Career advancement for current professionals
The Master of Science in Project Management is designed for current professionals familiar with the project environment. The proposed curriculum is based upon the offerings from current professionally accredited project management programs and established professional guidelines while maintaining the people-centered leadership approach applied by all Stender School of Business and Technology graduate programs.
Program mission
The Stender School of Business and Technology follows a mission statement where leaders are developed to embody the values of the school and demonstrate ethical decision making, social responsibility, global awareness, and professional excellence. The Master of Science in Project Management graduate program seeks to prepare students for a career in project management and develop students as leaders in a manner that fulfills the school's mission.
The Master of Science in Project Management prepares students to be proficient in the skills and techniques of project management, embody the college's Catholic Benedictine values as a leader in successful global projects, and possess the vision needed to align projects with organizational priorities.
Program outcomes
Upon completion of the Project Management program at The College of St. Scholastica, the graduate will be able to:
- Integrate ethical and value considerations in leadership behaviors and decision making
- Adapt project leadership and project processes to global and distributed team environments
- Apply contextual and project role considerations to stakeholder communications
- Guide organizational change efforts to adopt project deliverables
- Analyze and improve an organization's project management practices
- Evaluate projects in both operational and strategic perspectives
- Apply current project management methods, skills and tools
Curriculum details
The Master of Science in Project Management curriculum is made up of 13 courses for a total of 37 credits. The curriculum consists of four foundational courses to prepare students with the basic project management skills and knowledge, three advanced project management courses, three global and strategic specialization courses, and three courses associated with the capstone project. The foundational courses should be completed before enrolling in the advanced and specialization courses and there are course prerequisites identified in the course descriptions.
Students who have obtained their PMP® certification will earn prior learning credit for two courses. These students will not be required to take PRM 6110 or PRM 6115.
Capstone project
The capstone project is an in-depth research project that assimilates knowledge from prior courses with findings from current literature of the selected topic area. Students will perform a literature review, problem analysis and propose a solution to the defined problem. Once complete, the project is approved by a project advisor and published. Students are also required to give an on-site oral presentation of their capstone project.
Cohort model
Students progress through the courses as a cohort beginning with the fundamental core courses and continue through the advanced and global courses as they conclude with a capstone project. The sequencing of the courses is important since mastery of the topics in the fundamental courses are required for proper application in the advanced courses. As a result, students must progress through the fundamental courses before proceeding on to the more advanced project management courses.
Format, start dates and program length
Each course is delivered in an online format as an eight-week class and taught by instructors possessing a graduate-level degree, experience in the project management profession, and a project management certification.
Students may begin the program in the fall and are able, and encouraged, to enroll in two courses for each semester. Completion of two courses a semester enables the student to complete the program within two years.
Course Creation Center
CIS 6101 - Leadership Communication
An examination of the importance of leadership theories and styles, and the essential importance of communication. Oral and written communication methods will be studied to determine how effective communication is integral to the success of IT initiatives. Topics include communicating complex ideas, collaboration in a team environment, and using communication to lead a team and work effectively with complex interpersonal and team processes. (8 weeks)
CIS 6795 - Research and Writing
An examination of the research process designed for students preparing for the Capstone Project. Using scholarly and professional literature, students will identify current problems facing organizations and propose potential solutions. Topics include topic selection, research methodologies, scholarly writing, APA formatting, library research, evaluation of scholarly and professional literature, and the process of giving and receiving effective peer review feedback. The course will result in the creation of a project proposal for the Capstone Project.
CIS 6800 - Final Applied Project
Working with an assigned project advisor, students assimilate knowledge from prior courses with findings from research in the current literature of the selected topical area. The findings from the literature research are integrated in the development of a project introduction and literature review. (16 weeks)
CIS 6900 - Capstone Project II
Working with an assigned project advisor, students complete the remaining work on the Final Applied Project by synthesizing a solution to the defined business problem. The course concludes with an approval, publication, and oral presentation of the Final Applied Project. (16 weeks)
PRM 6110 - Project Essentials: Risk, Quality, Procurement, & Stakeholder Management
Examines the project management knowledge areas of integration, risk, quality, communication, stakeholder, and procurement management. Students will learn the primary initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, and closing activities associated with each knowledge area. Specific hands-on exercises will be utilized to provide students with direct experience related with project integration, risk, quality, communication, stakeholder, and procurement management activities.
PRM 6115 - Project Essentials: Scope, Schedule, Cost, & Resource Management
Examines the project management knowledge areas of scope, schedule, cost, and resource management. Students will learn the primary initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, and closing activities associated with each knowledge area. Specific hands-on exercises will be utilized to provide students with direct experience related with project scope, schedule, cost, and resource management activities.
PRM 6119 - Strategic Decision Making
An examination of the methods used to make informed and ethical strategic decisions. The course provides a review of qualitative and quantitative methods applied to the decision making process. Topics include goal setting, systems thinking, cost-benefit analysis, contingency planning, decision trees, risk assessment, and decision evaluation.
PRM 6225 - Advanced Practices in Project Management I
The first of a two-part course sequence in advance project management practices. This course is an in-depth study of advanced methods, techniques, and tools used for managing projects during the initiating and planning processes.
PRM 6234 - Advanced Practices in Project Management II
The second of a two-part course sequence in advance project management practices. This course is an in-depth study of advanced methods, techniques, and tools used for managing projects during the execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing processes.
PRM 6242 - Emerging Topics in Project Management
An exploration of the current emerging trends and innovations in project management. Students identify, evaluate, recommend, and discover ways to implement new methodologies and technological innovations within the project management field.
PRM 6556 - Organizational Change Leadership
A study of projects in the context of the organization. Students will apply the project portfolio management approach to view projects in terms of contribution of value to the organization. The course also provides an in-depth discussion on the methods used to ensure projects deliver effective and enduring change.
PRM 6567 - Global & Cultural Competency
Exploration of the business, cultural, and economic environments of organizations and societies. Students are provided with an awareness and appreciation of the similarities and differences of cultures across the globe and the means to effectively and ethically operate in the global environment.
PRM 6586 - Leading Global & Distributed Teams
An in-depth study on leading project teams whose members exist in multiple locations and in locations across the world. The course provides insight into effective communication and management of distributed teams and discusses effective practices for motivating, guiding, and evaluating project teams.
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