Newsroom :: UMT Earns Specialized and Professional Accreditation for Project Management Degrees from PMI GAC

UMT Earns Specialized and Professional Accreditation for Project Management Degrees from PMI GAC

ARLINGTON, Virginia, July 17, 2006 – The University of Management and Technology (UMT) is pleased to announce that it has earned Specialized and Professional Accreditation for its Project Management degrees by the Global Accreditation Center (GAC) for the Project Management Institute^® (PMI). GAC is the governing body for the policies, procedures, and standards for the accreditation of university degree programs related to project management.

Visit PMI's GAC Accredited Schools to see a list of institution earned GAC accreditation.

The accreditation ceremony took place on 17 July during PMI Research Conference 2006 in Montreal, Canada. This news was first reported on 21 July in PMI's weekly e-newsletter. To read the full story, visit UMT in Media.

Dr. Frame (3rd from the right) attending the GAC accreditation ceremony

PMI is world-renowned as the largest professional association for project professionals. PMI also is a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA), the sole organization advocating excellence in the field of specialized and professional accreditation. ASPA is a recognized supporter of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and has a membership of accrediting agencies representing 50 professions. ASPA also is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Dr. J. Davidson Frame, Academic Dean, stated that "UMT is very pleased to receive PMI accreditation. We have a long-standing commitment to PMI and to the project management community, and feel this accreditation will help reinforce the critical importance of project management as an academic discipline as well as a profession."

The project management programs that received accreditation include the Master of Science in Management, Project Management concentration; Master of Science in Management, Acquisition Management concentration; Master of Science in Information Technology, IT Project Management; Master of Business Administration, Project Management focus; and the Doctor of Philosophy in Management, Project Management major.

Dr. Yanping Chen, President, stated "Our global graduate education program has project management as its centerpiece. We felt that the time and effort needed to earn PMI accreditation was worthwhile and would benefit the worldwide project management community."

Reinforcing Dr. Chen’s comments, Dr. C. Eric Kirkland added that "We started work on this project in November 2004. It is a rigorous process that requires a commitment by the institution. I think the self-evaluation process and preparations for the accreditation site visit strengthened our programs."

UMT's non-degree project management courses also are recognized by PMI. UMT is a Global Registered Education Provider. UMT's Project Management Suite™ courses for professional development and training are accepted by PMI for credit toward earning and maintaining PMI project management certifications.

Other schools that have been accredited by PMI GAC include:

UMT is a world leader in delivering education in project management. UMT’s faculty has published more project management books in the last few years than the faculties of Harvard, Stanford, MIT and Berkeley combined. UMT is a PMI Global Registered Education Provider. UMT’s president, Dr. Yanping Chen currently serves on the PMI Board of Directors and its Academic Dean, Dr. J. Davidson Frame is a PMI Fellow, former PMI Board Director, former Director of PMI’s Certification and Education programs. As an accredited university, UMT has more 4,000 students enrolled in its programs globally.