SUNY Empire State College’s MBA programs,
through its advanced graduate certificate in
project management, has again been recognized
as a Registered Education Provider by the
Project Management Institute.
As an R.E.P., the college’s graduate certificate
meets PMI’s quality criteria for course content,
instructor qualification and instructional
design.
The 12-credit graduate certificate comprises
four online courses and may be earned as an
individual credential or incorporated into a
related master’s degree for those meeting the
program admission requirements.
Merodie A. Hancock, president of the college,
said a globally recognized project management
certification “demonstrates to employers that
SUNY Empire’s MBA graduates, and those
who have completed the graduate certificate,
have the competencies and knowledge to
effectively drive and lead business and project
team success.”
“With the growing need for project leaders
across all employment sectors, including
not-for-profit and government, the advanced
certificate in project management appeals
to a broad range of students and fits into a
number of master’s degree programs,” said
Tai Arnold, dean of the college’s School for
Graduate Studies.
“As I look at the job market, project managers,
especially those who are certified, have a bright
future,” said Warren Montgomery, a student who
completed the certificate. “I have worked in a
number of organizations as a project manager,
and frequently as a program manager, but I had
only taken an introductory course to project management as part of my MBA.
“I enrolled in SUNY Empire’s project
management certificate program to help
develop my skills, and keep my ‘saw’ sharp. I
also plan to take the PMI’s project management
professional certification exam and the
graduate certificate in project management
will help me prepare for the exam.”
The advanced graduate certificate in project
management meets the strict PMI standards
and criteria reflecting current skills, knowledge
and best practices, said Alan Belasen, professor
and chair of the School for Graduate Studies
Business, Management and Leadership
Programs. It ensures that the curriculum is
continuously updated and current, “which
means our graduates are able to meet the needs
of employers in the global marketplace.”
According to a PMI survey, nearly 75
percent of executives believe their company’s
performance could improve if their employees
gained certain key skills. PMI emphasizes
that project management, one of the key
skills identified in the survey, can enhance
individuals’ marketability and provide them
with the flexibility to move across projects,
organizations, industries and geography.
PMI further states that project managers are
in demand around the world and an average of
1.2 million project management positions will
need to be filled each year for the next decade.
PMI is a nonprofit professional membership
association for the project, program and
portfolio management profession serving
more than 2.9 million professionals through
global advocacy, collaboration, education and
research.