OverviewMessage From The Director
Welcome to the website for the Master of Science in Project Management (MPM) program at Northwestern University! As you browse the site, you will note that the thrust of the program is rather different from others with a similar title. Notwithstanding our efforts to make the website as complete and informative as possible, several of the program's most attractive features merit special mention.
At present, the program has an enrollment of about fifty students - divided approximately evenly between full-time and part-time students and between international students and U.S. Citizens. This mix provides excellent opportunities for the various participants to compliment their own individual experiences with those from other cultures and backgrounds and to obtain an enhanced understanding of the global marketplace.
Another asset of the program is its dynamism. There has never been a year when the content of the curriculum has not been changed from the preceding year to add material and coursework that is more current and relevant.
Flexibility is a mainstay of the program. The selection of courses is custom-tailored to satisfy the objectives and background of each individual, while maintaining an acceptable degree of unification in the overall program of study.
While considerable emphasis is placed on providing the graduate with the necessary tools and expertise to function productively as a project manager in the current workplace, every effort is made to achieve balance in the program by taking advantage of advanced courses in other departments of the University and by offering a limited number of "forward-looking" courses within the program itself.
Most of the the faculty teaching the various MPM courses hold upper management positions in different national and international firms. This ensures that the materials covered in the classroom are relevant for both present-day applications and anticipated changes in the future.
Cognizant of the importance of communication skills in the workplace at all levels of interaction, considerable emphasis is placed on honing these skills to the maximum degree possible for each individual and significant resources are provided for this purpose.
Most of the courses involve teamwork for at least some portion of the course content because this is the way the real world operates. The ability to manifest leadership and control in a team-oriented environment, while maintaining an air of individual decorum, is an absolute necessity for success as a project manager. Toward this end, the aforementioned mix of students has proven to be very beneficial.
And finally, a wholehearted effort is made to achieve all of the above benefits within an environment of pleasant social interaction among the maximum number of students and faculty. To aid in reaching this goal, a student social committee is established each year and provided a budget to plan and implement appropriate activities.
In summary, should you join our MPM program, we will strive to provide you with perhaps the best year of your career (up to the present time). We promise you a very active period of hard and challenging work during which time you will significantly enhance your management and communication skills within the framework of an understanding and socially interactive environment.
Please browse our website and learn about our MPM program. Hopefully, answers to most of your questions will be found, but we stand ready to offer expanded explanations or to answer any special questions you may have.
Professor Raymond J. Krizek
Program Director
