MS - Acquisition and Contract Management

The Master of Science in Acquisition and Contract Management degree is designed for adult working professionals in the public and private sectors of acquisition and contract management. The curriculum provides coverage of federal procurement practices, current issues in contracting and contract administration, legal and financial aspects of government contracting and policy issues associated with acquisition and contract management. The core competencies of the masters in acquisition and contract management program include procurement management, purchasing systems, proposal evaluations, management cost reimbursable contracts, research commercial exploitation, managing contract disputes, contract administration, procurement practices, legal issues for contract inception, administration and dispute resolution, negotiation strategy and tactics, principles of cost reimbursable contracting and other topics related to acquisition and contract management.

There are several career paths available to individuals, who earn a master’s in acquisition and contract management , including: purchasing officer, government agency contract administrator, contracting officer, program/project manager, program/project analyst, plant manager and operations manager among others. Graduates who earn a master’s in acquisition and contract management from Florida Tech’s have been hired by private, government and foreign organizations including; US Army, Australian Army, British Army, Greek Navy, Finnish Army, Huntington Ingalls Industries, U.S. Veterans Administration and others.

Curriculum

Curriculum program plans shown reflect current degree requirements. Previous academic year requirements can be accessed from the catalog page by choosing the appropriate academic year.

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Master of Science in Acquisition and Contract Management

The Master of Science in Acquisition and Contract Management is designed for adult working professionals in the public and private sectors of acquisition and contract management. The curriculum provides coverage of federal procurement practices, current issues in contracting and contract administration, legal and financial aspects of government contracting and policy issues associated with acquisition and contract management. Individuals without current experience in acquisition and contract management may be accepted into this program; however, all program prerequisite courses must be fulfilled.

The goal of the program is to prepare individuals for advanced leadership positions in the private, public and military sectors with specific skills and competencies in acquisition and contract administration.

Admission Requirements

The applicant to the program must have a bachelor’s degree; however, the degree need not be in business administration. Students who are graduates from other fields are encouraged to apply. Students with an undergraduate business degree or courses may be able to waive the program prerequisite requirements in the program based on an evaluation of their undergraduate academic transcripts. Prerequisite courses are required of a student whose undergraduate major is outside the business area or who has not previously completed the courses in these prerequisite areas. The exact number of needed prerequisite courses depends on courses completed during the student’s undergraduate studies.

The GRE or GMAT may be required for admission evaluation purposes. General admission requirements and the process for applying are discussed in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog. Individuals who do not meet the stated requirements for regular admission may petition to take graduate courses for credit as a continuing education applicant.

Degree Requirements

The degree of Master of Science in Acquisition and Contract Management is conferred upon students who have successfully completed 33 credit hours of graduate coursework plus other course requirements as listed on the student’s approved graduate program plan. Students without adequate undergraduate background will be required to complete all or part of the program prerequisites. Students may choose elective courses from those listed below.

Students with undergraduate credits for courses that they believe are equivalent to the program prerequisites should consult with their adviser concerning waiver of those courses.

Program Prerequisites (noncredit for this program)

Note: In addition, computer literacy is required as a prerequisite. It can be demonstrated by the applicant’s undergraduate coursework, passing a proficiency examination offered by the Extended Studies Division or by completing a suitable computer course.

*Serves as the capstone course for this program.

Note: Electives may be taken with the approval of both the faculty adviser and the program head from other graduate-level offerings in the Extended Studies Division, or other colleges or academic units.