Metropolitan School of Professional Studies

M.S.M. Program: Federal Acquisition and Contract Management Track

In its report, "Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America," The Partnership for Public Service lists "contracting" among the top areas where government is hiring. Likewise, the Federal Acquisition Institute states on its Web site that, "Because of changes in the workforce, candidates for jobs in contracting are in high demand throughout the Federal Government. That means a wide variety of positions at every level with corresponding career paths are available in which you can move and grow." In response to this growing need, MSPS developed the M.S.M. program with a track in Federal Acquisition and Contract Management. Effective Fall 2009, the program will be available to those students who are interested in capitalizing on the robust career opportunities for contracting professionals and who would enjoy the job security and benefits offered by employment in the U.S. federal government.

The program consists of a total of 12 courses, or 36 semester credits, and requires approximately 18 - 24 months to complete. Students must earn at least a 'B' grade point average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) - both overall and on final projects completed as part of the capstone course.

Core courses within the M.S.M. program include the following:

• Communicating Effectively as a Manager
• Managing People and Performance
• Managerial Decision-Making: Tools and Techniques
• Project Management
• Human Resource Management and Strategy
• Leadership Foundations
• Strategic Planning and Implementation
• Master's Capstone: Research, Synthesis, Applications

Students pursuing the Federal Acquisition and Contract Management track also complete the following four courses:

• Federal Contract Management and Administration
• Legal Aspects of Contracting
• Contract Pricing, Negotiations, and Source Selection
• Performance of Government Contracts

Schedule

Participants will typically take two courses per term, with each course meeting one evening per week, from 6:10 - 8:40 p.m., or from 6:35 - 9:05 p.m. Most students elect to complete the program as part of a cohort, although this is not required. The cohort model allows students to go through the program's core courses with the same group of colleagues. The benefits enjoyed from completing the program in this manner include:

• enhanced collegiality among the students
• student-colleagues serve as a ready back-up if you have to miss a class, providing notes and insights from the missed class meeting
• students become a strong professional network both during the program and afterward when you're facing new challenges
• personal friendships
• a more relaxed classroom dynamic that makes the learning experience more enjoyable
• familiarity among the faculty regarding which courses you have (or have not yet) completed within the program
• a fixed schedule for the duration of the program, which greatly enhances students' ability to schedule and accommodate personal and professional obligations
• confidence in knowing that the course you need each semester WILL be offered exactly when you expect/need it to be.

The following table provides a reasonable example of how the program is structured. Your schedule will resemble this, but may not be identical.

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