The University of Maryland is also featured in our ranking Top 25 Online Master’s in Project Management Degree Programs.
Master of Science in Project Management
The University of Maryland is one of the only colleges in the United States that allows students to study project management as an undergrad. Though the university does not offer a full project management program, it allows students to minor in project management or construction project management. Students learn the basics and the skills that they will need at the graduate level. They can enter the university’s graduate program or one of the programs offered by other schools.
Graduate students can earn a Master of Science in Project Management from the University of Maryland. This program features 10 courses that are worth a total of 30 credits and a thesis. Students must take five core courses, including Project Risk Management, Fundamentals of Project Management and Project Cost Accounting & Finance. They’ll also take Legal Aspects of Engineering Design & Construction, which goes over some of the legal issues facing professionals in this field. Managing Project Teams: Improving Individual and Team Performance is another required course in this program.
UMD also asks students to take five electives from 11 different options. This allows students to pick electives based on their own interests as well as their career goals. They can learn more about managing the people who work for them and how to schedule both workers and the various parts of a project. Some of the electives that students can take include Evolving as a Project Leader, Project Administration, Web-Based Project Management and Construction Automation & Robotics.
One of the more important requirements of this program is the thesis. Students have the chance to take some classes before deciding what type of thesis paper or project to do. They will get approval from their advisers and begin working on the thesis, usually during the summer session or at the beginning of their final years. The University of Maryland asks students to use all the knowledge they gained in the project management program in their thesis work and that they present their work before they graduate.
About University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park is the official name given to the University of Maryland, which is the flagship campus in this system. It often goes by the name of the University of Maryland, though some call it UMD. The university also goes by the simple name of Maryland. Established in 1856 as the Maryland Agricultural College, it experienced financial problems that led to the university closing and serving as a school for boys for several years. When the school reopened, it became Maryland State College. As its reputation grew, the college slowly grew in terms of enrollment and overall size, which led to it becoming the University of Maryland.
U.S. News & World Report ranks UMD as the 60th best college in America and the 40th best college in the world. This publication also ranks its business, education and engineering programs among the best graduate programs in the country. Though UMD has a large physical campus, it also operates a very large online campus. This online system ranks as one of the best online colleges in both the nation and the world. Students can study almost any subject and earn both undergrad and graduate degrees online. A small number of doctoral programs are also available online. UMD now has an enrollment approaching 40,000 students, which includes thousands of online students.
University of Maryland Accreditation Details
Graduate students who want to transfer credits into a new program must ensure that the university offering the program has regional accreditation. UMD has regional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Regional accreditation also lets students apply for financial aid and use government aid to reduce their costs. UMD has specialty accreditation for a number of its degree programs too, including its psychology and nursing programs.
University of Maryland Application Requirements
Students applying to the UMD project management program will receive an email from their student adviser. The university will pair all prospective students with an adviser who can answer any of their questions and ensure that they understand the application process. Those entering this program must have a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university that has regional accreditation. UMD gives priority to those with a degree in math, science, engineering or a related subject. Though it will accept students who have degrees in other fields, those students must show that they took three calculus and statistics courses. Students must also have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in all the graduate and undergrad courses they took before enrolling.
Those applying will submit an application and then submit official transcripts from any colleges they previously attended. The university asks for an official GRE score that shows the student scored at least 450 on the verbal section and at least 720 on the quantitative section. Students must also write a statement of purpose to explain their reasons for choosing UMD and what they want to do with a project management degree. Prospective graduate students must also submit three letters of recommendation and a resume.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Graduate students are often more concerned with tuition and other costs than undergrads are because they pay those costs out of their own pockets. They often qualify for less financial aid too. The University of Maryland charges a standard graduate tuition rate of $653 per credit hour for residents. Residents are students who live in Maryland full-time and can prove that they were residents for a full year before enrolling. All other students are nonresidents who pay a tuition rate of $1,168 per credit hour. Students are responsible for fees and expenses too.
UMD offers financial aid to students who need help and plan on studying on its campus. Those students can apply for both assistantships and fellowships. They earn a stipend that serves as a paycheck, but they also get money that covers some of the classes that they want to take. The university recommends that graduate students file the FAFSA too because this will determine if they receive any grants or loans from the government. Students can receive both unsubsidized student loans and graduate PLUS loans from the government. Grad students who need more help paying for their University of Maryland expenses can use private and alternative loans also.