Graduate management education for project managers

Formal graduate-level programs in project management promise to significantly alter the way future generations of project managers practice the discipline. This article discusses the scope and objectives involved in operating a masters degree program in project management. In doing so, it discusses the purpose and benefits of a graduate-level education in relation to developing ones knowledge, skills, and attitude. It lists nineteen qualities that project managers can acquire through graduate-level project management programs; it identifies five criticisms which deter business schools from establishing such programs. It then describes how universities and industries could work together to enhance classroom learning with career-related experiences. It also lists six study areas relevant to a graduate-level program in project management and outlines the four types of modules used to integrate these areas, modules that include qualitative management, quantitative management, systems, and hands-on-experience.