Bachelors (BS) in Project Management
Overview
The Project Management program is a 36-semester hour program designed to guide students in becoming effective project managers, equipped with the knowledge, tools, and skills to deliver successful projects in today’s fast-paced business environment. The course of study blends the tools and techniques advocated by the Project Management Institute (PMI) into a solid study of the theories, techniques, and approaches used by successful managers and leaders. Students who complete the program will be positioned academically to further their project management careers and to continue on to PMI certification, a commonly requested requirement of hiring managers.
Degree Outcomes
- Function as self-directed learners who engage in continuous professional growth through the application of experiential learning principles and practices while also supporting the learning and growth of others.
- Demonstrate an understanding of management and leadership functions, theories and models, describe their own professional philosophy, and serve effectively as a team leader and team member.
- Apply appropriate project management methods, and demonstrate the ethical, technical, and behavioral competencies necessary for the successful management of projects to affect organizational performance through the delivery of strategic and operational goals.
- Utilize the management tools, analytical methods, and research skills necessary to identify organizational problems and formulate solutions to those problems.
- Apply the principles of organizational environment, design, systems, and change to facilitate improvements in operations and strategy.
- Exhibit effective leadership communication skills and an understanding of organizational communication strategies and methods.
- Describe how their understanding of ethics and Christian values informs their project management, leadership, and management practices in an organizational context.
Course Requirements
Students are required to obtain a minimum grade of C- in all courses taken for the major.
Major Requirements
Complete the following:
Course content focuses on organizational behavior models and practices and their application in work, group, and virtual teams. Emphasis is placed on group behavior and how group functioning affects organizational effectiveness.
This course provides an overview of the fields of organizational and management theory. It gives the student an understanding of the roles of management in fulfilling the mission and goals of the organization. Students are expected to apply management theory as they make decisions to solve organizational problems.
Prerequisite: MPJM 401 Organizational Behavior.
In this course, students will investigate concepts of worldview as it relates to personal identity, cultural assumptions, interpersonal communication, individual decision-making, and faith. Students will explore the roots of the Christian faith and the influence of Christianity on society, seeking to construct a personal worldview that informs their understanding of the meaning of life.
Topics covered will enable students to analyze and interpret both historical and estimated financial data used by management to conduct daily operations, plan future operations and develop overall business strategies. Prerequisites: MPJM 401 Organizational Behavior, MPJM 403 Organizational Theory.
This course introduces concepts and techniques for design, planning, and control of service and manufacturing operations. It provides basic definitions of operations management terms, tools and techniques for analyzing operations, and strategic context for making operational decisions. Prerequisites: MPJM 401 Organizational Behavior, MPJM 410 Financial Decision Making
Complete the following:
MPJM 475 is optional and not required for Project Management majors.
Predictive Project Management Methodology exposes students to predictive project management domains and life cycles. Students will explore the requirements outlined in the Project Management Institute (PMI) Standards and PM Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) associated with development and delivery of projects using predictive methodology. Students will apply their knowledge through development of a team-oriented project.
Introduction to Project Management provides students an overview of the field of project management, with a focus on the responsibilities project managers (PMs) have to help achieve operational and strategic goals. Students will be introduced to ways to integrate and manage projects in modern organizations according to the tenets of the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Standards and Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Students will be introduced to various methodologies employed by PMs to achieve their goals and to the ethical responsibilities of being a PM.
Adaptive Project Management Methodology provides students with experience using adaptive project management methodologies. Students will explore the operational cycles of an adaptive implementation in modern project management organizations. Students will be introduced to the various roles and components involved in adaptive delivery and integration with the PMI project lifecycle. Students will participate in an adaptive project management plan, delivering artifacts required of good project management practitioners.
Required for Project Management majors and minors. Project Risk Management provides a framework for approaching, evaluating and implementing project risk principles to obtain optimal project results. Students will understand a variety of methods deployed in the project management industry to manage and respond to risks in projects, including a variety of components that integrate into a complete risk attitude and appetite for an organization. Students will introduced to tools and methods for project management.
Managing Project Communication & Change exposes students to two key skills related to project management -- communication and change management. Students will learn to assess the project environment as it changes through the life cycle to identify the appropriate timing and types of communications that are needed. Additionally, students will learn the importance of scope management, and to recognize how “scope creep” can derail a project and what to do about it.
Project Leadership provides students the opportunity to evaluate themselves as leaders and understand their position as project leaders working to deliver the strategic goals of an organization. Students will explore the complexities of virtual team leadership, especially in a global environment. Students will be introduced to performance domains, project life cycles, and project management principles as described in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).
Applied Project Management is the capstone course of the project management degree program. This course is developed around the framework of strategic management, which opens up avenues for discussing the organization and project management more holistically. Students will investigate how PMs and organizational leadership work with the Project Management Office (PMO) and organizational structure and processes to achieve strategic goals.
Supervised experience in the discipline including internships and practica required for professional programs. This advanced experience must have an on-site supervisor and/or a departmental instructor overseeing, designing, and evaluating the content of the course. Pass/No Pass. Prerequisite: instructor's permission.