Boston, Mass. and Newtown Square, Pa., 8 Oct. 2009 — The following degree programs at The College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University were accredited by Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC) on September 17, 2009.

• Master of Science in Project Management
• Master of Science in Leadership with a specialization in Project Management

The Master of Science in Project Management prepares students to manage and oversee large projects in a variety of industries, from initial project definition through performance evaluation.  The Master of Science in Leadership, which includes a project management specialization, allows new and emerging leaders to build leadership competencies.

Degree programs that achieve GAC accreditation must demonstrate and meet the GAC’s rigorous standards of accreditation, which include an assessment of each program’s objectives and outcomes, faculty and student evaluations, onsite and online resources, annual self-evaluation, and proof of continuous improvements in the area of project management education.Sixty-three project management degree programs at 25 institutions in nine countries are accredited by GAC. Programs at eight other universities are in the process of accreditation. GAC accreditation ensures the quality of academic degree programs and their graduates in order to meet the standards of the rapidly growing field of project management. 

“We are thrilled to have the endorsement from PMI through the GAC Accreditation and to be recognized as one of the leading providers of project management education,” said Todd Leach, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean, College of Professional Studies, Northeastern University. “Our project management programs uphold the College’s commitment to the highest quality academic innovation and instruction.” 

 “Obtaining PMI GAC accreditation is a rigorous process and the College of Professional Studies’ participation makes a public statement about the deep commitment of the College and its faculty to ongoing evaluation and continuous quality improvement,” said Edwin Andrews, Ph.D., director of academic and educational programs and services at PMI. “GAC accreditation confirms that the scale and quality of an institution’s project management degree program conforms to a comprehensive international standard.” 

Individuals who complete one of the College of Professional Studies’ GAC accredited programs earn 1,500 hours of project management experience toward the requirements that are needed to sit for PMI’s

Project Management Professional (PMP)^® credential examination. Currently, an applicant with a bachelor degree (or higher) must document 4,500 hours spent leading and directing project tasks. If the applicant documents that he or she graduated from a GAC accredited program, then only 3,000 hours of work experience need to be presented to fulfill this requirement. Additionally, individuals who complete a GAC accredited program earn 1,500 hours of project management experience toward the requirements that are needed to sit for the PMI Program Management Professional (PgMP)^® credential examination.

About The College of Professional Studies
The College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University is a world-class leader and innovator in professional learning.  The academic curriculum corresponds to the global economy’s leading industries and provides students with an education that is innovative, flexible, and at the nexus of practice and academic theory.

About Project Management Institute
The world’s leading project management organization, PMI shares knowledge with nearly 500,000 members and credential holders in 185+ countries. Since its founding 40 years ago, PMI has impacted more than one million practitioners, businesses, governments, students and training organizations. Today, PMI’s products and services range from world-class standards for project, program and portfolio management to five professional credentials, including the gold standard Project Management Professional (PMP)^®. PMI’s exclusive Global Corporate Council and European Corporate Networking Group engage large multinationals and government organizations in endorsing the value of project management. The only project management association with an established academic research program, PMI has invested more than US$14 million in support of dozens of research projects since 1997. Learn more at PMI.org.

About the PMI Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC) Established by the PMI Board of Directors in 2001, the Global Accreditation Center for Project Management (GAC) is a specialized accrediting body that assures the quality of project management degree programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels.