UTD to Launch Two New Offerings in Project Management Program

RICHARDSON, TEXAS (Jan. 30, 2002) – In response to requests from both industry and individual students, The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) School of Management has announced it will launch two new offerings this spring in its innovative Project Management Program: an online version of project management Master’s and MBA courses to begin March 7 and an international study exchange which will take UTD project management students to Germany in April.

The March kickoff of the Internet version of the program’s degree coursework follows last September’s launching of the program’s non-credit professional development short courses.

“With these Internet programs, we have responded to numerous requests from the market and prospective students who work full time, travel for their companies and simply don’t have the ability to attend regular on-campus classes,” said Jim Joiner, UTD’s Project Management Program director. “There are only a few universities offering online programs in project management, and there is a growing demand. We are working to meet the needs of the current marketplace.”

The UTD Project Management Program’s new study exchange is in cooperation with the University of Applied Science at Landshut, Germany. Joiner said that UTD’s project management students will participate in the international coursework program during the last phase of their Master’s degree curriculum. The exchange provides students the chance to study strategic and operational aspects of companies in an international environment, as well as giving them the experience of living in and studying a different culture.

The Project Management degree Internet program is the third online graduate degree program offered by UTD since1995.

“Our online graduate programs have served as a model for other schools and universities,” said UTD School of Management Dean Dr. Hasan Pirkul. “We have the experience, and we don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time we add a new program such as the Project Management Internet degree program.

“These programs started because AT&T, one of our major sponsors, stipulated distance-learning options as part of a funding grant agreement. We, too, saw the value of adding online coursework to our on-campus disciplines. We are pleased with their success,” Pirkul added.

Joiner said that the international study exchange would provide an invaluable dimension to the program in the face of increasing globalization of business, especially now that the Euro dollar has come into use. “This type of study exchange is critical as the project management field becomes more global. This will not be just a tour. Many of our students already work for global companies here, like Ericsson, Texas Instruments and Alcatel,” he said.

“By forming this relationship with the University in Landshut, we are able to gain access to and knowledge from some of the top companies in Germany,” Joiner said. “Likewise, we offer the same caliber of contacts for them here in Dallas-Fort Worth. It is a meaningful relationship for both universities.”

German students will visit the University of Texas at Dallas as part of the exchange program in October 2002. The following year, the UTD program will exchange with students from the Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille in France. It will then alternate every other year between the German and French universities.

Both UTD’s Project Management professional development and degree programs – which Project Management Network Magazine has named to its “Best Bet” programs list worldwide – were developed in response to the needs of Dallas-area industries. The programs blend technical, leadership and general business training to help project team leaders meet the changing needs of new corporate structures. Both are endorsed as registered education providers of the prestigious Project Management Institute.

In the online version, the program’s curriculum will not change, but merely will be adapted for Internet delivery with students working in virtual teams and cohort groups. On-campus retreats are required only at the beginning and end of the first year of study.

Several course completion options are available with the Project Management online degree program. Students can opt to spend 12 months in the program during which they receive preparation for the Project Management (PMP) Exam, the certifying exam of the Project Management Institute. Many students opt to continue the program for another 11 months to earn a Master of Science degree with emphasis in Project Management. A full MBA degree with a concentration in project management also is offered and may be obtained after an additional seven months – a total of 31 months of study.