Project Management, Construction Mgmt? Need your input

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Intdesr, Jun 10, 2009.

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  1. Intdesr

    Intdesr New Member

    Hi, I've been getting some good info from this site but thought I would pose some questions to those of you with experience in these programs. I live in San Diego and I have a Bachelor's degree in Applied Arts and Sciences with an emphasis in Interior Design and I want to get a Master's degree but am having a hard time pinpointing which Master's degree would be most advantageous for me.

    Ultimately, I want to be a project manager at an Interior Design firm or maybe just work for myself. I have no experience in my field except for my internships and right now there is so much competition for jobs right now, i thought a Master's degree would give me an edge. (Plus I plan to have a baby and will be out of the work field for about 2 years).

    Which leads me to wonder which program I should pick. Do you think a Masters degree in Management, Project Management or Construction Management would be most appropriate? I've been looking very hard at University of Wisconsin, NAU and Missouri State Univ as well as UMUC (which has horrible reviews btw). I'm just worried that a Project management degree is more geared towards IT. I'm a military spouse as well if that makes any difference.

    Also, Does it matter that I pick a school that has PMI certification?

    Thanks for any insight you might have!
     
  2. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    I would recommend to stay with MS in Management because you might have to move from here and there due to your spouse's duty stations. MS Management would give you better opportunities in the Military community services than an MS in Contruction or Project Management.

    Here is Johnie's MS/MA Management page URL: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Haven/2386/dlmgt.html
     
  3. Fortunato

    Fortunato Member

    I'm not sure what the industry norms are for education are in Interior Design, but I have a few acquaintances in construction management, and those with Master's degrees other than Civil Engineering almost invariably have an MBA.
     
  4. SPandalai

    SPandalai New Member

    Check out University of Maryland. They have a graduate level program (MEng) in project management, which is not overly IT oriented. It can be done online and the engineering school does have a good reputation. They are also accredited by PMI, which is a good thing to have in PM circles.
     
  5. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  6. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    The PM masters I have looked into were not geared towards IT including this one at Keller http://www.devry.edu/keller/programs/m_project_management/courses.jsp .
    My boss took this degree on Campus in Long Beach, CA, and was very happy with the program.

    Cal State University Bakersfield (CSUB) has a certificate in PM
    http://www.csub.edu/extension/project_management.html

    CSUB also has a Masters of Science in Administration that might meet your needs.
    http://www.csub.edu/msaonline/courses.html

    I mention the CSUB options just in case proctored exams are required - you could perhaps arrange to take these exams at SDSU.

    I recall that some schools offer great tuition rates to military spouses - maybe someone can add to this.
     

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