New Graduate Offerings Include Project Management Certificate and Online MBA Focus Areas

As the academic and career goals of Isenberg students and professionals evolve, the school’s graduate offerings have expanded to ensure that an innovative suite of programs support a variety of outcomes.

Project Management Certificate

Starting this spring, Isenberg is offering a new 12-credit Graduate Certificate in Project Management. This fully online program (the fourth such graduate certificate to be offered by the school) is designed to meet the growing demand for skilled project managers in today's dynamic and competitive business environment.

The Graduate Certificate in Project Management will equip professionals with the essential skills and knowledge required to excel in project leadership and transformation roles. The curriculum focuses on the latest industry trends, best practices, and tools essential to drive successful project outcomes for modern business and digital environments. In the first two courses— Project Management and Mastering Agile Scrum—students will gain a foundation in the project management discipline, including a blueprint of roles, tools, meetings, and values to help teams structure and manage their work. Students then choose two of the following electives—Data Management for Business Leaders; Leadership and Organizational Behavior; Negotiation Theory and Practice; or Project Tools, Teams, and Technologies in the Evolving Virtual Environment—to further build their project management skills and knowledge.

Students considering enrollment in Isenberg’s MBA and MS in Business Analytics degrees will be able to transfer credits from the Project Management Certificate. Ridam Arora, who is enrolled in the MS in Business Analytics, is one of those students. “The Mastering Agile Scrum course is helping me acquire the latest project management methodologies sought after in the industry and to ready myself for industry-level certifications,” she said. “The course has equipped me with valuable insights and practical knowledge, making me feel confident about taking my Scrum certification exam.”

Nikunj Kapadia, associate dean of graduate programs at Isenberg is excited about the new offering: "We are thrilled to launch the Graduate Certificate in Project Management at Isenberg,” he says. “This program reflects our commitment to providing relevant and high-quality education that prepares professionals for leadership roles in project management across industries.”

Enhancing the Online MBA with a Focus Area

Students in the Online and Hybrid MBA programs can add expertise to their degree with one of six focus areas, which are designed to equip students with the extra knowledge and skills that can make a career-boosting impact. Each focus area includes an additional nine credits of elective courses that provide specific knowledge and skills to support a chosen career or industry. Focuses are offered in business analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, healthcare administration, marketing, and sport management.

The focus in business analytics will appeal to those people seeking data prowess and business acumen. Tal Cohen, director of provider data at Blue Cross Blue Shield, is graduating in May 2024 with an Online MBA with a focus in business analytics. “The Online MBA helps me align practical and theoretical experience when it comes to the business world,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot throughout my degree, including in this last semester the overall business tactics and strategy that can make or break the company. The business analytics focus area aligns directly to my responsibilities at Blue Cross around data management, dashboards, and systems.”

For people with aspirations for a career in marketing, the focus in marketing connects students with managerial finesse and entrepreneurial insights. Ashley Packard Pierce, marketing director for UPMC Health Plan, is also graduating in May 2024 with an Online MBA with a focus in marketing.  “As I continued my career path with my company, I noticed that most of my peers had their MBA and since it had been almost two decades since I had been in school, I thought there was an opportunity to gain knowledge to help in my advancement and leadership,” she says. “My parents met at UMass, so it was always a top choice for pursuing an Online MBA. The marketing focus was really appealing, as well as the large selection of live zoom sessions within classes that increased engagement through my learning experience.”