Clark School’s Online Master of Engineering Soars to No. 6 National RankThe A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland ascended to No. 6 among online graduate engineering masters programs in the U.S. according to rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, the Clark School is ranked No. 13 among online engineering graduate programs for veterans. The No. 6 ranking is the first time that the Clark School has received a top-10 ranking in this category. Previously, the highest ranking received was No. 12 in 2022. “Online programs are an important tool in extending education access to a broader section of society. The Clark School’s . . . continue reading

UMD Research Leads to Multidimensional view of Portfolio Management

After 15 years of portfolio managers using a monolithic portfolio structure, it is time to explore a multidimensional approach.  The University of Maryland’s Project Management Center of Excellence conducted a 15-month effort for the Office of Secretary of Defense under the DoD Acquisition Innovation Research Center, an University-Affiliated Research Center (UARC), which UMD is a member. The objective of the research was to expand the use of portfolio-level data, analysis, and visualization of the data across Program Executive Offices (PEOs), Capabilities, and Missions to inform Integrated Acquisitions Portfolio Review (IAPR) and other portfolio decisions.  The Department of Defense (DoD) needs . . . continue reading

Construction Management @ Maryland

Thank you for your interest in Construction Management education opportunities from the University of Maryland (UMD) Project Management Center for Excellence. We offer 3 different options so you can choose what works best for your needs. Undergraduate Minor in Construction Project Management – The minor is open to any student enrolled in the Maryland’s School of Engineering or the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation that have earned at least 60 credit hours (junior standing) and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Completion of the minor will provide students with a solid understanding of construction project management concepts, tools, and techniques plus be a . . . continue reading

What is GAC Accreditation and Why is it Important?The Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC) is part of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and is an accrediting body for project management and related degree programs. GAC accredits bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programs. According to the GAC website, “GAC accredited academic degree programs are members of a select group that embraces and promotes the discipline of project management.” If a university goes through the lengthy process and becomes an “official” GAC Accredited Program, then it means two important things: It confirms that a program has been carefully assessed and that it meets comprehensive international quality and . . . continue reading

The Project Management InstituteBecome a Student MemberThe Project Management Institute (PMI) is the world’s leading project management organization with over 500K members worldwide. They offer opportunities for networking, discounted registration for project management certifications (like the Project Management Professional or PMP and the Certified Associate in Project Management or CAPM), and free online resources including a PDF download of the latest Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Article about the PMP vs CAPM As a student, you can become a member of PMI for only $35 per year, which is a $94 savings over the regular price of $129 per year.  When you register for a . . . continue reading

History of UMD’s Project Management Center for ExcellenceIntroduction The Project Management Program has led the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, as well as the Clark School, with online an at-scale education and pedagogy. Starting in 1999, the program began as a re-imagining of the Construction Management program that had suddenly lost its key fulltime faculty. The PM Program that replaced it has achieved incredible results leading education both at UMD and around the world. The following graphic illustrates major milestones of program development. It highlights key developments including a new PM Minor, UMD’s landmark accreditation as the first engineering school with a PMI GAC-Accredited Master’s Degree, and . . . continue reading

Cybersecurity for the Project ManagerAm I at Risk?In our 2021 Virtual Project Management Symposium, Susan Parente, Engineer and Consultant, spoke on this topic during her presentation, titled “Cyber Security for the Project Manager: Am I at Risk?” And we would like to share this important knowledge with you. Susan Parente has a wide area of expertise that includes project risk management and IT security, as well as 15 certifications (including 10 Agile certifications and 4 IT security/ risk certifications) for professional education and teaching purposes. She has more than 25 years of experience leading software and business development projects in the private and public sectors and has . . . continue reading

If you Build it, will they come?It Depends! Do you have a strategy?

In spring of 2021, we received approval to launch a new master’s degree that is a Master of Professional Studies in Product Management. We are jointly offering this degree with the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech), another business unit in the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Since product management is such an important topic, we thought we would share a very informative presentation on the topic from our 2021 Virtual Project Management Symposium . Our newest adjunct professor, Tushar Rathod, presented on “Product Strategy: Framework and Execution” and explained that a product strategy is more than just an idea . . . continue reading

Managing in the Time of CrisisSpeaker Spotlight - 2021 Virtual Project Management Symposium

In our 2021 Virtual Project Management Symposium Nikola Ivanov, who serves as Director of Operations at the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory, presented a captivating session on “Managing in the Time of Crisis.” We felt his presentation was exceptional, so we decided to share his insights with you. In times of crisis, some managers shine, and others do not. Perhaps you are faced with a major, public problem, or it could be something internal and more contained. It could be something specific to your organization, or something with global impact, like the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Nikola, one thing . . . continue reading

Five Reasons Why Project Management Skills are Just as Important as Your Technical Degree

Perception is if you’ve got an engineering degree, you’re an engineer, so you know everything.  Well….you’ve got excellent technical skills, but do you really know everything?  Of course not. The fact is, to be a truly successful engineer, in addition to technical skills, you also need project management, communications and leadership skills.  In today’s market, engineers who lack these skills could be regarded as having only half the training and knowledge they need to offer full value to their company. Project management courses are important for any engineer because projects can be extremely complex, risky, and high stake.  It is . . . continue reading