The purpose of the Project Management program is to serve graduate students in the online environment by improving their business and project management competencies, providing them with professional development opportunities as project management practitioners, and enhancing their prospects for continued advancement in their chosen industry or field of endeavor.
Graduates will:
The Master of Science in Project Management (MSPM) is an online program designed to satisfy the needs of working adults who want to pursue a degree while remaining employed. The non-thesis degree program is open to anyone who holds a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, who meets admission requirements, and who has the desire to learn about project management. It provides professionals with a convenient, practical, and high-quality course of study that allows them to develop the new skills that are needed in managing today’s workplace while earning graduate credits toward an advanced degree. The curriculum is mapped to the PMBOK® Guide, which forms the foundation needed to obtain the Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential. The MSPM program is accredited by GAC-The PMI Global Accreditation Center, which is a widely accepted ‘gold standard’ in project management education. UW-Platteville is also a PMI Global Registered Education Provider. Each three-credit course is equivalent to 45 Professional Development Units (PDUs) toward maintenance of the PMP® credential.
Those seeking admission to the MS in Project Management program must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a nationally or regionally accredited institution recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). International degrees will be evaluated on an individual basis. To be eligible for admission in full standing, a student must have an overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 or above, or 2.90 on the last 60 credits from the degreegranting institution. Students who do not qualify for admission in full standing may be admitted on a trial enrollment justified by the admitting department and approved by the dean of the School of Graduate Studies. Students are allowed seven years from the date of admission into the program to complete degree requirements; extensions may be granted for extenuating circumstances.
Program entrance requirements and degree completion requirements are consistent with those of the graduate programs of the institution. Applicants should follow the instructions found in the Online Admission Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.
Students with a bachelor's degree who want to enroll in selected courses without being admitted to the program may enroll as special students. A maximum of 12 credits may be taken as a special student.
The Master of Science in Project Management is earned upon the successful completion of 30-36 credit hours (total varies depending upon how many business foundation courses are required based on the student's approved degree plan). All courses are three credits unless otherwise noted.
Graduate credits in which a grade lower than a “C” has been earned will not be counted toward a degree in Project Management; however, these lower grades will be reflected in the student’s grade point average.
* With the Program Coordinator’s approval, PROJMGT 7920 Seminar Research or PROJMGT 7990 Thesis Research may be substituted for PROJMGT 7840. Both options require adequate preparation in scholarly research and formal writing, or completion of COMMNCTN 7330 as a prerequisite. Thesis Research (PROJMGT 7990) also requires completion of a research methods course.
Select elective courses with the assistance of an academic advisor. Electives currently identified are listed below. Additional electives may be available through transfer and/or other arrangements. Contact the Program Coordinator for more information.
* Available as an elective course if not selected for core category
The curriculum is regularly updated to ensure its relevance to today&s project managers.
UW-Platteville offers two online project management certificates- -The Certificate in Project Management and the Advanced Certificate in Project Management as described below. These certificates are distinct from the MS in Project Management (MSPM) program, but credit earned for them may be applied toward completion of the MSPM degree. To earn a certificate, students must complete all of the required courses through UW-Platteville. All courses must be taken under the direction of University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty. Transferred courses and course substitutions are not allowed.
To obtain a certificate, students must
This certificate is designed for people who want a solid foundation in basic project management skills but are not currently pursuing the MS in Project Management. The credits earned for the certificate can be applied toward the master’s degree for those who apply and are accepted into the degree program. The Certificate in Project Management is comprised of three courses. Each course is worth three credits. Students may enroll in these courses as a Special Student.
Together, the courses in this certificate address the various process groups and knowledge areas of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge and provide many of the competencies needed to prepare for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification Examination. For more information on the Project Management Institute and the PMP® Certification Examination, go to www.pmi.org and click on Certification.
UW-Platteville maintains transfer and credit agreements with a variety of external education partners. UW-Platteville awards transfer credits for incoming MSPM students who have fulfilled the requirements for one of these agreements. Please see www.uwplatt.edu/disted/project-management-transfer-agreements.html and www.uwplatt.edu/disted/project-management-credit-for-life.html for more information about these agreements.
NOTE: UW-Platteville allows credit from only one participating program partner or credential to count toward degree completion. Contact the program director (projectmgmt@uwplatt.edu) to discuss transfer credits.