Brandeis GPS Blog Articles in November, 2016

Improve your negotiating skills

Whether or not you’re a professional project manager, negotiating skills are crucial to the success of any project, small or large. When working with others, conflicts will always arise, but being able to control these situations and find “win-win” solutions that work for all parties involved is an incredibly valuable tool. Yet, negotiating is not an easy task and requires a wide range of strategies and skillsets. For example, you might need to create values by encouraging open communication between parties and finding shared interests so that both sides get something out of the situation. Changing your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) to boost your bargaining power in a negotiation is another useful tool.

To help project managers and those interested in conflict resolution acquire new negotiation skills, Brandeis GPS offers an online Negotiating and Conflict Resolution course that provides a framework to understand the basis of conflict, to select an appropriate conflict resolution strategy, and to employ tactics that optimize results for both individuals and organizations. As part of the MS in Project and Program Management degree program, this part-time, fully online course will explore several approaches to conflict resolution that differ among collocated and virtual teams. Students will also understand how cultural differences, interests, and values influence negotiation strategy and tactics. Topics will include:

Value creation and value claiming
BATNA strategies
Ethical and unethical negotiating tactics

By the end of the course, students will develop a systematic and positive approach to negotiating with colleagues, bosses, clients, other stakeholders, and external groups of all kinds–in ways that equip you to deal also with all kinds of conditions and circumstances.

Those interested in the course who do not yet wish to pursue a full master’s degree can still participate. At Brandeis GPS, you can take up to two online courses without officially enrolling in a program. This is a great opportunity to get to know our programs and approach to online learning. View our full course catalog here, and preview our spring 2017 courses here.

Questions Contact our enrollment team at gps@brandeis.edu or 781-736-8787.

Brandeis University’s Graduate Professional Studies division (GPS) is dedicated to developing innovative programs for working professionals. GPS offers 11 fully online, part-time master’s degrees and one online graduate certificate. With three 10-week terms each year, Brandeis GPS provides exceptional programs with a convenient and flexible online approach. Courses are small by design and led by industry experts who deliver individualized support and professional insights. For more information on our programs visit the Brandeis GPS website.

Marketing Custmer Analytics - Brandeis GPS Online Education - Brandeis GPS Blog

The importance of customer analytics in marketing

November 17, 2016 / lnewman / 0 Comments

Consumers today have so many options regardless of what product or service they’re looking for, and for marketers, it’s really important to use available data to better understand how to meet consumer needs and influence behavior. By understanding what consumers are really looking for, and how they behave when searching out products or services, marketers can work on targeting the right audiences in the ways that will really appeal to them. By tracking behavior and predicting how consumers conduct their searches, marketing firms are able to narrow down exactly how to target the right customer, so that the supplier benefits in finding a customer, and the customer benefits as they are able to find exactly what they are looking for. In analyzing data and identifying consumer trends, marketers are able to build models that will help launch marketing plans that reflect changes and consistencies in consumer behavior, to help plan for future marketing initiatives.

For those interested in this fast-paced industry, Brandeis GPS is offering a course for the spring 2017 term in Marketing and Customer Analytics. The course will provide an introduction to advanced analytics and measurement in the areas of social networking and media, web and marketing analytics. The topics covered include the history, tracking, performance, optimization, metrics, analysis, visualization, decision making, reporting and best practices in each of those three areas. E-commerce will also be covered as it relates to web and marketing.

Those interested in the course who do not yet wish to pursue a full master’s degree can still participate. At Brandeis GPS, you can take up to two online courses without officially enrolling in a program. This is a great opportunity to get to know our programs and approach to online learning. View our full course catalog here, and preview our spring 2017 courses here.

Questions? Contact our enrollment team at gps@brandeis.edu or 781-736-8787.

Brandeis University’s Graduate Professional Studies division (GPS) is dedicated to developing innovative programs for working professionals. GPS offers 11 fully online, part-time master’s degrees and one online graduate certificate. With three 10-week terms each year, Brandeis GPS provides exceptional programs with a convenient and flexible online approach. Courses are small by design and led by industry experts who deliver individualized support and professional insights. For more information on our programs visit the Brandeis GPS website.

Don’t let writer’s block undermine your grad school application

November 16, 2016 / memiller / 0 Comments

When it comes to submitting graduate school applications, we’ve heard from students we’ve worked with that the most daunting item has been the statement of goals. While our requirement is a minimum of 500 words, it is easy to get stuck on how to best articulate your goals for applying to graduate school and why you are interested in one of our programs in particular. Here are few tips that can get the words flowing:

Where to start: If you are struggling with the essay format, it may be easier to jot down bullet points to answer the questions in an outline. Once you have the basics down, you can go back and reformat.

Don’t tell us, show us: This is your place to show the committee why you are a great candidate! Give specific examples to highlight your experience and accomplishments. Don’t be afraid to share personal anecdotes about your personal journey to this master’s program.

Answer the questions: Once you write your first draft, make sure to refer back to the questions asked in the prompt. Were they answered fully?

Review and revise: Grammar, punctuation, flow and spelling are important! Have a friend or colleague read over your essay before you submit.

As always, our team is happy to answer any questions you have throughout this process! Contact us at 781-736-8787 or gps@brandeis.edu.

<<Start your GPS application>>

GPS launches tuition discount program for military members and spouses

November 14, 2016 / memiller / 0 Comments

GPS is excited to share today a new policy that will offer military veterans, active-duty personnel and their spouses a 15 percent tuition discount on our online graduate programs and courses.

The discounts may be used in conjunction with other benefits earned through the Department of Veteran Affairs, such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and the Yellow Ribbon Program.With this policy, we aim to empower academic and professional success within the U.S. military community.

Learn more here: www.brandeis.edu/gps/future-students/military-discount.html

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Note to qualified members:

If you’re interested in seeking spring 2017 admission, please submit your application by Dec. 13, 2016. You can also take individual courses for professional development without submitting an application. Registration for the 10-week spring 2017 term opens on Dec. 20, 2016, with class beginning Jan. 18, 2017. Visit www.brandeis.edu/gps for more information.

Cognitive and Social Psychology of UCD - Brandeis GPS - online education

How psychology can change user behavior

November 14, 2016 / croldan / 0 Comments

In a world where websites and digital ad networks serve us nearly one million marketing messages each year, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to capture the attention of web users going about their daily business. As content consumers, we tend to be task-oriented and ignore the things around us. “Banner blindness” occurs when users automatically ignore the ad-heavy right side of web pages.

As most of us tend to skim web content quickly, bulleted lists and short paragraphs to break up text are considerably effective at keeping users engaged. When it comes to online marketing, understanding the psychology behind web user activity is crucial to successfully promoting a product or running a business.

These topics are furthered explored in Brandeis University’s Cognitive and Social Psychology of User-Centered Design spring 2017 course. As part of the MS in User-Centered Design graduate program, this part-time, fully online course will examine the psychological and social aspects that impact human interface interaction in both physical and virtual environments. Topics will include:

Signal Detection Theory, Gestalt Theory, Cognitive Load Theory and various motivational theories
The cultural and social implications of design
Cognitive and social psychology principles that will impact the use of a particular design

By the end of the course, students will be able to make reasonable predictions of human behavior with regards to a user interface and/or design and offer design solutions that will ensure effective user experience based on these principles.

Those interested in the course who do not yet wish to pursue a full master’s degree can still participate. At Brandeis GPS, you can take up to two online courses without officially enrolling in a program. This is a great opportunity to get to know our programs and approach to online learning. View our full course catalog here, and preview our spring 2017 courses here.

Questions? Questions? Contact our enrollment team at gps@brandeis.edu or 781-736-8787.

Brandeis University’s Graduate Professional Studies division (GPS) is dedicated to developing innovative programs for working professionals. GPS offers 11 fully online, part-time master’s degrees and one online graduate certificate. With three 10-week terms each year, Brandeis GPS provides exceptional programs with a convenient and flexible online approach. Courses are small by design and led by industry experts who deliver individualized support and professional insights. For more information on our programs visit the Brandeis GPS website.

Boston Globe highlights Brandeis GPS FinTech program

November 13, 2016 / memiller / 0 Comments

In a recent article on the growing momentum among Boston’s financial start-ups, the Boston Globe profiled GPS faculty member Sarah Biller and her work within the FinTech sector. Biller discusses FinTech trends among millennials, and how she’s adjusting the content of her Evolution of Technology for Financial Services course to explore how the changing presidential administration may impact the industry.

Read the full article here, and request more information about studying FinTech at Brandeis here.

agille project management - Brandeis GPS Online Education - Brandeis GPS Blog

Making the case for agile project management

November 7, 2016 / lnewman / 0 Comments

Many of today’s organizations seek to build productive work environments where teamwork is encouraged and tasks are completed in a timely yet flexible manner. As the traditional office setting becomes increasingly obsolete, new technologies have allowed colleagues to work together from different time zones and different locations across the world. While companies and clients don’t always have the opportunity to have face-to-face interaction during the development process, Agile Project Management allows for constant communication and integration of changes in a collaborative manner. The goal is to ensure that all stakeholders remain satisfied as they work together toward project completion with input from all parties, and without delaying the development process. Agile Project Management empowers project stakeholders to collaborate and execute a plan while quickly responding to changes in the industry.

To help project managers adapt to and embrace this dynamic approach, Brandeis GPS offers an online Agile Project Management course that covers characteristics and delivery frameworks. The course also explores how agile methods differ from traditional project management, along with how to recognize projects that may be suitable for agile techniques. Topics covered include Scrum values, roles and deliverables; additional agile and iterative methods; scalability and enterprise-wide considerations.

Those interested in the course who do not yet wish to pursue a full master’s degree can still participate. At Brandeis GPS, you can take up to two online courses without officially enrolling in a program. This is a great opportunity to get to know our programs and approach to online learning. View our full course catalog here, and preview our spring 2017 courses here.

Questions? Contact our enrollment team at gps@brandeis.edu or 781-736-8787.

Brandeis University’s Graduate Professional Studies division (GPS) is dedicated to developing innovative programs for working professionals. GPS offers 11 fully online, part-time master’s degrees and one online graduate certificate. With three 10-week terms each year, Brandeis GPS provides exceptional programs with a convenient and flexible online approach. Courses are small by design and led by industry experts who deliver individualized support and professional insights. For more information on our programs visit the Brandeis GPS website.

The Best Jobs for Life-Work Balance

November 3, 2016 / croldan / 0 Comments

Glassdoor, a popular jobs and recruitment website, recently released a crowd-sourced list of best jobs for achieving work-life balance. Many of the positions in the Glassdoor list directly correspond to the industry-driven master’s degrees offered at GPS. Among the 29 positions profiled include:

1. Lab Assistant
2. Creative Manager
3. Computer Programmer
4. Marketing Coordinator
5. Data Analyst
6. Content Manager
7. Web Designer
8. Social Media Manager
9. Scrum Master
10. Marketing Analyst
11. Devops Engineer
12. Mobile Developer
13. User Interface Designer
14. Data Scientist
15. User Experience Designer

Whether you currently hold one of the positions above or are interested in advancing into a similar job, you’re probably looking to achieve balance in all areas of your life. For those seeking to pursue a graduate degree, Brandeis GPS fosters a community that is mindful of the multiple demands facing adult learners and while offering the rigorous standards of excellence that makes Brandeis one of the top universities in the country.