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Feb 19, 2023 (The Expresswire) -- [124 Insights] Top “Positive Material Identification (PMI) Market” Size 2023 Key players Profiled in the Report are [Niton (Thermo Fisher), PTS Group, Element Materials Technology, Sandberg LLP, TUV Nord, Acuren, Intertek, Bureau Veritas, ARMI, TUV Rheinland, SGS, Hitachi, Olympus, Bruker, Applus, TSI Incorporated, TUV SUD, Shimadzu, AMETEK, Malvern Panalytical, Shawkor, ,] most important, influential, or successful companies, brands, or individuals within a Positive Material Identification (PMI) market 2023 to 2029.

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Project management certifications have claimed a place in every top IT certification list for years. That’s because project managers are important to IT operations of all kinds. Whether you are interested in becoming an IT project manager or just want to add project management to your list of soft skills, these five leading certifications will help you add to or boost those skills and, in turn, increase your value.

If there’s a single set of soft skills that’s been fixed on the IT radar for the past decade or so, to the point where it’s become almost as sought after and every bit as valuable as top-level credentials, it must be project management. Thanks in large part to the immensely popular and widely pursued Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI), this area has become an incredibly valuable merit badge for IT professionals of all stripes. That’s because it enhances and expands on the value of just about any other kind of technical credential.

Project management has everything to do with planning, scheduling, budgeting for, and then executing and reporting on projects of all shapes and sizes. In fact, anything and everything that IT does can be understood or handled as a project of some kind. It applies to one-of-a-kind activities that happen only once or very seldom (think hardware or OS upgrades or migrating from older to newer platforms or infrastructures). Ditto for a recurring series of activities that repeat regularly (think security patches, software updates or other regular maintenance tasks). Thus, project management is incredibly important and valuable to IT operations across the board.

According to PMI’s Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey, 10th Edition [pdf], IT professionals who hold a PMP report median base annual salaries in the U.S. of almost $116,000. The top 25 percent of survey respondents report base salaries of at least $139,000. Depending on such factors as complexity and size of projects, location, fields of expertise (e.g., IT, construction or healthcare), and experience, salaries for some PMP credential holders can be much higher still.

Robert Half’s Technology & IT 2019 Salary Guide lists project management as a hot certification, with salaries varying slightly by technology area. It cites a salary range of $93,000 to $157,500 for project managers in application development environments. Project managers engaged in consulting and system integration roles can expect to earn $96,250 to $163,500 nationwide. This explains nicely why PMP appears in nearly every top 10 list of popular, targeted or most desirable certifications since the early 2000s. It’s no surprise that Robert Half also lists the PMP credential, along with Agile and Scrum certifications, as “highly valued technology certifications” trending up in the IT industry.

To supply you an idea of which project management credentials employers look for in prospective candidates, we conducted a quick survey on some popular job boards. Clearly, the PMP is the overall favorite and remains our No. 1 pick for must-have project management certifications. PMI’s entry-level project management credential, the CAPM, also made our top five. The CSM from Scrum Alliance, along with ASQ’s Certified Six Sigma Black Belt and Green Belt credentials, round out those picks. It’s also worth noting that job postings for project managers increased by 20 percent from 2018 across all project management certifications.

Job board survey results (in alphabetical order, by certification)

CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management

CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management

The same organization behind the more senior Project Management Professional (PMP) credential also backs the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). In fact, the CAPM is properly considered a steppingstone credential for those who wish to attain PMP status by stages, rather than in a single giant leap. That’s why PMI describes the CAPM as a “valuable entry-level certification for project practitioners” that is “designed for those with little or no project experience.”

The PMP requires three to five years of documented on-the-job project management experience, depending on the educational background of each applicant. On the other hand, the CAPM requires only a high school diploma and either 1,500 hours of documented on-the-job experience (about nine months of full-time work) or 23 hours of project management classroom training prior to taking the exam. The education prerequisite can be met by completing PMI’s Project Management Basics online course which costs $350 for PMI members and $400 for non-members.

Nor does the CAPM require continuing education (which PMI calls PDUs, or professional development units) as does the PMP (60 PDUs every three years) to maintain this credential. To recertify, CAPM holders must retake the test once every five years.

The CAPM is one of a small set of entry-level project management certifications (including the CompTIA Project+) that IT professionals interested in project management might choose to pursue. Remember, though, that it is just a steppingstone to the PMP.

Unless you work in a large organization where a project management team is in place that includes junior as well as senior positions, the CAPM by itself is unlikely to provide a ticket to a project management job. However, it’s ideal for IT professionals for whom project management is a part-time job role or who want to grow into full-time project management.

CAPM facts and figures

CSM: Certified ScrumMaster

As companies seek to deliver more for less, many adopt Agile methodologies to streamline processes, build quality into products and ensure that final builds meet customer requirements. As Agile methodologies have become more popular, it’s no surprise that we see increased demand for IT practitioners qualified to manage projects in Agile environments.

While different Scrum master certifications are available, our pick is the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) from the Scrum Alliance. This nonprofit encourages adoption of Scrum and Agile practices, promotes user groups and learning events, and provides resources for professional development. The organization boasts more than 500,000 certified practitioners worldwide.

The Scrum Alliance provides a support system for Scrum practitioners, including Scrum Gatherings, user groups, virtual communications, coaching, online training and much more. In addition to community and advocacy activities, the Scrum Alliance offers numerous Scrum-related certifications at the foundation, advanced, professional, elevated (guide) and leadership levels. Scrum Alliance certifications are designed for team members engaged in Scrum master, product owners and developer roles. The Scrum master and product owner tracks offer credentials at the foundation, advanced and professional levels which the developer track only offers a foundation and professional level cert.

• Scrum Master Track: Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM), and Certified Scrum Professional – Scrum Master (CSP-SM)
• Product Owner Track: Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (A-CSPO) and Certified Scrum Professional – Product Owner (CSP-PO)
• Developer Track: Certified Scrum Developer (CSD) and Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)
• Elevated or guide credentials: Certified Scrum Trainer (CST), Certified Team Coach (CTC) and Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC)
• Agile Leadership: The Scrum Alliance also offers the Certified Agile Leadership (CAL) program, a credential based on a combination of education and validated practice. There are two credentials – the Certified Agile Leadership I and Certified Agile Leadership II.

For project managers getting started as Scrum practitioners, the CSM makes an excellent entry-level credential. Not only must candidates demonstrate an understanding of Scrum principles and values, but they’ll learn how to implement and apply Scrum in practice. The Scrum Alliance provides CSMs with multiple resources, plus checklists and information about the servant-leader role of the Scrum master.

Certified ScrumMaster facts and figures

CSSBB: Certified Six Sigma Black Belt

Globally recognized, ASQ certifications attest to candidate expertise, mastery of industry and regulation standards, and mastery of the ASQ Body of Knowledge. Currently, ASQ offers 18 credentials, three of which specifically target project management: the Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) (expert level), the Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB) (professional level) and the Six Sigma Yellow Belt (CSSYB) (entry level).

The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt is ASQ’s highest Six Sigma credential. The CSSBB aims at experienced practitioners who understand Six Sigma methodologies (including the DMAIC model), tools, systems and philosophies. CSSBBs can lead teams or manage team dynamics, roles and responsibilities.

The path to CSSBB certification is rigorous. In addition to passing a comprehensive exam, candidates must complete two projects that employ Six Sigma tools and processes, resulting in project improvement and a positive financial project impact. An affidavit is also required to attest to the veracity of the project. Alternatively, candidates with at least three years of experience in one or more of the Six Sigma Body of Knowledge areas need only complete one Black Belt project.

CSSBB candidates are expected to demonstrate mastery of the ASQ Black Belt Body of Knowledge, called standards:

• Organization-wide Planning and Deployment (organization-wide considerations, leadership)
• Organization Process Management and Measures (impact on stakeholders, benchmarking, business measures)
• Team Management (team formation, facilitation, dynamics, training)
• Define (voice of the customer, business case and project charter, project management tools, analytical tools)
• Measure (process characteristics, data collection, measurement systems, basic statistics, probability, process capability)
• Analyze (measuring and modeling relationships between variables, hypothesis testing, failure mode and effects analysis, other analysis methods)
• Improve (design of experiments, lean methods, implementation)
• Control (statistical process control and other controls, maintain controls, sustain improvements)
• Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) Framework and Methodologies (common DFSS methodologies, design for DVX, robust designs)

The CSSBB is valid for three years. To recertify, candidates must earn 18 recertification units or retake the exam.

CSSBB facts and figures

CSSGB: Certified Six Sigma Green Belt

The Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB) by ASQ is a professional-level credential targeting experienced Six Sigma practitioners. Often, a CSSGB works under the direction of the more senior CSSBB or as an assistant. CSSGBs identify issues and drive quality and process improvements in projects.

To earn the credential, candidates should have at least three years of experience working with Six Sigma processes, systems and tools. The work experience must have been full time and compensated; an unpaid internship, for example, doesn’t count. In addition, work performed must have been in at least one of the Six Sigma Green Belt Body of Knowledge competency areas.

In addition to work experience, candidates must pass an test that tests their knowledge of the Six Sigma Green Belt Body of Knowledge. Currently, the Green Belt Body of Knowledge includes six competency areas:

• Overview: Six Sigma and the Organization (organizational goals, lean principles, design methodologies)
• Define Phase (project identification, customer voice, project management basics, management and planning tools, project business results, team dynamics and performance)
• Measurement Phase (process analysis and documentation, probability and statistics, statistical distributions, data collection, measurement system analysis, process and performance capability)
• Analyze Phase (exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing)
• Improve Phase (design of experiments, root cause analysis, lean tools)
• Control Phase (statistical process control, control plan, lean tools for process control)

Overall, this is an excellent credential for those who have some experience but are not quite ready to take on the roles and responsibilities of a Black Belt.

CSSGB facts and figures

PMP: Project Management Professional

The Project Management Institute (PMI) not only stands behind its Project Management Professional certification, it works with academia and training companies to ensure proper coverage and currency in the various curricula that support this and other PMI credentials. Boasting more than 500,000 global members and 750,000 PMP certified professionals around the world, PMI’s PMP remains one of the most prestigious project management credentials available. (Note: The PMP’s precursor, the CAPM, is covered in an earlier section of this article.)

That’s why you can obtain college- and university-based PMP training from so many institutions. It’s also why you may sometimes find PMP coverage integrated into certain degree programs (often at the master’s degree level).

The PMP credential is coveted by employers seeking the most highly skilled project management professionals. Developed by project managers, the PMP certification is the highest level offered in PMI certifications. It is designed to ensure that credential-holders possess the skills and qualifications necessary to successfully manage all phases of a project, including initiating, planning, scheduling, controlling and monitoring, and closing out the project.

PMP certified projects managers are also well versed and skilled in managing all aspects of the triple constraints – time, cost and scope. Employers depend on the skills of PMP professionals to manage budgets, track costs, manage scope creep, identify how changes to the triple constraints may introduce risk into the project, and minimize such risk to protect the project investment.

The standards for PMP certification are rigorous. Beyond passing a comprehensive exam, credential holders must first demonstrate and certify that they have the skills and education necessary to succeed in the project management field. Credential seekers should be ready to provide documentation for items such as education, projects worked on and hours spent in each of the five project management stages – initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing out the project.

While it’s difficult to achieve, the rewards for PMP credential holders can be significant. According to PMI’s Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey, 10th Edition, PMPs in the U.S. earn an average of 23 percent more than their non-credentialed counterparts. The survey reports median salaries of PMPs in the United States at $115,000, as opposed to $92,000 for non-PMP certified project managers.

For those interested in program management or wishing to specialize in a project management area, PMI offers several interesting additional credentials:

The PMP remains a nonpareil certification for IT and other professionals whose responsibilities encompass project management. It is the standard against which all other project management credentials are judged.

It should be noted that, after meeting the prerequisites, candidates are also required to pass a rigorous exam. Candidates must obtain an eligibility ID from PMI before they can register for the exam.

PMP facts and figures

Beyond the top 5: More project management certifications

Project management is truly a white-hot area for both certification seekers and employers. Several other project management certifications are available, for general IT project management as well as software development project management.

Honorable mention goes to the Global Association for Quality Management (GAQM) project management certifications, such as the Professional in Project Management, Associate in Project Management and Certified Project Director. The Prince2 Foundation and Practitioner qualifications (featured in the 2017 top-five list) are also excellent credentials and worth honorable mention.

The CompTIA Project+ credential (featured in the 2017 top-five list and honorable mention in 2018) remains a well-known entry-level project management certification for those starting their project management careers. ASQ’s Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt (CSSYB) is another entry-level credential worth exploring, particularly if you’re interested in eventually moving up to the more senior Green and Black Belt credentials.

Most graduate business, management and management information systems (MIS) programs offer project management training to students, and some offer certificate programs outside the project management organizations as well.

You’ll also find training and occasional certification around various project management tool sets. For example, some Microsoft Learning Partners offer courses on Microsoft Project, and you can find a dizzying array of project management packages on Wikipedia’s comparison of project management software page.

The CAPM and Project+ remain the best-known entry-level project management certifications, with the PMP as the primary professional target and capstone for would-be professional IT project managers. Don’t forget to consider PMI’s related certifications as well. For project managers seeking entry into the realm of Scrum, the CSM is the best entry-level cert for Scrum practitioners.

• Businesses use project management software to help manage their workflows.
• Project management software helps projects stay on track and on budget.
• These platforms are available with a wide array of features, benefits, and pricing structures, so you can choose the best fit for your business and scale up when the time is right.
• This article is for small business owners and project managers who are considering buying project management software.

Whether you’re working on the construction of a building or building a website for a client, you need a way to manage the steps or tasks within a project and collaborate with your team. Project management software helps unify that process by consolidating communication tools, file sharing, task and deadline monitoring, and reporting into one software application that you can use across multiple teams and departments.

Regardless of your business’s size or industry, your company can probably benefit from project management services. Use the advice below to guide your decision-making process when you’re ready to buy project management software.

What is project management software?

Project management software is a tool businesses use to keep assignments on track, meet deadlines and remain on budget. These platforms allow company leaders to assign roles, set deadlines and mark major milestones – all in an intuitive interface. With project management software, all employees can access a central portal to obtain information and check the status of assignments.

Project management software works as a real-time virtual workspace that helps keep team members focused on larger goals while effectively managing day-to-day tasks. The best project management software platforms automatically reschedule work when a deadline is missed; some even reschedule work dependent on the completion of the late task.

What are the top project management software features?

Although the features of project management software differ among platforms, you can expect to find the following tools and functions in most project management packages.

• Dashboard: Each employee’s dashboard spells out any assigned tasks and when those projects are due.
• Scheduling and deadline management: At a glance, a project manager can use the dashboard to assess the work assigned to a team member and properly incorporate new tasks into their daily schedule without overloading them or distracting them from other tasks.
• Ability to assign roles: You can add a team member to each task so that everyone knows who is responsible for each portion of the project.
• Collaboration: Project management software has tools to enable remote collaboration and communication among employees.
• File upload: Most platforms include secure file sharing so that team members can easily and safely share key documents, information and assets.
• Project templates: Many project management programs come with templates you can customize to fit your business’s needs.

Did you know?: You or your employees can get a certification in project management to become even more adept at using project management software and keeping projects on track.

How much does project management software cost?

The price of project management software varies greatly. There are multiple pricing structures and tiers, ranging from free, entry-level services to premium options that cost hundreds of dollars per month. When evaluating your financial investment, you also may need to consider the costs of training staff on the software and the expense of transferring platforms. The following factors may affect the price of project management software.

• Number of users: Some project management vendors charge on a monthly per-user basis, while others allow different numbers of users for each subscription tier.
• Features: Some software offers more functionality for a lower price.
• Billing frequency: Project management providers may offer discounts and incentives for paying for a year of service upfront rather than monthly.

Because so many factors influence the final price of project management software, it’s critical to know your needs before obtaining price quotes from vendors.

Do I need project management software?

It’s important to recognize that project management software is designed for full projects that take time and teamwork to complete; they are likely too comprehensive to be worthwhile for routine work. For example, it would be quite helpful to use project management software to set up and configure a computer network, but it would be clunky and confusing to try to use project management software to maintain that computer network.

Ask yourself the following questions to determine whether project management software is appropriate for a project:

• Do I have a definitive start date?
• Do I have a definitive deadline?
• Do I have a clear understanding of my goals between now and then?
• Is my project recurring, with similar tasks or components every month or quarter?
• Who will be working on the project?

“A company needs project management software when they’re coordinating between several individuals or business units, both internally or externally, to complete tasks that involve a variety of deliverables or creatives,” said Conrad Magalis, a marketing advisor with Minnesota MarComm. “It’s a best practice so that all of the information and conversations related to a specific project or task can be documented and delegated to each stakeholder involved.”

Tip: Learn about the different project management styles to figure out which one fits your team and project.

How do I determine if I need project management software?

Here are some telltale signs your business needs project management software:

• Projects are delayed due to poor email etiquette, and work gets buried in team members’ inboxes.
• There is confusion surrounding overly busy and non-user-friendly spreadsheets.
• Employees miss deadlines, either with individual tasks or complete projects, because of a lack of accountability and transparency in the process.
• There is poor communication and conflict among team members and managers resulting from a failure to report on the status of a project or individual tasks.
• There is overlapping or redundant work due to confusion surrounding each employee’s specific role.

Leveraging a project management solution in the right situation can streamline the entire workflow process, thus enabling your team to deliver higher-quality work in a shorter time. The best software allows you to save and track multiple projects simultaneously, making it easy to monitor deadlines and individual team members’ progress. Essentially, your workload can be saved on a single platform, where each employee has access to all of the information they require to fulfill their own role.

Key takeaway: While it may not be practical for day-to-day assignments, project management software may be necessary if your team struggles to meet deadlines or is overwhelmed by the amount of work.

What does project management software look like?

Project management software often starts with an online dashboard that serves as a home base and provides access to the platform’s major features. From the dashboard, users can typically create new projects and manage and organize old ones. In many project management solutions, the dashboard is also home to an overview of active and completed projects, which users can access at any time. Reporting dashboards can usually be shared across entire teams, giving everyone easy access to relevant projects and tasks.

“Project management software allows users to consolidate work activities onto one central platform, allowing employees to save time by housing all task tools on one interface,” said John Furneaux, CEO of project management company Hive. “The range of software varies from startups – such as Hive – to veteran players like SharePoint. All project management software ranges in their capabilities, and it’s important to assess what the business needs are and how processes could be improved.”

Projects and tasks can typically be created (or requested if a supervisor must approve the project before it begins) directly in a project management dashboard. Once you create a project, you have access to a variety of tools for organizing and coordinating specific aspects of the project and ensuring accountability for the timeliness and quality of assigned tasks.

Team members can also schedule and track tasks and project timelines with the software’s more sophisticated tools, such as Gantt charts. These tools help keep employees on the same page, even if they don’t work in the same physical location, and ease the burden of meeting tight deadlines. Team members can see which tasks are assigned to which person, thus making it easier to coordinate aspects of the project. Some software programs also have built-in chat applications that make collaboration instantaneous and direct.

Project management platforms supply managers full control over the direction of a project. For example, they can reassign work or shuffle around tasks to delegate assignments more equitably among team members and more effectively manage resources on the fly. With the detailed overviews and reports available in project management software, managers can more easily stay abreast of new developments. Any complex project has a lot of moving parts, so it’s essential to keep your decision-makers informed, and that’s what project management software does for your management team.

What are the pros and cons of project management software?

Project management software provides some big benefits for a business.

• Centrally located and organized tasks and files: Your whole team can see any tasks you add to your project management platform. The employees to whom you assign tasks will see these tasks in their dashboards. The result is a team that always knows who’s working on what.
• Real-time team collaboration: Once you upload a deliverable or mark a project as complete, your whole team receives the notification. That means no more making sure everyone has gotten your work and manually alerting everyone that a project is done.
• Easier remote work: Project management software is basically your office space if you shift to a remote workforce. It’s where your employees go to receive their assignments, file deliverables and ask questions. It’s also where team members update you on their progress – almost like you’re sitting in an office with them.
• Automated reporting: Certain project management tools can automatically generate reports that supply you a high-level view of how a project is progressing. You can use this information to plan meaningful next steps that get you closer to the finish line. Without project management software, gleaning this data might be tedious and time-consuming.

Despite the many advantages project management software can provide your team, it can also hold you back in some ways.

• Overcomplicated for smaller tasks: Creating a task, adding information to it and taking other little steps can be as time-consuming as simply doing a small day-to-day task. If you have to send the same short email every Monday morning, creating and completing a task for it in your project management dashboard can double your time spent. Just put a recurring notification in your calendar instead.
• Learning curve: Not all project management platforms are intuitive to navigate and use. Even if you choose a platform known to be user-friendly, some employees who are less comfortable with technology might still struggle with it. But that’s really the only potential problem with choosing user-friendly software – such platforms mostly eliminate this disadvantage.

Did you know?: Reputable project management apps include Asana Together and Oracle NetSuite.

How do I choose project management software?

While most high-quality project management applications offer similar features, no two platforms are precisely the same. Here are the most important points you should consider when choosing project management software.

Size of your organization

A large enterprise has different needs from a small startup. It’s important to examine each application and ask vendors the right questions.

“Companies should take the time to demo several options before moving forward, as well as factor in the adoption time for the team and clients to get used to using the application,” Magalis said. “If you’re working in a highly technical field – such as IT – it may be more common than in other industries to have experience with project management applications.”

Scalability

As your project management needs evolve, you need to know your chosen software can keep up. Perhaps its file storage capacity doesn’t grow as your company does. Or maybe the pricing becomes untenable if your team reaches a certain size. Consider long-term growth factors when choosing your project management software – even if significant growth is years down the line. You want the platform to be able to scale alongside your business.

Pain points

It can be helpful to identify your current project management challenges. For example, maybe you have trouble sharing timely updates with a client or communicating with your team. By understanding your weaknesses, you can find the software that best addresses your needs.

Ease of use

If you don’t choose a system that’s easy for your team to implement and use, you’ll end up magnifying the challenges you already face.

“Successfully implementing an enterprise project management system is difficult,” said Alan Zucker, founding principal of Project Management Essentials. “This is a cultural [issue], not a tool issue. Most organizations do not have consistent and standard practices for managing projects and reporting on portfolio performance. Something as seemingly simple as having a standard day for reporting status across the enterprise can send shockwaves, as people are used to reporting status on a specific day, usually because of their executive status cadence.”

Key takeaway: Evaluate each project management software platform based on how well it addresses your organization’s biggest pain points. Consider your company’s size as well as the software’s scalability and ease of use.

Is project management software worthwhile?

While companies need to consider financial constraints when buying any new software, they should also take into account the monetary implications of not buying it. Without project management software, your business could be hampered by miscommunication, redundancy and inefficiency – costing you time and money. The services provided by project management platforms are designed to take a company’s workflow to the next level. The investment will likely be worth it when you consider all you stand to gain.

Max Freedman and Stella Morrison contributed to the writing and reporting in this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is an insurance policy that protects lenders from the risk of default and foreclosure. Generally, if you need financing to buy a home and make a down payment of less than 20% of its cost, your lender will probably require you to buy insurance from a PMI company prior to signing off on the loan. Although it costs extra, PMI allows buyers who cannot make a significant down payment (or those who choose not to) to obtain financing at affordable rates.

The certificate in Project Management will prepare students to be effective contributors and    leaders in today’s contemporary business world.  Project-oriented work makes up the bulk of managerial activity in today’s organizations with multi-dimensional and increasingly complex projects being the norm.  This certificate program will be of interest/value to students and employees of all business functions as project improvement initiatives are prevalent in all business disciplines (finance, accounting, marketing, operations, MIS, etc.).       

The free-standing Certificate Program is comprised of nine graduate credit hours consisting of MBA 616, MBA 695, and one of two electives: MBA 617 or MBA 665.  Note that the nine credit hours do not include any prerequisites that must be satisfied for specific courses.  Prerequisites have equivalent courses offered at the undergraduate level.  Transfer hours may be used toward prerequisites but not toward any of the nine credit hours required for the Certificate Program.

Curriculum:

MBA 616. Project Management for Professionals. 3 Hours.  Project-oriented work makes up the bulk of managerial activity in organizations and consequently knowledge of project management principles is valued highly. This course offers a broad review of issues and approaches to contemporary professional project management useful for any MBA student and future manager.  By focusing on the “PMBOK”, i.e., the body of knowledge as specified by the Project Management Institute (PMI), it also builds a foundation for students who wish to take the professional certification test for either the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) or the PMP (Project Management Professional, which requires 4,500 hours of project management experience) certificates.*  Prerequisite(s): MBA 611 and MBA 612.

MBA 665. System Analysis & Design. 3 Hours. Introduction to concepts and techniques for analyzing and designing systems. Appropriate activities will be performed and models created for the analysis and design phases of the development life cycle. Systems development project using a CASE tool. Prerequisite(s): MBA 660.

MBA 617. Business Process Improvement. 3 Hours. Study of the concepts and techniques of business process analysis and improvements as building blocks for all business improvement strategies, using a range of tools from simple process-mapping to computer-based process-modeling. Balancing technical/analytical and organizational/behavioral aspects of business process improvements are highlighted. The class will include a business process analysis/improvement project using a process modeling software. Prerequisite(s): MBA 611, MBA 612.

MBA 695.  Individual Research - Project Management Experiential Application. 3 Hours. This certificate capstone independent study course requires the student to integrate/demonstrate project management theory and best practices with practical application by working on a real-world client project. Student projects are coordinated with the UD Center for Project Excellence.  Students demonstrate through their selected project, their professional application of problem identification (systems analysis/business process analysis), project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring/control and closing.  Students work with CPE teams or a student proposed project if approved by the course/CPE director.

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