University of Maryland University College is also featured in our ranking Top 25 Online Master’s in Project Management Degree Programs.
Online Project Management Degree at the University of Maryland University College
The 36-credit Master of Science in Management (MSM) with a concentration in project management from the University of Maryland University College allows students to learn and develop advanced business management skills while simultaneously building expertise in order to sit for their project management certification exam.
The curriculum of the MSM in Project Management is aligned with certifications from the Project Management Institute (PMI) and is designed with input from scholars, industry experts, and employers. Courses cover topics such as advanced project methods, project procurement management, and project risk management, while core management courses give students the tools they need to tackle leadership roles in the workplace. Students are also required to complete a comprehensive project in an industry of their choosing in order to gain hands-on, real-world experience and learn relevant skills they can immediately apply after graduation.
At the start of the program, students will take a zero-credit orientation course in addition to their first six credits of study. Core courses include statistics for managerial decision-making, financial decision-making for managers, and organizational theory and behavior. Specialization courses include project procurement management, project quality management, project communications management, project risk management, quantitative methods, financial and strategic management, and foundations of project management.
Through this coursework, students will learn to initiate, plan, track, and close projects as well as manage the schedule of a complex project and issues that may arise. Students will manage risks and perform quantitative analyses of those projects and develop the skills necessary for coaching and mentoring employees. The curriculum helps students to learn how to manage culturally diverse work environments and assess performance at the organization, group, and individual levels. In the past, students have had the opportunity to proactively manage issues that negatively impacted the successful control, scheduling, scope, and completion of a project. Students have also completed team projects using cash flow analysis, resource leveling, scheduling projects based on resource availability, expediting projects, and quantitative risk analysis.
Students pursuing the Master of Science in Management degree with a concentration in project management from the University of Maryland University College must complete 24 credits, including the required core courses before they enroll in the three-credit strategic management capstone course. In order to complete the program, students must maintain a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher at all times and fulfill all degree requirements within five consecutive years. Upon graduation, students are prepared for work in program management, project management, and project coordination. Students are also eligible to sit for either the PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or the PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification.
About the University of Maryland University College
The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) is a not-for-profit university located in Adelphi, Maryland. UMUC offers programs and classes on-campus at its Academic Center in Largo, Maryland as well as online and at satellite campuses throughout the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. UMUC is one of 11 public universities who belong to the University System of Maryland, and it is one of the largest distance-learning institutions in the world, serving more than 90,000 globally. The school is open to all applicants, and UMUC accepts 100 percent of undergraduate students. There are more than 120 academic programs in online and instructor-led classes to choose from, including graduate and undergraduate certificates as well as doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees.
University of Maryland University College Accreditation Details
The University of Maryland University College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Secretary of Education. In order to be regionally accredited, a school must pass a peer review by administrators and faculty from similar universities. The accreditation process assures the community, prospective students, and current students that the university has maintained a high level of academic quality and integrity. In addition, accreditation allows the university to offer federal financial aid and allows for the transfer of credits among institutions. A student who attends a non-accredited institution and who wishes to transfer may find it difficult to receive credit for classes already taken if the universities are not regionally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
University of Maryland University College Application Requirements
The University of Maryland University College offers an achievement-based, streamlined admissions process that does not require the GMAT or GRE for most programs. Students seeking a master’s degree must complete the application for admission and submit the nonrefundable application fee as well as an official transcript indicating the completion of a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university. Other possible application requirements include a current resume, a statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. UMUC accepts up to six credit hours of transfer credits from a previous institution as long as the prior university is regionally accredited. International students must submit their transcripts for evaluation by a UMUC-approved international credit evaluation agency, and they must demonstrate English proficiency via the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam if they have not received a master’s or bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. school.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students pursuing the online Master of Science in Management with a concentration in project management will pay $458 per credit for their tuition for a total program cost of $16,488, excluding fees. The military tuition rate for veterans, active-duty servicemembers, their spouses, and their dependents is also $458 per credit. Students seeking financial aid must first fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Types of aid for graduate students include the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program as well as other private loans, federal loans, scholarships, grants, and graduate assistantship programs.
In addition to offering financial aid to eligible graduate students, the University of Maryland University College offers the Dr. Milton Grodsky Memorial MS in Management Scholarship, providing financial support to one graduate student who is pursuing the MS in Management degree. The scholarship is $2,000 and is awarded once per year on a non-renewing basis to a graduate student seeking a project management degree from the University of Maryland University College.