Looking at Graduate Degrees in Project Management

This is my first post. First of all I work at Boeing. Boeing pays $15k per year for a graduate degree. Also it it my understanding from reading the Boeing tuition reimbursement site that the Federal Govt taxes any amount over $5250 as income unless the degree is directly related to you job. I work in program management so I do not think this is an issue. I'm thinking about obtaining a MS in Project Management not because I think I really need one for job advancement etc, but more as a refresher. Below are my current degrees, certificates and certifications.

B.A. Management with an Emphasis in Business Adminstrationw, Webster University - 1993
M.A. in Telecommunications Management, Webster University - 1997
Master's Certificate in Project Management, Steves Institute of Technology - 1998
PMP Certification - 1999

I received my Master's Certificate and PMP certification early in my PM career before I was fully experienced. I feel that I will gain and have a more full-filling experience and learn new techniques now that I have over 10 years of experience in PM. I'm evaluating the schools and programs listed below. Most offer an online solution. I do not like hassels. And one of my biggest pet-peeves about applying to graduate schools is some of the red-tape that some of them make you go through. GMAT, GRE, letters of recommendation, Essays. First of all I will not go to any school that makes me take a GMAT or GRE? From what I read none of the schools shown below will make me take the test because of my GPA and because I already have one graduate degree.


Western Carolina University - One of the top ones on my list. Seems to have a good reputation. Affordable.

Boston University - Was accepted into this program in 2005 and backed out at the last second. My heart wasn't in it. I do not know really how good of a program it is.

City University - Seattle - I like the cirriculum, the way it's setup. Because it's in Seattle a lot of Boeing employees attend City University.

Drexel University - Expensive - would have to go at a slower pace to keep within the 15k per year

Washingtion University - St. Louis - Just found out they have a MPM last night. Very expensive. Not online. $1300 per credit. Probably would take four years to keep within the 15k per year. Very prestigious school though.

Standford - Advanced PM Certificate - do not know much about this but seems interesting if I want to stick with a certificate. I thought it may compliment by Master's Certificate from SIT.

Unversity of Wisconsin - Plattsville - Do not know anything about this school. I think I'm might be able to reduce the number of credits becasue of the PMP.

Northern Arizona University - Do not know much about this school. The cirriculum seems to be robust.

Any feed back on any of these schools would be appreciate, espcially about BU since I've already been accpeted into the program.

Davesaint

 

Dave,

I think that you've listed some great institutions. I'll put in a shameless plug for my alma mater, Keller Graduate School of Management. I originally earned an MBA in project management, but later stayed for the last 18 hours to earn my MPM with distinction. I was a ground student at the Houston campus, but several of the on ground faculty teach online.

I've been happy with my selection of schools and I think the fact that they are accredited by PMI is a plus. That really is the gold standard--any school that has the PMI seal of approval has demonstrated that their curriculum aligns with the PMP exam.

Now I teach for DeVry as one of three faculty members teaching project management for the undergrads. If you are looking for adjunct opportunities, courses that make up the degree are in heavy demand (contracts, negotiation skills and operations management).


Thanks,

 

Dave,

If you work in the defense side of Boeing (as opposed to the commercial business side), you may want to consider the defense-focused Master of Science in Program Management at the Naval Postgraduate School. NPS allows defense contractors to enroll in some of its programs.

 

Thanks SE Texas Prof. When I worked at Lucent Technologies one of my co-workers was attending Keller. He liked it. I'll check it out.

Dr Rene - the MS in Program Management look's like an awesome program. However it look's like I would need a sponsor from within the government if I'm reading the information correctly.

Thanks - Davesaint

 

A few more online PM degree options:

Penn State MPM Penn State | Online Master of Project Management

Drexel MS in Project Mgmt. Online Master

Colorado Technical Univ. MS in Mgmt. w/concentration in PM Project Management Degree Concentration - Masters - CTU

George Washington Univ. MSPM The George Washington University University School of Business

University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering ME in PM Online Master's in Project Management

Univ. of Wisconsin-Platteville MSPM Master of Science in Project Management | UW-Platteville Distance Education

Univ. Of Liverpool MSc in PM Project Managment*MSc ~ Online Degree ~ University of Liverpool

 

Dave - just saw your PM, figured I'd reply here to help anyone else who may have similar questions.

I am enrolled in the WCU MPM program as you had asked about. It is in fact 6 classes at 6 credit hours, and quite affordable (certainly for in-state students, but even for out-of-state).

I'll throw a few random thoughts out there based on my experience and you can glean from it what you will Note that these comments are based on being complete the intro 6 credits, and about halfway through the second course. So, I'm about 1/4 way done.

1. The 'peer group' is quite important in this program as you will spend a LOT of time collaborating with them, at least initially. You form teams early on (which can be changed from class to class....) and work with them on group assignments.
2. The course format so far has included both individual and team assignments, and sometimes the two meld together (i.e. dependencies from the group assignment on individual submissions). Generally speaking, you have 1 week (Weds -> Tues) to complete the assignments.
3. There is a bit of 'rigidity' when it comes to submission formats and processes. We are required to maintain a 'team process document' as well as project logs documenting the minutes of each of our class/team meetings. This includes action items by name of individual, next meeting times, etc. All assignments are generally in APA format.
4. We have to read quite a bit in the way of texts (add in some extra $ for the textbooks as they aren't cheap), as well as conduct external research on the electronic databases, library resources, etc. There is no shortage of 'things to do' from this perspective should you choose to go the full-mile on each assignment.
5. On the difficulty of the program: the 'intro' course for 6 credits was not bad - it was a manageable workload with a more than full-time job + life. However, the second course has been quite challenging and requires a LOT of time.
6. The faculty/staff vary by class, which is nice - they're fairly/very experienced in most cases, but their interaction with the class varies. The first course was very hands-on, sharing experiential learning and practical concepts. The second course, not so much (though, frankly, it's probably good - most of the learning at this point comes from interaction with classmates.)

Overall, I'd say I'm satisfied both with the program and the school at this point. I do wish it could be completed in less than 2 years, but unfortunately with this courseload it would not be possible for me.

Hope that helps address some of the questions.

Mike

 

2L8IWON - Thank you for the detailed feedback. I'm looking at BU, WGU, Drexel and University of Wisconsin. I'm pretty sure the University of Wisconsin will knock at least 12 hours off the 36 hours. It look's like WCU does not except transfer credit. I also think I can get Drexel to knock some hours off. Currently I'm leaning towards WGU or the University of Wisconsin. I think I could complete the UW degree within 2 years if they knock of the hours.

Thanks,
Dave

 

Hi Dave, you may want to revisit Boeing's tuition assistance program again, it is my understanding that they redesigned the program and that the school you attend must be in the region you work (for example,if you work in Seattle, there are a select number of schools in the Pacific Northwest that you can attend, if you're in St. Louis you are limited to a number of schools in the Midwest).
One of my close friends in the Seattle office managed to get Boeing to pay for her MBA at the London Business School. She was able to leave for two years (2006-2008), came back after graduating and Boeing picked up the entire bill. Another friend was very upset when they redesigned the program because he was accepted to the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown and couldn't go because of the new stipulations.

 

AuTiger00 - I know they are in the process of lowering the number of schools that employees can attend. This issue is suppose to be resolved by the end of the month. Boeing has capped graduate schools at 15K per year which is a bummer. I'm guessing if Boeing enacts a rule for you must attend a school in the region you work that they will still allow online schools also like AIU, Capella, etc). If they do want employees to atttend a school in the region they live in then I'm probably going to attend Washington Unversity. It's going to take me 4 years to complete the degree taking 3 classes per year because of the tuition cap. The cost is $1395 per credit.

Dave

 

I contacted Washington University today in St. Louis. They do not offer an online Master in Project Management. You have to attend class. I just looked at US News and World Report and Washington University is tied at 13 with Northwestern. I did not know they were rated this high. I think I can get in if I choose to do so. However tuition is $1395 per credit + books + parking. I will only be able to take 3 classes per year and would finish in 4 years because of Boeng's tuition cap. I'm still waiting to hear back from Western Carolina University and Boston University. I was able to get in contact with the University of Wisconsin. They gave me some flak about accepting transfer credit for some of my graduates classes I took. They said there is a seven year window and since I graduated in 1997 that window has closed. I told them I would find another school that will accept them. The adivisor wants me to fax him my transcript, PMP Certificate and my resume. He said he thinks that I can still receive credit for work experience and the PMP. Will see. I also checked out American Graduate University. They offer a MS in Project Management and a MBA with a Concentration in Project Management. I like their cirriculum. Seems very robust and the school is really affordable.

Dave

Dave

 

Dave,

You stated that you did not want to take the GMAT. But take a look at these two just in case:

Missouri State University MS PM

Mississippi State University MBA PM Concentration

Personally I like these due to cost and the fact that they are both programs from solid state schools.

Regards,

 

I've been inquiring all this week about Master degree programs in Project Management.
Boeing implemented a preferred school list, which becomes effective on July 26th. Currently the list contains about a 1,000 schools. The new list does not contain some schools that I was interested in like the Western Carolina University and the University of Wisconsin at Plattsville. Below are the schools I'm still interested in and how I rank them and why.

1. Northeastern University (MS in Project Management Online) - Northeastern has moved to the top of my list. They are AACSB accredited and the PM is PMI-GAC accredited. They rank #80 in the latest US News and World Report issue. The cost is $524 per quarter hour. The curriculum seems practical compared to some of the other schools. I like their online portal from what I seen. The admissions process does not look like it will be a huge pain to deal with. In fact I can enroll unofficially and start taking classes before I'm officially admitted. There are 4 terms per year. According to their PM map, part-time students should be able to finish the program in less than two years.
Master of Science in Project Management: Northeastern College of Professional Studies

2. Washington University - (Mater of Project Management) They do not have an online program. They are AACSB accredited and the PMI accredited but not PMI-GAC accredited. Their master's program has only been in existence since 2009. However their graduate certificate has been around a long time. They rank #13 (tied with Northwestern) in the latest US News and World Report issue. The cost is $1395 per semester hour. If I attend this program I will only be able to take one 3-hour class per semester in order to stay under Boeing's tuition cap. I will also have to pay for parking. The program will take four years to complete.

3. George Washington University - (MS in Project Management) - They are AACSB accredited and the PM program is PMI-GAC accredited. They rank #53 in the latest US News and World Report issue. The program is a 36-hour program. The cost is $1175 per semester credit. I would only be able to take four classes per year so I would be able to finish the program in three years. I know in PM circles GWU is considered a top-notch program. I do not like that there is a two-day on-site orientation and also a 5-day residency requirement at the end of the program (added expense).

4. Boston University (Online MS In Project Management) - They are AACSB accredited and the PM program is PMI-GAC accredited. They rank #55 in the latest US News and World Report issue. The program 48 semester hours. The cost for Boeing is $721 per. In my opinion this program should be considered a MBA in Project Management based on the curriculum you are required to take. I was accepted into this program back in 2005. It was a pain in the arse going through the admissions process. I backed out at the last second because I was reassigned to a new $2.2 billion program. I'm glad I backed out because I put in some long hours at the beginning of the program. What I like about the BU program is that you take one 4-hour class every seven weeks. In my opinion this is a big plus because you only have to bust you butt and concentrate on one accelerated class at a time. BU has fallen to the bottom of my listed because I haven't been happy with their customer service so far. I made five calls and none of them have been returned. I finally got a hold of someone yesterday and they are trying to find my paperwork and acceptance letter. From what I remember they knocked 12 hours off the program because of my PMP and graduate transfer credits. If they contact me next week and say that cannot find my paperwork or it's been too long and I have to reapply I'm dropping them from my list.

Now the question is has anyone heard good or bad things about these institutions. I know no university is perfect?

Thanks-Dave

 

To me ERAU is perfect and I would guess it is on the Boeing list.
And they have a MPM degree and satellite campuses in Washington State
Master of Science in Project Management, Graduate Degrees, Worldwide Campus, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

 

Okay I'll bite. Why is ERAU perfect? They definitely are on Boeing's list.

Dave

 

What do they mean by preferred? Do they really mean you have to use those schools? Just curious.

I'm about 2/3 of the way into the MSPM at UW-Platteville. They gave me 6 credits for my PMP cert, as well as a waiver for Organizational Behavior (3 more credits) because I took that as an undergrad.

 

I'm guessing because ERAU is an aeronautical university, and Boeing is an aeronautical company.

 

Here are some reasons why I was pleased with ERAU:

I took my ERAU in seat and classes held at various locations in the LA area including at aerospace company facilities, at LAX, and at March ARB.

No bureaucracy – the area administrator (perhaps not the right title) came to the classroom and signed everyone up, answered questions, and always answered questions within a few days.

The teachers were all very experienced in their teaching area and spent a lot of time going over difficult concepts.

Most classes were 5-hour long in the evenings – apart from lectures students participated by giving presentations in their areas of expertise.

Fellow students all had interesting jobs and stories – I recall several airline employees who commuted in from Denver and Portland Oregon, a DEA helicopter pilot, a pilot who raced his aircraft at Reno, a C-17 engineer who got us a tour of the C-17, and a USAF officer who worked on space weather.

All tests that I recall were either open book (some in class and some take home) or papers.

ERAU provided lots of valuable assistance with the thesis (actually a Graduate Research Project). The local office had copies of previous GRPs, a writing guide was provided, help with topic selection (proprietary GRPs were acceptable with employer consent), and suggested ERAU GRP reviewers.

ERAU allowed me to transfer in two courses from my completed MSQA degree (the limit is three).

Security: One class I took had a security guard hanging around for its duration. Apparently, the teacher had received threats because he gave a student a fail grade.

You could drop in at your local ERAU campus to check out their programs and meet their staff.

 

Thanks Ian. I would imagine you would hear some great stories. When I went to Webster alot of the instructors worked at McDonnell Douglas. My instructor for my pm class and capstone class was a marine aviator during Vietnam. He had some great stories. I'm almost positive that ERAU does not a location in St. Louis however.

 

Vewdew1 - What do they mean by preferred? Do they really mean you have to use those schools? Just curious.

I'm about 2/3 of the way into the MSPM at UW-Platteville. They gave me 6 credits for my PMP cert, as well as a waiver for Organizational Behavior (3 more credits) because I took that as an undergrad.

Starting on 7/26/10 you would have to used one of the schools on the list. If you are already enrolled in a school off the old last you are grandfathered in until you complete the program (which is good). I was told yesterday that if I enroll in a school off the old list before 7/26/10 I would be grandfathered in. Bill Haskins (UWP) told me I could fax him my transcript and PMP certificate and resume and he thought he could get me some transfer credit. They only give you three hours now for the PMP. It used to be six. Since my graduated courses are over 7 years old they will not accept transfer credit but he said that he can get me around that. So it is possible that I could still enrolled in UWP but will only do so if I receive transfer credit. I would like to know what you think about the school. Instructors? Ease of dealing with the school? Admissions process? Number of classes you take per semester? Workload? I was told that there are no group projects, which I consider a plus.

Thanks,
Dave

 

Previous mentions of the Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (PMI-GAC) did not provide the link to that site: http://www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/Degree-Directory.aspx

Whihc list the following PMI-GAC schools (and candidates) in the US (with links to the programs), plus programs around the world:

Boston University — Metropolitan College
Capella University, School of Business and Technology and the School of Undergraduate Studies
Colorado Technical University - College of Business and Management
DeVry University
DeVry University Keller Graduate School of Management
Eastern Michigan University
Northeastern University
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Alaska, Anchorage
University of Houston
University of Management and Technology
University of Maryland
University of Maryland University College
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Western Carolina University

Candidate Degree Programs

The George Washington University
Kaplan University
New England College
City University of Seattle
Wentworth Institute of Technology