Project Management Major

Project Management Major

Elon’s Project Management major will provide you with a strong foundation in a professionally recognized project management body of knowledge, opportunities for skill development as project managers, and experience with the tools and techniques essential to effective project work.

Organizations succeed or fail in today’s dynamic environment based on the ability to bring quality products and services to market in a timely manner. Without skilled project managers leading these efforts, organizations are challenged to deliver projects on time, on budget, and within scope. Regardless of the industry or mission, project management is the value driver that helps organizations maximize the use of resources and achieve strategic goals.

Project Management students are eligible to achieve certification as a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world’s leading not-for-profit professional membership association for the project, program, and portfolio management profession. Regardless of your career stage, the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® credential is an asset that will distinguish you in the job market and enhance your credibility and effectiveness working on – or with – project teams.

Through our partnership with Scrum.org, students gain essential training in Agile and Scrum methodologies, key for effective project management. This collaboration not only enriches our project management curriculum but also offers reduced fees for Scrum certification assessments. Achieving Scrum certification bolsters your professional profile and equips you to lead projects adeptly in any dynamic environment.

 

Aligning the Project Management Major with Industry Guidelines

In today’s increasingly complex and competitive global marketplace, technical skills are simply not enough. Companies are seeking added skills in leadership and business intelligence to support longer-range strategic objectives that contribute to the bottom line.

The coursework associated with the Project Management major has been developed using guidance from the Project Management Institute and other industry sources. According to PMI, the ideal skill set – the Talent Triangle – is a combination of different ways of working (previously Technical Project Management), power skills (previously Leadership) and business acumen (previously Strategic and Business Management). To stay relevant and competitive, you must develop these employer-demanded skills.

The project management major will assist you in your development as a project team member, project manager, and organizational leader through required and elective coursework.

Ways of Working

Whether it is a predictive approach, an agile framework, design thinking, or new practices still to be developed, there is more than one way that project work gets done today. That’s why project management professionals are encouraged to master as many ways of working as they can – so they can apply the right technique at the right time, delivering winning results.

Required Course: MGT 3450 Project Management

Power Skills

These interpersonal skills include collaborative leadership, communication, an innovative mindset, for-purpose orientation, and empathy. Ensuring project managers and project teams have these skills allows them to maintain influence with a variety of stakeholders – a critical component for making change.

Required Course: MGT 4120 Advanced Organizational Behavior

Business Acumen

Professionals with business acumen understand the macro and micro influences in their organization and industry and have the function- or domain-specific knowledge to make good decisions. Professionals at all levels need to be able to cultivate effective decision-making and understand how their projects align with the big picture of broader organizational strategy and global trends.

Required Course: MGT 4300 Seminar in Project Management

As part of MGT 4300, which serves as the capstone experience in the Project Management major, you will take the CAPM® certification exam offered by PMI. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to obtain the Professional Scrum Master certification if you take the Agile Project Management elective course.

Outcomes

Recent graduates of our Project Management program are employed throughout the United States and abroad in the following organizations: PwC, Accenture, Wells Fargo, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Oracle, Truist, John Moriarty & Associates, Bloomberg Industry Group, Epsilon, Spot Freight, MarineMax, and Clark Construction, among others. Our alumni are actively engaged with the program and often serve as guest speakers in PM classes or during PM Club events. Many of our program graduates maintain their PMI project management certifications (CAPM and PMP); in addition, many have pursued Agile/Scrum certifications.

Degree Requirements

Project Management Degree Requirements & Courses

For more information about the Project Management major, contact Dr. Matt Valle at mvalle@elon.edu.