Master of Science in Project Management

Principles of Project Management (2 units)

Concepts including delivering project scope within cost, schedule, and resource constraints and the exploration of the traditional or waterfall project management methodology will be explored.

• Recognize project characteristics within corporate, non-profit, commercial and government organizational structures.
• Create a project plan by identifying the project scope and building a work breakdown structure.
• Utilize scope and risk information to develop a project schedule.
• Assess risks, utilizing quantitative and qualitative measures.
• Design a project budget by defining and allocating resources, and adhering to the project procurement process.

Requirements Elicitation and Business Analysis (2 units)

Tasks, techniques, and perspectives on how to approach business analysis along with method for developing requirement process tools and techniques and best practices are addressed.

• Discuss fundamental business analysis concepts.
• Distinguish between the roles and responsibilities of a business analyst and a project manager.
• Select appropriate techniques to identify stakeholders and elicit their requirements.
• Recognize business analysis tasks necessary to complete a business analysis effort.
• Analyze clear requirements statements, using key modeling techniques.
• Examine the value of documenting requirements to aid project stakeholders in structuring requirements for use and validating requirements to determine when a project can proceed to design.

Schedule Management (2 units)

This course provides a structured approach to project schedule management, demonstrating how to be proactive and in control of projects by implementing effective schedule management.

• Analyze project scope, cost, scheduling practices, and their contributions to project successes and failures.
• Evaluate a deliverable-based work breakdown structure (WBS) and how to convert this into a viable project schedule.
• Assess early warning indicators of potential risk areas to be able to take the necessary corrective action to keep the project schedule under control.
• Appraise the effectiveness of implemented schedule management techniques, proposing necessary adjustments to improve overall project schedule performance.

Cost Estimation and Forecasting (2 units)

Approaches to project cost estimating costs and the tools and methodologies best suited for estimates and forecasts that need to be prepared will be addressed.

• Analyze data using formal estimating tools and techniques to create cost estimates and forecasts.
• Validate strategies for managing estimates throughout the project life cycle.
• Evaluate the current state and future status of projects to make strategic recommendations.
• Develop a comprehensive report that synthesizes raw data points of a project to date and their projections at completion.

Risk Management (2 units)

Coursework will enable students to prepare a comprehensive risk management plan and discover different approaches to identify, assess, and quantify risks and their impacts.

Agile Project Management Methodologies (2 units)

This course explains agile project management concepts and offers a set of frameworks that covers the people, products, and techniques required to successfully implement projects.

• Identify ways to improve operational efficiencies, increase visibility and adaptability, and decrease operational and project risk.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of agile project management techniques, frameworks, and tools.
• Manage project and product requirements while focusing on collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Utilize the best mix of agile, traditional, and hybrid techniques to meet specific project requirements, while recognizing and avoiding pitfalls to improve quality.
• Differentiate between frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), and Extreme Programming (XP) to select the most suitable framework for the specific domain and project.

Quality and Process Improvement (2 units)

Course looks at quality and performance improvement projects and methodologies used to implement them with a focus on Six Sigma, Lean, and Total Quality Management.

• Analyze the interdependence of people, processes, and systems and how this relates to the effective introduction of process changes.
• Develop a quality management plan to ensure the continued effectiveness of processes.
• Recommend appropriate metrics for analyzing business processes that provide sufficient insights into process effectiveness.
• Employ industry-standard techniques and tools to analyze performance processes.
• Design processes to minimize waste, optimize efficiency, and drive continuous improvement while delivering maximum value to stakeholders.

Specialized Project Management (2 units)

Class explores several industries and entities and their developed project management methodologies to meet industry-specific needs through traditional approaches and partnerships in various sectors.

• Recognize changes and trends that are reshaping project work in the commercial, government, and non-profit environments.
• Iterate the best practices, benefits, and risks of public-private partnerships.
• Analyze the complexities associated with managing projects in a multi-organizational context.
• Evaluate appropriate project procurement and contract delivery methods based on desired project outcomes.

Organizational Change Management and Business Relationships (2 units)

Students learn to cultivate the necessary components for stakeholder management on nearly any change within an organization through change management and business relationship management.

Program Management (2 units)

This course addresses managing and coordinating multiple organizational projects with a focus on project alignment, organizational goals, performance maximization, risk minimization, and program success.

• Appraise the program management life cycle from definition to closure.
• Describe how to define, realize, measure, and sustain planned program benefits.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of stakeholder management activities across diverse roles, organizations, regions, and cultures.
• Assess potential risks associated with project, megaproject, and program management to develop effective risk mitigation plans.
• Create a strategic program management plan that addresses program management performance domains.

Portfolio Management (2 units)

The course provides a structured approach to design, build, and manage a project portfolio, focusing on strategic implementation and operational initiatives to create sustainable value.

• Examine the benefits of project portfolio management to the organization.
• Apply selection criteria to project portfolio components to meet the strategic and operational needs of the organization through project prioritization.
• Assess how project portfolio management contributes to strategic delivery and organizational success.
• Recognize how to managing resources – such as time, cost, and internal and external staff members across the portfolio – can make the difference between portfolio success and failure.
• Link organizational strategy, resources, and practices to portfolio performance outcomes.

Project Management Capstone (2 units)

The Capstone allows students to utilize skills gained throughout the program to demonstrate the ability to plan and implement a project from conception to conclusion.

• Recommend appropriate tools and techniques throughout the project management lifecycle.
• Design effective projects from ideation through execution.
• Create effective governance and control processes.
• Integrate effective leadership approaches into a project plan.