Project managers are in demand around the world. In fact, an average of 1.2 million project management positions will need to be filled each year for the next decade.
That talent shortage fuels a global need for more project management academic programs—and creates an opportunity for those schools that help fill the gap.
Colleges and universities can make sure their project management programs provide students with the right skills. The best way to achieve this is to gain accreditation by the PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC) for Project Management.
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“ An accredited school (program) offers students the opportunity to learn project management from a cadre of faculty who are dedicated to delivering the course grounded in the best practices of the Project Management Institute, as well as in the latest industry practices and research knowledge. ” |
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—Michael Poli, PhD., project management program, Stevens Institute of Technology |
Dr. Poli is associate program director of the project management program at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. In 2004, the school became the third university whose academic degree program in project management gained accreditation from the GAC.
“An accredited program attracts a high caliber of student, which in turn has an effect on the in-class dialogue between students. Much additional learning comes from the students as they learn from other students as well as from their instructors,” he says.
A 2008 Economist Intelligence Unit survey reveals that more and more executives realize the important role project management plays.
The survey named project management the single most important management skill. It’s so important that 60 percent of the organizations surveyed said that senior management collaborates directly with project managers.
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Find out more about your opportunities with the project management academic degree program.
Visit www.pmiteach.org |
For many institutions, the heightened profile of the project management profession means more students—and not just the ones on campus.
At the University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA), Anchorage, Alaska, USA, PMI GAC accreditation combined with the offer of virtual classes is attracting students from Alaska to South Africa, says LuAnn Piccard, PMP, an instructor in the engineering, science and project management department in the school’s School of Engineering.
The school’s programs are aligned with A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), which she says can help open doors for students. “We feel that gives our students an opportunity because PMBOK® Guide is an internationally recognized standard,” she says.
“From an accreditation perspective, having PMI GAC recognize that our curriculum meets that standard is beneficial because it helps us to demonstrate to our students the quality of education they are receiving.”
And with a large continuing education contingent in its student population, Ms. Piccard says the school is able to provide real solutions that project professionals can use immediately on the job.
Jill Owen, an instructor in the School of Business at the University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia, says earning GAC accreditation in July 2008 showed that the three master’s programs offered by her school met PMI standards on scope and quality.
“It’s part of the continuous improvement of our programs,” says Ms. Owen.
