Project Management Specialization
Overview:
The 1 Year Online MBA’s Accelerated curriculum earns you a Project Management specialization. The coursework is dual-purpose, and additionally provides Project Management Institute approved preparation for earning a Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification.
Our comprehensive curriculum provides students with all the tools needed to prepare themselves for the PMP® certification exam. As a unique feature to our program, we offer students a 1st year membership and PMP exam fee coverage with the Project Management Institute (PMI).
By earning a Project Management specialization from Ashland University MBA Programs, students are given a professional advantage. Benefits of this membership include:
- Ashland University will pay for the first year of regular membership in the Project Management Institute (PMI), starting after students complete the Project Management specialization course requirements
- Your PMP® exam fee is paid by Ashland University and is included in the PMI membership
- PMI Membership also unlocks exclusive networking opportunities with 450,000+ fellow project management professionals worldwide
It’s important to note that there are additional requirements needed, prior to taking the PMP exam, that can be viewed here.
What Is Project Management?
Project Management (PM) is a temporary group activity and a “process” of managing resources, the application of specialized knowledge and the use of techniques and methodologies to meet today’s changing business needs and objectives. PM is a strategic competency skill that enables companies to “tie” project results to business goals.
A successful PM’s work results in the creation of something unique, whether it is a product, service or result. PM skills are strategically and vitally important in meeting company goals, whether in: Technology, Health Care, Manufacturing, Business etc. that includes profit or non-profit entities. The Project Management profession is experiencing a growing worldwide need for professionally skilled and academically qualified personnel. Project Managers who know how to manage any or all aspects of a project (responding to a natural disaster, developing a new e-commerce application, improving mobile applications or expansion of a new geographic market etc.) from project inception/idea to closure will find this career path most challenging. The growing demand for Project Management skills is reflected in a recent posting in Hiring Demand Indicators .
Courses & Structure:
- MBA 530 – FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT – 3 hours – This course provides an overview of the methods and processes of modern project management. Topics covered include project scope, time, cost, risk, communications, quality, human resource, integration, and procurement management. It will also cover common project management tools like precedence diagramming, developing a work breakdown structure, risk analysis, and earned value analysis.
- MBA 531 – INCREASING ORGANIZATION CAPACITY IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT – 3 hours – This course provides an overview of the strategies and tools necessary for the development of effective, long-lasting organizational capacity in project management. Topics covered include project management skill development, related skills, and organizational arrangements for effective project management, organizational learning, project management communities of practice, effective processes and tools for project management, and building the business case for project management initiatives.
- MBA 533 – ADVANCED TOPICS IN COMMUNICATIONS FOR PROJECT MANAGERS – 3 hours – This course introduces students to advanced communications methods and techniques of use to project managers. It explores the challenges of communications, including requirements definition and conflict management, in the project context and allows students to develop skills that they can use as they manage their projects. Topics covered include communications models, conflict models, positional versus interest-based conflict management methods, and the application of conflict management tools and techniques.