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Master in Project Management (EN)

 
 
 
 
 
MSc Program in Project Management (internationally accredited by PMI GAC)

 

About MSc in Project Management

Following the awareness that projects are a source of competitiveness, project management has gained momentum in many public or private, large or small organizations. Nowadays, project management has exceeded the microeconomic sector, of some industries, representing a macroeconomic strategy through which contemporary companies meet the increasing complexity of the external environment.

Since 2011, the MSc in Project Management is accredited by the PMI Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs GAC (www.gacpm.org). Established in 2001, The Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC) is an independent academic accreditation body with policies, procedures, and standards for accrediting project management and related programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree levels.

The MSc in Project Management aims at contributing to the professionalizing of Project Management in Central and Eastern Europe and to the training of specialists in the implementation of private and public investment projects. The program supports specialists in building successful careers in management and project management and covers important knowledge areas from the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) – the key project management standard by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The MSc in Project Management aims at building project management competences for specialists in corporations, NGOs, and public administration, as well as for entrepreneurs. Our program places an important emphasis on EU-funded programs and projects, understood as an important means of boosting social and economic development in the region, thus creating a substantial competitive advantage for those that owe the right mix of project management skills and competences.

 

Why enrolling at the MSc in Project Management?

1. Opportunity to follow a top-career

Project Management is considered as the second most dynamic profession worldwide. The MSc in Project Management is a postgraduate program aimed at promoting excellence in project management.

Our graduates might follow successful carrers as:

    Project managers
    Program managers
    Project directors
    Project portfolio managers
    Expert/consultants in managing EU-funded projects and programs
    Risk Managers
    Project auditors/evaluators
    Consultants & trainers in project management

2. Applied knowledge of project management

The courses of the MSc in Project Management contain both the theoretical knowledge and practical tools for working in the field. Interdisciplinary approach adds value by integrating courses at the intersection of elements of project management with other management components or areas such as leadership, communication, team management etc.. Basic concepts and tools are practiced through teamwork and simulations.

3. Networking with professionals in project management

The MSc teaching staff consists of renowned professionals in project management. Professors at MSc in Project Management have both practical and academic experience in the field.

4.  PMI GAC Accreditation

The MSc in Project Management is one of the few academic programs in project management in Central and Eastern Europe which has received the international accreditation on behalf of Project Management Institute’s Global Accreditation Center for Project Management. For more information about the PMI GAC and its benefits, click here.

 

Learning outcomes

LO 1 Learning skills and abilities required to use and integrate the theories, concepts and models relevant to the all stages of projects

LO 2 How to prepare a project, analyzing the situation and identifying the needs an organization faces

LO 3 Understanding individual and group phenomena experienced in project teams

LO 4 Acquiring theoretical and empirical knowledge about evaluation and auditing instruments for projects

LO 5 Understanding the stages of monitoring at project and programme level

LO 6 Training students to be able to use software applications in order to plan, monitor, and control projects

LO 7 Acquiring communication tools and techniques in order to manage and promote successful projects

LO 8 Providing students with a critical approach on the use of research in communication and project management

LO 9 Providing students with basic knowledge about key concepts of strategic management

LO 10 Training in alternative project management methodologies

LO 11 Utilizing risk management instruments for identifying, analyzing, and mitigating risks

LO 12 Business process modelling knowledge

LO 13 Practical experience in companies/departments working in projects/project management

LO14 Acquiring theoretical and conceptual knowledge for the systematic study of specific processes of globalization and European integration

Course Outlines

Project Management I and II  (two semesters)                                           

These courses emphasize the importance of basic concepts of project management, enabling students to understand the methods and techniques used in projects and to practically apply them by managing a project, working in teams, and simulating real-life situations in projects. Exposure to PMI standards in project management provide students with the opportunity to understand and apply project management processes in their professional life.         

EU-funded projects and programs (one semester)

The course is designed, first of all, to answer two key question “why does EU funding exist?” and “how to obtain funding from the European Union”. Regarding the latter question, the course starts from the premise that any project addresses a need. Therefore, special attention is paid to preparing a project, analyzing the situation and identifying the needs an organization faces at one particular moment.

Leadership and Project Team Management (one semester)                                                 

This course mainly consists of applied psychology in the context of project team management. It aims at supporting students understand individual and group phenomena experienced in project teams. The course focuses on ethics and responsibility, where students are invited to reflect upon morals and business success. Also, the PMI Code of Ethics is brought forward, as MSc students are made aware of the importance of ethics, and accountability in project management.

Presentation Skills for Project Managers (one semester)

Well-developed presentation skills enable students to communicate clearly, precisely and effectively in a variety of modes or registers and settings. It should be pointed out that they are rated as one of the most important soft skills, especially for Project Managers who are required to communicate 70%-90% of their working time, either on a one-to-one basis, with their team, with senior management, clients, or, in specific cases, to the entire organization. The ability of communicating with the audience and giving presentations should be seen as a mandatory prerequisite for both the effective learning process and the successful working life. 

Thus, it is imperative to gradually increase and enhance the students’ presentation skills through a continuous training such as the Presentation Skills for Managers course that will help you to become more competent, confident and competitive.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation (one semester)

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation course and seminar are designed to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge, explaining the main economic mechanisms of the markets, with an emphasis on emerging business models, current market trends, and identifying public and private funding sources for start-ups and scale-ups. During the course and seminar, students will participate in debates and analyze communication briefs and case studies, that will offer them real-world situations. 

Agile Project Management (one semester)

The course aims at describing and analysing a series of alternative project management methodologies, which are mainly implemented in information technology projects. They can be applied in any project where teams are formed, in a significant percentage, by knowledge workers. These alternative methodologies are known as lightweight or Agile methodologies and are presented in contrast to traditional (heavyweight) project management methodologies, highlighting the differences in terms of their approach to projects in general and their positioning in relation to execution planning, change management or communication implementation activities.  The most widely used methodology is Scrum, and this is dealt with extensively in the course, presenting not only the roles played by project team members or specific Scrum practices but also the process of transforming a "traditional" team into a Scrum team. 

Projects Evaluation and Audit (one semester)

This course aims at introducing, developing and deepening new concepts and practices in project management, in addition to the ones studied at Project Management I and II courses. It presents evaluation and auditing instruments from the project owner’s perspective. Since the audit role cannot be resumed to simplistic dimensions of quality and quantity measurements, and methods used by auditors are the most diverse and often unexpected, an important role in the course structure is played by the seminars in which students learn about auditing practice, being in the dual position of auditor and audited person. The course structure is, therefore, twofold: theoretical - concerning the audit methodology and instrumentation, and empirical - applying them in real situations concerning project cycle.

Monitoring and Performance Indicators (one semester)       

Monitoring and performance indicators are some of the key elements for the success of projects/programmes but also for the organisations implementing them. This course aims to familiarise students with the concepts and main tools of using monitoring to achieve results. In doing so, students will be able to develop both a framework for linking activities, outcomes and impact in the project/programme life cycle and a monitoring system and indicators through which to correctly identify/quantify progress towards the achievement of outcomes and use monitoring to consistently report performance and progress and to make evidence-based decisions. 

Project Management Software (one semester)                        

Software applications for project management assist and help project managers and members of project teams to apply specific knowledge and techniquesto monitor project progress. Microsoft Project is among the main IT applications used in project management that can support project teams throughout the project management processes: initiation, planning, monitoring and control, project closure. The course aims at training specialists able to use Microsoft Project in order to plan, monitor, and control projects.          

Preparation and Implementation of Research Projects (one semester)        

The main objectives of the  Preparation and Implementation of Research Projects course are: to provide students or future project researchers with theoretical and practical guidance and vision of the key issues involved in research projects; to provide students with knowledge, abilities, skills and techniques on research projects and on ethical issues of research projects; to develop research projects based on this knowledge; to teach students to develop a comprehensive research project; to teach students to do a planned research project; to teach students to integrate and synthesize findings from the completed project.        

Strategic Management (one semester)                                      

Projects are currently developing in a turmoil environment, in which both the economic and social realities are rapidly changing. This puts a lot of pressure on project managers and their teams, who must find innovative, yet cost effective solutions for managing their organizations. The course aims at equipping the students with all the necessary abilities, tools and knowledge for doing breakthrough business analysis in order to take the most inspired and effective actions to manage their projects and, also their organizations.

Research methods and techniques (one semester)

This course is designed to help students in the preparation of their dissertation paper. Therefore, the teacher helps students to apply the theoretical concepts learned at the Preparation and Implementation of Research Projects course at their own idea of research. Furthermore, MA students become familiar with sociological research methods (quantitative and qualitative) and they can decide what method(s) they will use in order to carry out their dissertations.  

Risk Management (one semester)

Risk Management is an important knowledge area in project management, which requires specific knowledge as well as dedicated tools. Through this applied course, students learn to use risk management instruments for identifying, analysing, and mitigating risks in both privately- and publicly funded projects.                          

Internship (one semester)

Students are required to perform minimum 2-weeks internships in companies/departments working in projects/project management. Students who are not able to find on their own internship opportunities, will be supported by our administrative team.

Methods and techniques for the final paper (one semester)

 

Alumni testimonials
 "What I liked most about my experience at the PM Master program was the Project Management Team Structure: students are encouraged to step outside their comfort zones from Day 1 and become part of project teams throughout the entire program. This setup transformed the class into a smaller Project Management ecosystem that allowed us to gain practical experience, preparing us to tackle real-life project scenarios. We not only witnessed successful team collaborations but also observed instances where teams faced challenges and either experienced shuffles in team members or learned how to properly assign tasks within their teams, based on their specific skills. These organic occurrences within this smaller ecosystem reflected the complexities and dynamics of the real project management world and it allowed us to understand and learn the importance of adaptability, effective communication, and teamwork in overcoming obstacles and achieving project success.
The teachers' approachability, modern teaching methods, and real-life expertise in their subjects made it easy to trust them and get all our questions answered. I also appreciated its fully digitalized approach - I never had to write anything down, as everything was digitally accessible. The convenience of having all course materials and resources readily available online was a game-changer. The program's commitment to digitalization showcased their dedication to staying ahead of the curve in the modern world of project management.
What sets the Project Management Master program apart from others is its ability to attract a diverse range of students. The program's broad applicability draws individuals from different generations and areas of expertise, creating a rich learning environment within the group projects. This unofficial practice for real-life project management teams and situations allowed us to develop our skills in a collaborative and supportive setting.
Overall, my experience in the Project Management Master's program has been incredibly rewarding and I am confident that the knowledge and experiences gained during this program have prepared me well for real-world project management challenges." Roxana Stanca / Purchasing Manager / Master in Project Management graduate.
 
"The statement that came to mind at the start of my project management journey and still stays with me is <<I believe we are all surrounded by project management in all our daily activities, from simple things as setting an alarm for waking up in the morning or making a sandwich, to the most complex task at work and why not, building your dream home>>. That is exactly what this master programme revealed for me. It's been an eye-opening trip, and we have tackled many subjects, from project management principles to risk analysis and agile working methods! The project management world is so complex, that we would need many years ahead to understand its intricacies, but I, personally, will do that in a more clear manner, having already built the foundations after studying at this master's programme.
The subjects being very grounded in the true nature of the Project Management industry was really beneficial for us, the students, in terms of having a hands-on approach to learning and using the skills we had been developing. It is very helpful as many of the lecturers are actual professionals who bring their perspectives, know-how, and experience into the classroom. In many other cases, projects may feel like a burden for the students, but here we had the chance to begin working on a project in day 1 and still having to improve it throughout the second semester until our last day. We took our initially simple project through a lot of stages that in the end made it look very professional, almost ready to be implemented in the real life. Definitely it was a great way to understand how project management feels in real life, and now I believe many students are ready to work on real projects, with real budgets, without the fear of not knowing the practical stuff behind the theory.
Another important aspect that needs to be emphasised is related to the schedule. It was crucial for me to fit the lectures into my already overcrowded calendar, which included one full-time job along with entrepreneurship, and I certainly succeeded. The lecturers were incredibly understanding, allowing us to organise the activities so that everyone could attend the lectures." Mihai-Eugen Tabacu/ HR Business Partner & Business Consultant / Master in Project Management graduate.
 

 

Annual student enrollment and graduation data

Year 2024

Total number of students enrolled: 283

Graduation data: 84

Student Achievement

Information about student achievement is available here.

 

Year 2023

Total number of students enrolled: 283

Graduation data: 86

Student Achievement

Information about student achievement is available here.