School of Professional Studies

Project Management

Master's of Professional Studies – Project Management
Accredited Online Master's Degree and Certificate Program
› No GRE required

About Project Management

Demand over the next 10 years for project managers is growing faster than demand for workers in other occupations. The latest PMI-commissioned talent gap analysis by Anderson Economic Group (AEG) points to outstanding opportunities in jobs and career growth for project managers. Through 2027, the project management-oriented labor force is expected to grow by 33 percent, or nearly 22 million new jobs. By 2027, employers will need nearly 88 million individuals in project management-oriented roles.

Tennessee Tech’s online Project Management program prepares students to meet the growing demands for project management with courses grounded in the methodologies, strategies, skills, and tactics critical for success. The program is a combination of theory and practice and accepts students from a variety of backgrounds providing professionals the opportunity to transition from one career to another. Students completing the program receive training from PMI certified instructors as well as 20+ year veterans of industry. The program does not require a calculus background.

The courses are 7-weeks long and can be taken completely online. The program can be taken as part of the Master of Professionals Studies degree (30 hours) or as a 15-hour graduate certificate or as a non-degree seeking student.

The concentration and certificate will address the growing need for trained Project Managers. The certificate represents a stackable credential that will enhance any degree field (Agriculture, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Religious Studies, Business, History, etc.).

For more information on the Project Management M.P.S. program, contact Kandy B. Smith at 931-372-6267 or kbsmith@tntech.edu.

Course Outline & Descriptions
Master's of Professional Studies | Project Management
Course Requirements & Descriptions

Project Management Degree 30 Hours

12 Hours Core Courses:
- PRST 6100 - Professional Environment Issues and Ethics (3)
  Overview of ethics in general, with practical tools for assessing ethical dimensions of professional life, diagnosing or identifying the moral issues at hand, and then developing reasonable options to address particular moral and ethical issues.
- PRST 6110 - Leadership and Communication (3)
  This course focuses on leadership as a function of communication behavior. Through discussion, cases and exercises, participants will explore effective communication strategies within an organizational setting. The course will cover team leadership skills, rhetorical sensitivity, charisma and practical suggestions for improving leadership effectiveness.
- PRST 6300 - Research Methods (3)
  The student and application of research methods appropriate to professional studies. The course will provide a general introduction to research methods, as well as providing practical exposure to Problem Statements, Literature Reviews, Writing the Research Proposal, and Organization of the Research Report. Quantitative and Qualitative Research methodologies will be covered.
- PRST 6998 - Professional Project (3)
  The Professional Project is the capstone course for the Master of Professional Studies Degree, serving as the integrative culmination of the program of study. The Professional Project should be a substantial piece of independent research or a significant professional project that is logically consistent with the content of a given program of study. The work should demonstrate familiarity with and understanding of a body of professional literature related to a specific topic. The Project should grow out of the experiences and coursework involved in the Master of Professional Studies Project Management Concentration and should demonstrate the ability to incorporate the knowledge from the MPS courses completed.
Choose 15 Concentration/Certificate Hours:

*Required courses for Project Management Certificate
- PRST 6820* Introduction to Project Management Expectations & Methodologies (3)
  This course is designed to equip the student with the needed background to apply for introductory level roles in project management. Project managers play a key role in leading, planning and implementing critical projects to help their organizations succeed. In this course, students will discover foundational project management terminology and gain a deeper understanding of the role and responsibilities of a project manager.
- PRST 6830* Project Management Processes and Development Strategies (3)
  The world of project management is changing. Industry no longer relies on a single project management process to complete all project work, instead they use multiple processes all tailored to their needs. This course is designed to take a deep dive view in the world of project management processes leveraged in industries today. At the completion of the class, students will have a better understanding of the processes to include predictive (Waterfall), adaptive (SCRUM), and hybrid processes.
- PRST 6840* Project Management: Schedule and Finance (3)
  This course is designed to take a deep approach into both the schedule and financial activities used by project managers today. In this class, students will learn how to both plan and estimate activities to include how to create a schedule baseline, develop a network diagram, estimate activity durations, and develop a schedule and build financial estimates. In addition, students will learn critical terms such as critical path, late start, late finish, early start, and early finish.
- PRST 6850* Project Management: Risk Mitigation, Risk Assessment and Quality Assurance (3)
  This course provides an overview of risk mitigation with a focus on project management models, risk assessment including FMEA analysis, and includes a comprehensive introduction to standards organization and their purpose. Course topics will include: (a) continuous risk assessment models, (b) continuous process improvement, (c) LEAN Management principles, and (d) Make or Break Quality assessment. Case studies will be analyzed in each area, and each student will be required to assess and develop mitigation strategies relating to risk and quality management.
- PRST 6860 Project Management: Conflict Management in Projects (3)
  Project managers routinely deal with conflict, both from internal and external sources. This course will explore effective conflict resolution strategies within a project management environment. Students will develop conflict resolution skills while addressing scarce resources, lines of authority, team building, conflicting goals and expectations, time lines, and other conflict creating variables.
- PRST 6870 Project Management for IT Professional (3)
  This course provides an overview of strategic project planning and execution in IT delivery and administration with a focus on project management models, tools, planning, analysis, and assessment. This course explores strategies to provide successful oversight of information technology projects that an organization undertakes. Topics include planning, budgeting, executing, leading, troubleshooting, and maintaining IT projects.
- PRST 6880 Project Management for Healthcare Administration (3)
  This course provides an overview of strategic project planning and execution in healthcare delivery and administration with a focus on project management models, tools, planning, analysis, and assessment. Course topics will include: (a) healthcare strategy development, (b) market structure and product life cycle, (c) business model development and disruptive innovation, (d) stakeholders and organizational goals, and (e) implementing, monitoring, and evaluating strategies. Case studies will be explored, and each student will be required to develop a strategic project plan on a topic aligned with their healthcare interests.
- PRST 6800 Organizational Skills and Development (3)
  Analysis of theory, practice and skills involved in leading organizational change, including: aligning change with the organizational strategy, understanding changes as part of a system, understanding the dynamics of and managing resistance to change, creating a vision to inspire others to become a part of the change process, the use of goal setting, feedback and incentives to promote change, and aligning individual’s roles to support change. The course will blend learning from the texts and skill building.
- PRST 6810 Internship (3)
  Internships offer the student an opportunity to observe and work in a professional setting while gaining valuable “on the job training”. Internships for the Master of Professional Studies program should fit within the framework of the intern’s concentration area (Strategic Leadership, Human Resource Leadership, Training & Development or Healthcare Administration). The intern must complete ten hours of work per week for 15 weeks (one semester) to receive three hours of credit. Course objectives will be established by the instructor in collaboration with the intern and field supervisor for the internship. The field supervisor will coordinate the work of the intern and provide an evaluation at the conclusion of the internship while the instructor for the course will be responsible for assigning the final grade.
Elective (3):

Choose any PRST 6000 course or course approved by advisor.

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