete their projects on schedule, within budgeted cost, and according to specified scope and quality. With materials presented by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) in its Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), students explore the theoretical and operational framework of project management relating to the project life-cycle of project initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.

As the Capstone course in the Project Management program, this course requires students to demonstrate how to synthesize and apply the concepts, knowledge, skills, tools, and to a real world scenario project. Students will be required to demonstrate the ability to produce a complete project plan, understand project integration and management of projects within a program, use project management software to manage cost, time, and resources, and manage project stakeholder expectations.

This course offers a practical approach emphasizing the project knowledge areas and process groups presented by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) in its Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). The course provides an overview of aspects related to the project life-cycle and project management techniques that are used to manage projects successfully by delivering them on schedule, within budget and quality and customer acceptance.

This course emphasizes a hands-on approach to using project management tools to facilitate scheduling, estimating, tracking and controlling the schedule and costs of the project. Working with a given or chosen project schedule, a project baseline will be established so that actual schedule and cost variances can be compared to the project baseline, and corrective actions can be developed to address the variances. Specific project management tools covered include Gantt, PERT, Milestone Charts, Critical Path Method (CPM), Earned Value Management (EVM), Present Value (PV) and Internal Rates of Return (IRR). Specific topics covered include developing contingency plans, incorporating risk and quality factors into project cost and schedule and establishing ways to communicate project status to various stakeholders at various points in the project life-cycle.

This course includes writing, negotiating and adhering to contracts, as well as legal and ethical considerations. Procurement, including writing, clarifying and communicating specifications, is covered. There is an emphasis on Contract Administration and dealing with subcontractors. Topics include bidding, types of bids (e.g., RFQs, IFBs, and RFPs), types of contracts (e.g., fixed price, cost plus, and time and materials), and their respective purposes and impact on risk and project contract negotiations. Changes in contracts, methods to resolve disputes, and writing clear statements of work (SOW) are discussed.