Defense Program Management - Track 816

Program Officer

Madeleine Fuentes, LCDR, USN

Code GB, Ingersoll Hall, Room 220

[phone], DSN 756-7793

[e-mail]

Academic Associate

Robert F. Mortlock, COL, USA (Ret.), Professor of Practice

Code GB, Ingersoll Hall, Room314

[phone], DSN 756-2672

[e-mail]

Brief Overview

Defense Program Management is an interdisciplinary program within the Acquisition Sciences area designed to integrate business principles, program leadership and management theory, operations analysis, and systems engineering applications. It is uniquely tailored to federal government acquisition management and intensive exposure to the fundamental principles of the acquisition environment. The courses in this program apply business analysis and problem-solving techniques essential to effective major system program management within the structure of DoD acquisition management. It further focuses on the decisions and problems facing the acquisition manager, the various forces at work within industry and government, and the impact of acquisition policies and strategies. Student input includes officers and civilians from all DoD Services, other federal agencies, and allied nations. The program can be delivered in 12 to 18-months, by adding Joint Professional Military Education courses or elective academic certificates as required.

Competency: Our graduates will be effective program managers and leaders of people and resources within DoD organizations.

Program Objective: graduates will lead people and organizations to balance program costs, schedule, performance, risk and supportability requirements to effectively delivery warfighting capability at the speed of relevance.

Requirements for Entry

A baccalaureate degree with above-average grades is required. Completion of at least two semesters of college algebra or trigonometry is considered to be the minimum mathematical preparation. An APC of 355 is required for entry. International students should refer to the Admissions section for current TOEFL and entrance requirements.

Convenes

January and July

Program Length

Four to Six Quarters

Degree

Requirements for the Master of Science (MS) in Defense Program Management degree are met en-route to satisfying the Educational Skills Requirements.

Defense Program Management Subspecialty

Completion of this program qualifies an Army officer for Functional Area 51 and a Marine Corps officer for MOS 9657, and Navy officers are awarded subspecialty code 6502P Systems Acquisition Management. Department of Defense civilians are typically members of the acquisition work force as specified by the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA). This program integrates the Advanced Acquisition Studies and the Basic Contract Management certificates - graduates are awarded fulfillment for DAWIA required training from the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) for the Practitioner level of program management and the Professional level of contracting.

Typical Subspecialty Jobs

Program Manager/Deputy Program Manager/Program Office:

Army/Air Force/Navy/Marine Corps Acquisition Category I through III (ACAT I - III) Programs

Program Executive Officer (PEO) staff

Matrix Organization Staff

Army Materiel Command (AMC)

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)

Air Force Systems Command

Army Communications - Electronics Command (CECOM)

Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM)

Force Development Officer

Test and Evaluation Officer

Acquisition Logistics Officer

Program Sponsor

Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) N9I

Subspecialty Code 6502: Defense Program Management

Degree Requirements

Completion of a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate-level courses, at least 12 hours of which are at the 4000 level.
Completion of an approved sequence of courses in the student's area of concentration with a minimum of 20 credit hours.
Completion of an acceptable capstone project.
Approval of the candidate's program by the Chair, DDM.

Typical Course of Study:

Quarter 1

Course Number	Title	Credits	Lecture Hours	Lab Hours
MN3010	Leading Innovative Organizations and People		4	0
MN3303	Principles of Acquisition and Contract Management		4	0
MN3070	Fundamentals of Cost Benefit Analysis		4	0
MN3331	Principles of Acquisition and Program Management		5	1

Quarter 2

Course Number	Title	Credits	Lecture Hours	Lab Hours
MN3384	Acquisition Production, Quality and Manufacturing Decision Science		3	2
MN3315	Acquisition Management and Contract Administration		4	0
SE3100	Fundamentals of Systems Engineering		3	2

Quarter 3

Course Number	Title	Credits	Lecture Hours	Lab Hours
MN3309	Software Acquisition Management for Defense Systems		3	2
MN4053	Defense Budget and Financial Management Policy		4	0
MN3320	Contract Cost and Price Analysis		3	0
MN3321	Federal Contract Negotiations		3	0

Quarter 4

Course Number	Title	Credits	Lecture Hours	Lab Hours
MN4044	Defense-Focused Managerial Inquiry and Innovation Lab		3	2
MN4014	Competitive Strategy and Innovation		4	0
MN4470	Strategic Planning and Policy for the Acquisition Logistics Manager		4	0

Quarter 5

Course Number	Title	Credits	Lecture Hours	Lab Hours
MN3302	Advanced Project Management		3	0
MN4090	Capstone Applied Project		0	6
MN4602	Acquisition Test and Evaluation Decision Science		3	2
MN4999	Elective		4	0

Quarter 6

Course Number	Title	Credits	Lecture Hours	Lab Hours
MN4307	Defense Acquisition Program Management Case Studies		4	0
MN4090	Capstone Applied Project		0	6
MN4999	Elective		4	0

MN4090 or Thesis or Innovation Lab Capstone.

Educational Skills Requirements (ESR)

Defense Program Management - Curriculum 816

1. Management Fundamentals: The graduate will understand the theory of and have an ability to apply accounting, economic, mathematical, statistical, managerial and other state-of-the-art management techniques and concepts to problem solving and decision-making responsibilities as Department of Defense managers. The graduate will have the ability to think creatively, addressing issues and problems in a dynamic, challenging environment.
2. Advanced Leadership and Management Concepts: The graduate will have the ability to apply advanced leadership, management and operations research techniques to defense problems. This includes policy formulation and execution, strategic planning, defense resource allocation, project leadership, cost benefit and cost effectiveness analysis, federal fiscal policy, computer-based information and decision support systems, and complex managerial situations requiring comprehensive integrated leadership abilities.
3. Program Leadership and Management Principles: The graduate will have an understanding of and will be able to apply the principles, concepts, and techniques of Program Leadership and Program Management to the acquisition of major defense weapon systems. This includes the principles of risk management and tradeoff decision analysis using Total Ownership Cost, schedule and performance dynamics from a total life cycle management perspective.
4. Program Management Policies: The graduate will have an ability to formulate and execute defense acquisition policies, strategies, plans and procedures; an understanding of the policy-making roles of various federal agencies of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the U.S. government, particularly the Department of Defense (DoD), the General Accounting Office (GAO), congressional committees, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB); and an understanding of the strategies necessary to influence policy development and implementation.
5. Systems Acquisition Process: The graduate will understand the theory of and have an ability to lead program teams and manage the systems acquisition process. This involves the system life cycle process for requirements determination, research and development, funding and budgeting, procurement, systems engineering, including systems of systems, test and evaluation, manufacturing and quality control, integrated logistics support, ownership and disposal; the interrelationship between reliability, maintainability and logistics support as an element of system effectiveness in defense system and equipment design; and embedded weapon system software, particularly related to current policies and standards, software metrics, risk management, inspections, testing, integration, and post-deployment software support.
6. Contract Management: The graduate will understand the role of the contracting process within the acquisition environment, including financial, legal, statutory, technical, and managerial constraints in the process.
7. Business Theory and Practices: The graduate will have an understanding of the business and operating philosophies, concepts, practices and methodologies of defense industry with regard to major weapon systems acquisition, particularly the application of sound business practices.
8. Government and Industry Budgeting and Financial Management: The graduate will have an understanding of and an ability to apply the principles of government and private organizational financing, including corporate financial structures, cost and financial accounting, capital budgeting techniques, financial analysis, and Defense financial management and budgeting processes to include the Planning, Programming, Budgeting Execution System (PPBES).
9. Acquisition Work force: The graduate will have a mastery of the acquisition management, program management and leadership fundamentals satisfy all requirements of the required for Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) acquisition professionals.
10. Ethics and Standards of Conduct: The graduate will have an ability to manage and provide leadership in the ethical considerations of defense acquisition, including the provisions of procurement integrity, and to appropriately apply defense acquisition standards of conduct.
11. Analysis, Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking: The graduate will demonstrate the ability to conduct research and analysis, and proficiency in presenting the results in writing and orally by means of an applied project and a command-oriented briefing appropriate to this curriculum.