Program Coordinator
Donna Perkins
 

Whether you're building a bridge, designing a new computer system, or completing a consulting contract, you are handling a formal project. As a project manager, you must be able to manage projects efficiently, facilitate relationships between the project team and the customers, and balance competing demands among scope, time, cost, and quality. 

The Master of Science in Project Management at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is an online program that will prepare you to manage complex projects given finite time lines. 

The degree consists of 30 to 36 credits, depending on your need for foundation courses. The core requirements consist of 15 credits. You may select the remaining credits in consultation with your academic advisor.  (View program requirements.)

This is a convenient, practical, quality program that will allow you to develop the new skills that are needed in managing today's workplace. 

The curriculum for this degree has been designed to follow the Project Management Body of Knowledge, which forms the foundation needed to obtain the Project Management Professional designation. 

For more information on the Master of Science in Project Management, visit the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Distance Education Home Page.
 

Program Coordinator Profile

Donna Perkin is the Assistant Dean of the College of Business, Industry, Life Science, and Agriculture and an assistant professor of business administration at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Donna served on the committee charged with developing the project management program at UW-Platteville, and has coordinated the program since 1998.

Donna received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and her Master's in Business Administration from the University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa.  Donna joined the faculty at the UW-Platteville in 1988 and primarily teaches management courses to undergraduate business students.  Before joining the academia, Donna spent 12 years with Deere & Company in a number of positions that provided her with a variety of experiences in quality improvement and computer system implementation projects.
 

Course Focus: PM 701, Project Management Techniques I

Project Management 701, Project Management Techniques I, is a 16-week online course that addresses project planning and management. Dr. Joanne Wilson, a professor of general engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, teaches this graduate-level course. 

The course is comprised of online lectures and discussions; textbook reading assignments; textbook problems, which students submit electronically to the instructor for evaluation; and optional self-tests that may be corrected online. To facilitate course progression, students work together in groups of four or five.

The course begins with a lesson on how students may use the technology involved in online learning. The first course assignment is to set up a student profile page, which allows the student to experiment with the software and become familiar with how the databases collect and display information. 

The course progresses with online discussions and evaluations of project management ideas and concepts. Dr. Wilson has developed several PowerPoint demonstrations to help students understand the significant course concepts.

The course ends with two special group projects. "A good example of a project might be that of planning a trip abroad for 40 people. Much effort and skill must go into planning such a project," said Dr. Wilson. "Not only must students find information, they must also evaluate options, such as whether to send a person ahead to evaluate or screen accommodations before the group commmits." 

Dawn Marsh, a UW-Platteville engineering alumna, is currently enrolled in the course. "It is fairly flexible for me to log on at my convenience to participate with the group," said Marsh. "The same pressures [of the traditional classroom] still exist to do assigned reading and to complete homework on time; however, I love that I don't need to commute and meet with the class three times a week. This makes the online course wonderful!"

Dawn said that overall her experience in Project Management Techniques I has been fantastic and that she has met some great people virtually. In addition to learning new ideas and concepts that she can apply in her career, the course has provided her with a network of other people who have shared how they run their businesses. 

If you would like to enroll in PM 701, Project Management Techniques I, go to the Project Management section of the Distance Education Home Page.