College of Business

California State University, Chico MBA Students Have 100 Percent Pass Rate for CAPM Certification

From left: Oziel Magana, Josie Ensley, Jess Lopez, Garrett Duarte, and Ellen Falltrick are among the MBA students who passed the CAPM exam.

From left: Oziel Magana, Josie Ensley, Jess Lopez, Garrett Duarte, and Ellen Falltrick are among the MBA students who passed the CAPM exam.

The California State University, Chico MBA program offers an option in project management, and it continues to be one of students’ most popular choices, with about 40 percent of our students pursuing this specialized option. Project managers are in high demand, and students completing the option are positioned nicely for a wealth of career fields. One of the benefits of the project management option is that it prepares students to become certified project managers.

“The Certified Associate in Project Management [CAPM] is one of the most important and valuable certifications for the project management profession,” said Jeff Trailer, a Stanford-trained project management professional and CSU, Chico MBA faculty. “It is an industry-recognized certification for people working in the project management field. CAPM certification may give you a higher salary than those without the certification. Thanks to the CAPM certification, you can understand and communicate the global language of project management with the other professionals. It gives you the opportunity to connect with the community of professionals, organizations, and experts worldwide.”

The coursework of the project management option prepares students to sit for the CAPM exam, which provides validation and distinguishes students from their peers in the job market. Oziel Magana, an MBA student with the option in project management, confirmed the expected value of these certifications.

“I expect the CAPM to open doors in industry that have been closed prior to enrolling in MGMT 644. Having a professional certification in the job market sets you apart from other candidates,” Magana said.  

In December 2018, the MBA program had seven students take the required MGMT 644 (“Seminar in Project Management”) course and then sit for the CAPM certification exam. This is a rigorous exam, and we are proud to announce that our pass rate for the fall 2018 CAPM certification exam was 100 percent. This is an incredible accomplishment, given the difficult nature of the exam, and it speaks volumes about the high-quality faculty and students in the project management MBA option at CSU, Chico. The national pass rate for the CAPM exam is 61 percent, so our CSU, Chico MBA students excelled.

Certifications such as this provide students with increased job opportunities and earning potential. These students are qualified to lead projects that are more likely to be on time, on budget, and meeting the goals of the organization. In addition, the CAPM certification is consistently on the rankings of the top moneymaking and worthwhile certificates, providing an exceptional value to students and employers. Having the CAPM certification distinguishes our graduates as they walk away with not only a graduate degree in business, but a certification that is well recognized and respected in the job market.

“I have already discovered so much value in having my CAPM certification,” said Ellen Falltrick, an MBA student with an option in project management. “The CAPM and courses leading up to it have given me more credibility in the workplace and, more importantly, taught me so many helpful tools for implementing better project management in my profession. I have already applied this knowledge by reworking some of the processes used at my office and have received significant, positive feedback from clients due to these adjustments.”

To learn more about the MBA program, please visit the Masters of Business Administration website.


Matt Meuter
MBA Director, College of Business
530-898-5880
mba@csuchico.edu 

Glenn Hall

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