MS Project Management, Program Information

Program Faculty

Department Chair

Sanjay Bapna, M.B.A., Ph.D. 

Professor

Program Coordinator

Dr. Dennis Agboh, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of INSS

Department of Information Science and Systems

Earl G. Graves School of Business & Management, 508

Tel: (443) 885-4557; Fax: (443) 885-8255 

E-mail:dennis.agboh@morgan.edu

Program Faculty

Dennis K. Agboh, M.S., Ph.D. 

Associate Professor

Donald Buresh, M.S., Ph.D. 

Lecturer 

Maxim Bushuev, M.S., Ph.D., Ph.D. 

Assistant Professor

Mary Dunaway, Ph.D., PMP

Assistant Professor

Lisa Harper, M.B.A., PMP 

Lecturer

Monica Kay, D.B.A., PMP

Lecturer 

Thomas Ngniatedema, M.S., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Stephen Onu, Ph.D., PMP 

Lecturer

Marcus S. Parker, MSC, PMP

Lecturer

Abirami Radhakrishnan, M.B.A., Ph.D. 

Associate Professor 

Leslie James Sklenar, M.B.A., PMP 

Lecturer 

Ziping Wang, M.S., Ph.D. 

Associate Professor

Jigish Zaveri, M.S., Ph.D. 

Professor

Program Description

The Master of Science in Project Management degree program (MSPM) is an interdisciplinary, 30-credit graduate program that provides a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of project management theory and practice. The objective of this program is to provide students with technical and soft skills to excel in challenging work environments. This program helps to meet the industry demand for project managers who can improve project performance. The program brings together courses in project management, business, city & regional planning, engineering, information technology, liberal arts, sciences, social sciences, transportation, and several other disciplines to offer a rich educational experience. The professionals can advance in their careers in the private and public sectors. It also provides a career change path for working professionals. We follow the Project Management Institute (PMI) standards. We use the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) extensively in our project management courses.

Program Objectives

The program learning outcomes of the MSPM program are:

1. Demonstrate working knowledge of project management terminology, techniques, and analysis. 

2. Integrate PMI’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) knowledge areas

3. Demonstrate an ability to develop a project management plan

4. Develop strategies for the project team and stakeholder management

5. Apply project management knowledge and skills to a real-life project.

General Requirements

Candidates for the MS in Project Management degree must complete a minimum of thirty (30) academic credit hours and pass the comprehensive exam. 

Students must complete all required prerequisites, mathematics and statistics proficiency (quantitative foundation prior to the start of the program or during the first semester), Core and Supporting courses, and the Comprehensive Exam in the requisite order.  

Math/Stat Proficiency must be established before commencing Project Management coursework.  Students must follow the course sequence as determined by the Program. The Project Management Application course and the comprehensive examination have to be taken in the last and graduating semester.  Students must follow application deadlines for graduation.

The comprehensive exam is an assessment of the student’s ability to exhibit mastery of project management knowledge areas. The comprehensive exam is given in the last semester of study. Students will be exempted from the comprehensive examination if they successfully pass either the CAPM® or the PMP® Certificate examinations offered by Project Management Institute (PMI®).

Students may repeat courses in which they have secured a grade of “C,” but must not receive any more than 20% of their program’s credit requirement in “C” grades

Admission

To be eligible for admission to the Master of Science Program in Project Management, an applicant must: 

• Have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. 

• Possess an undergraduate cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) of 3.0 or better to be considered for regular admission. Students who possess a cumulative undergraduate G.P.A. of between a 2.5 and less than 3.0 may be considered for conditional admission.  Post-bachelor’s undergraduate credits will not be used to enhance G.P.A. requirements for admission to graduate study. 

• Submit an application for admission to the School of Graduate Studies.  All required documents must be submitted as directed by the School of Graduate Studies prior to program review and admission decision.

• Use the application system to arrange for three letters of recommendation to be placed with the application.  Two letters must be from officials or faculty members of institutions previously attended who are acquainted with the applicant’s ability for graduate study. At least one letter must be from employment supervisors.

• Submit a typed exposition regarding the candidate’s personal academic and professional plans and goals and the role that the MSPM program will play in reaching the goals.

• Document(s) substantiating two years of full-time work experience.

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and submitting all the required documents does not guarantee that an offer of admission will be made to the applicant.  The decision of the Program Admissions Committee involves a review and analysis of all the elements of the application as well as the availability of positions in the program.  The committee then recommends to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies that an offer admission should be made based on that review.

Candidacy

Students achieve candidacy by successfully passing the Comprehensive Examination.  Prior to achieving Candidacy, the student must enroll in the Comprehensive Examination, or demonstrate through official certificates that they have successfully obtained the CAPM® or the PMP® certificates, offered through PMI®. 

Once a student achieves candidacy, enrollment in any course is generally prohibited.  Students seeking additional skills, knowledge, or a certificate must seek approval through the program up to the School of Graduate Studies.  The request must be accompanied with a revised Plan of Study.

Additional Requirements

All MSPM Program core courses should be taken at Morgan.  A maximum of two supporting courses may be transferred in accordance with the School of Graduate Studies credit transfer policy and the INSS department approval. 

Graduate students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in order to remain in good academic standing. Students whose cumulative GPAs fall below a 3.0 are automatically placed on academic probation. Students who are on academic probation for two (2) consecutive semesters and who fail to raise their GPA to a satisfactory level at the conclusion of the two (2) consecutive terms of probation will be dismissed from the School of Graduate studies and the program. A course in which a grade of “C” has been earned may be repeated.

More information is available in the School of Graduate Studies Catalog under the Regulations and Procedures section.

Additional Notes

Students who wish to obtain additional professional certification known as Project Management Professional (PMP) or CAPM must meet additional conditions that are set by Project Management Institute (PMI).  PMI is a non-profit project management professional association that develops, administers, and maintains PMP certification standards.

Program Course Requirements

MS in Project Management (30 credit hours), not including the Quantitative Foundation Course:  

• Quantitative Foundation Course

Students must demonstrate proficiency in mathematics and statistics before taking any core courses.  Students who have the quantitative proficiency (as determined by their undergraduate or graduate coursework transcripts with a grade of “B” or better) prior to admission will have met the requirements. Students who have not met the requirements will need to register and take a Project Management Program recommended online class in Quantitative Methods, or pass a proficiency exam.

• 15 credit hours from the Core Courses

PROJ 600:* Foundations in Project, Program, and Portfolio Mgmt* 3

PROJ 650:  Project Integration and Scope Management 3

PROJ 655:  Building and Leading Successful Project Teams 3

PROJ 660:  Project Time and Cost Management 3

PROJ 670:  Managing Project Procurement, Quality, and Risk 3

*This course must be taken as the first course in the program 

• 9 credit hours from the Supporting Courses

Students select 3 courses (9 credits) from the graduate programs (600 level or higher) at Morgan State University based on their background and experience. For example, ACCT, BUAD, GEGR, COSC, CREP, EEGR, FIN, IEGR, INSS, MKTG, PROJ, PUBH, TRSP among others.  Students are required to obtain department/school/college approval before selecting and enrolling in supporting courses. Departments that offer supporting courses may substitute courses when appropriate.

• 3 credit hours PM Elective Course

PROJ 681:  Managing IT Projects 3

PROJ 685:  Special Topics in Project Management 3

• 3 credit hours Project Management Application 

PROJ.690 is a required course of all students in the last semester of the MSPM program.  Student must complete the Project Management Application after completing all core courses.  This intensive course has a comprehensive project requirement that integrates all knowledge areas and processes.

PROJ 690:  Project Management Application 3

• 0 credit hours Comprehensive Examination (Pass/Fail)

Comprehensive Examination in Project Management 0

Suggested Curriculum Sequence

The typical plan of study requires enrollment in a minimum of nine (9) credit hours per term to remain full-time.  Not every course is offered every term, and the following plan of study is an illustration. At the initial conference with an advisor, a preliminary plan of study will be established, and this will be reported to the School of Graduate Studies (using the SGS Plan of Study Form) for placement in the student’s official file.  At this time, any anticipated exceptions or anticipated transfer credits will be noted. Changes to the plan of study will be reported to the School of Graduate Studies. The student and the advisor will sign the form submitted to the School of Graduate Studies. This is a suggested plan of study for students who are starting the program in Fall and enrolled in face-to-face program. Contact the program coordinator for plans of study for students starting in Spring and/or enrolled in online program.