Textbook Information
Required:
- ISBN: 978-0-13-473033-2, Pinto, J. (2019). Project management: Achieving competitive advantage (5th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.
In addition, your section may require the following. Refer to your syllabus in the course for instructions, if required.
- ISBN: 978-0-470-18388-5, Dragan Z. Milosevic, Peerasit Patanakul, and Sabin Srivannaboon (2010). Case Studies in Project, Program, and Organizational Project Management, Wiley. This book is is readily available through the Penn State Libraries E-Book program at no cost to the student. You do not need to purchase a physical copy of the book. Information on accessing the text is provided in the course.
Published Remarks
Additional required materials will vary by instructor. Refer to your syllabus inside the course for any other materials that your instructor may require, along with instructions for how to access and/or obtain them.
Hardware Requirements
- None
Software Requirements
Your section may require the following. Refer to your syllabus in the course for instructions, if required.
- Sim4Projects – simulation software. Pinto and Parente, Simprofessionals.
Proctored Exams
- None
Course Description
A problem-based, interdisciplinary course in project management skills and techniques needed to manage projects in a modern business environment. MANGT 510 Project Management (3) Project Management has been labeled by Fortune magazine as the number one career choice for the coming decade. Increasingly, organizations are adopting project management techniques and structures within their business framework. Project management offers the twin advantages of allowing organizations to create products and processes efficiently, through optimal use of resources, and rapidly, to respond to rapid time-to-market demands. This course would give business majors a competitive advantage in the job market, as companies are in great need of a trained cadre of qualified project managers who can allow the business firm to operate to its highest potential. The role of the instructor in this course is to train students in the wide variety of demands and skills for which they must be qualified: the ability to exert leadership in managing project teams, an understanding of people and behavioral skills, and the ability to effectively use computer-based scheduling and tracking software to keep to timetables and schedules. The course itself would be set up around semester-long projects, either developed by the instructor or developed (in collaboration with the instructor) by students involved in business enterprises. As a result, students would have real-time experience in the challenges of creating a unified team, solving problems, tracking their projects, and presenting a final paper and presentation on the process.
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing
Note: Students who have completed a master’s degree (M.S., M.A., or M.B.A.) are not permitted to transfer credits from that degree into another master’s degree at Penn State.
Overview
This course will introduce you to the major techniques for planning the project development process. During your study, it is expected that you will draw on your own work experiences to further enhance your understanding of the subject matter. Therefore, many of the course assignments may be completed by using real situations and instances from your experience. We ask only that you maintain the integrity of private information in these assignments by changing any names such that individuals are not able to be identified.
The course has an established start and end date and you will interact with other students throughout the course.
So how are we going to do this?
You may study this material at your own pace, meaning that you will be able to read and work through this information at a rate that works best for your learning style. In addition to this syllabus, be sure to utilize the course schedule that outlines your expectations by week, therefore please visit it regularly. Canvas was designed to help facilitate your understanding of the content and contains discussion forums, drop boxes to submit assignments, and other materials to aid you in your study.
What will be expected of you?
As a student in this course, you are expected to read the material in the textbook and in the course content, work through the simulation software, complete your midterm assignment, take any self-assessments, and complete other work as assigned by your instructor. You may work through this course at your own pace, but at each stage, you should:
- Conscientiously read and reflect on the material.
- Ask questions (via the Canvas, e-mail, phone, or in person) of your instructor and fellow classmates on issues you don’t understand.
- Complete assignments as required by your instructor.
Objectives
This course will introduce you to the major techniques for planning the project development process. By the end of this course, you should be able to
- comprehend the basic concepts associated with projects and project management,
- explain the historical context in which the discipline of project management has evolved,
- describe techniques that have become fundamental to the current practice of project management, and
- explain the broader managerial issues that have a bearing on the management of a project.
Course Requirements and Grading
Refer to the syllabus inside your course section for specifics on assignment categories and grade components.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses. for additional information about University grading policies.
Course Schedule
The course schedule in your Canvas course provides a week-by-week schedule of topics and assignments. Please visit the course schedule regularly to determine what is expected of you each week and when assignments are due.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year from the day the course began.
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor as early as possible. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information. on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.