Subject name

Project Management
Study
Master in Business Administration
ECTS
2
Four-month period

Third module

Type of subject Compulsory

Presentation

Project Management history is relatively young but it spreads worldwide quickly and now infiltrates into any business area of many organizations. Organization is always searching for better ways to get things done. Therefore, if Project Management Discipline is being increasingly used it may mean that finally it found the definite way.

This syllabus is based on the Project Management Book of Knowledge, also known as the PMBOK Guide®, a the-facto standard created by the Project Management Institute (PMI). It is a compendium of good practices demonstrated to be effective in achieving project success most of the times and in most of the projects.

Our aim is to provide the student with a good set of tools, methods and ideas that can be used to implant project management “way of life” in any non-operational work of an organization (finances, HHRR, accounting, sales, procurements, R&D…)

First, we establish a life cycle for Management Processes. Then, we classify all the processes into phases and we describe each one, its behavior and interrelations with each other. For each phase of the life cycle, we will study any pertinent Knowledge Area.

At the end of the course, the student will have built up enough knowledge on processes and techniques to be placed in a position where to select what to use in a particular project, execute it, cope with problems and the unanticipated, and achieve successfully the goals set.

Competences

General Competences

  • GC1. To control and to integrate the techniques, instruments and methods of management needed in the development of the professional activity.
  • GC2. To delve into the business management and into the different administration areas.
  • GC4. That the students can communicate their conclusions, present their projects, results, plans, the knowledge and the reasons that support them before a specialized or an ordinary public in a clear and in an ambiguity free manner.
  • GC5. That the students are able to integrate their knowledge in the different working areas of the business with information, usually incomplete or limited, in the business environment in order to manage the decision making and troubleshooting processes through complex and multidisciplinary situations.

Specífic Competences

  • SC6. To understand the differentiating elements in the business administration, which performance field is continuously changing as consequence of the technological changes. This technological changes alter their market, their products and production or distribution processes, even they can affect some of their functional areas, shorten their products life cycles, generate the necessity to administrate self-generated funds for innovation and to fulfil continuously a technological forecast or to create technological observatories.
  • SC7. To know and to use innovation management techniques. To create temporal competitive advantages by innovation.
  • SC9. To understand the differences between a functional management and a processes management. Process Management.
  • SC10. To know how to define a business process.
  • SC11. Learning the existence, the applications and the boundaries of the Information Systems in the processes’ support and control.
  • SC12. To understand the functional organization of the business. Areas interrelation. To identify and to understand the factors and dimensions that belongs to the functional part of the business, and the features of its administration system.
  • SC13. To understand the impact that telecommunications have on business administration and in the business competitiveness.
  • SC14. Learning the existence, the applications and the boundaries of the Information Systems and the impact of they have in decision-making, competitiveness and response promptness.
  • SC25. To know how to use the e-commerce tools in the international market and to understand the relationship and the impact of the goods and services international distribution.

Transversal Competences

  • TC2. Ability to make decisions in a technological changing environment.
  • TC3. Being able to use TIC’s Technologies in management and decision-making.
  • TC8. To ease the process of transition to the business professional career.
  • TC9. To provide the students with learning skills that will allow them to continue their studies in an autonomous manner.

Program

Unit 1. Overview
Introduction
What is a Project? What is Project Management?
Certified professional
Influencers on a Project
The PMBOK® Guide
Summary
Bibliographical References
Master Class

Unit 2. Starting and Planning the Project
Introduction
Project Charter
Identify Stakeholders
Scope
Time
Costs
Summary
Master Class

Unit 3. More Planning
Introduction
Quality
Human Resources
Risk
Procurement
Stakeholders
Communications and Integration
Summary
Master Class

Unit 4. Executing the Project
Introduction
Quality Assurance
Project Team: forming, storming, norming, performing
Communicating
Acquiring Procurement
Summary
Master Class

Unit 5. Monitoring and Controlling the Project
Introduction
Integrated Change Control
Are we meeting the expectations? The Scope Control
Satisfying the client: Scope Validation
Summary
Master Class

Unit 6. Closing the project
Introduction
Closing procurements
Closing the project
Lessons learned
Summary
Master Class


Methodology

Metodología

The different tasks and activities programmed during the semester have been developed with the goal of adapting the learning process to the different capabilities, necessities and interests of the students.

The activities included in the subject are:

  • Practical cases: will provide the student with actual business situations that will need to analyse and, after that, make decisions, evaluate the consequences and alternatives. They will allow acquiring intellectual skills to face sudden situations or to plan action programs adapted to a changing environment where there is no math logic.
  • Participation in events. During the course you will be participating in different events. Some of those events are attendance to online classes, forums, self-evaluation tests.

In the weekly program you can find the specific tasks you need to complete in this subject.

Descarga el pdf de la programación

These activities are combined with the following aspects:

  • Personal Study
  • Tutoring. The tutoring class can be implemented through different tools and means. During the course of the subject, the teacher-tutor plans the individual tutoring on specific days for the resolution of academic-oriented doubts through “Consultation sessions”. Supplementing these sessions, students have also available the “Ask your teacher” forum through which they can formulate questions and check the corresponding answers on general aspects of the subject.  Due to the very nature of the media used, there are no fixed schedules for the students.
  • Mandatory on-site final exam

The hours dedicated to each activity are detailed as follows:

Assignments
Hours
Assistance to virtual classes      
10,0  
Basic material study    
14,0
Additional resources readings      
9,0  
Task and practice cases      
19,0  
Self-evaluation test     
13,0  
Individual and group tutoring      
15,0  
Collaborative work, forums, debates, etc.      
10,0  
Master's Dissertation work development          
-    
Final evaluation           -    
Total
        90  

 

You can personalize your study plan choosing the type of activity that best matches your profile. The tutor will advise you and help you elaborate your study plan. S/he will always be available to guide throughout the course..

Bibliography

Basic bibliography

The section Basic Bibliography is essential for the course. If any document (reading, article,…) is not available in the virtual classroom, you will have to find it by other means: UNIR bookshop, virtual library…

The necessary texts for the study of this subject have been elaborated by UNIR and are available in a digital format to consult, download or print inthe virtual classroom.

evaluación

Evaluation and Assessment

The evaluation system is based on the following numerical chart:

0 - 4.9

Suspenso (D)

(SS)

5.0 - 6.9

Aprobado (C)

(AP)

7.0 - 8.9

Notable (B)

(NT)

9.0 - 10

Sobresaliente (A)

(SB)

The grade is made up of two components:

calificación

On-site final exam (60%). At the end of the semester, you need to assist a mandatory on-site final exam. You need to pass the final exam so the grade obtained from the assignments (continuous assessment) is summed up to the final grade of the subject. 

Continuous assessment (40%): this type of assessment will be measured through the different assignments you need to complete during the course:

    • Active participation and involvement in forums, online classes.
    • Tasks. The completion of the different activities the students need to send through our virtual classroom such as research, critical thinking, practice cases.
    • Self-evaluation tests. At the end of each unit, students will find a short quiz which will help the students to check the knowledge acquired during the course.

Remember that you can check the points (value) of each assignment in the weekly program.

Assessment method

Min. Score

Max. Score

Participation in forums, classes, etc.

0%

15%

Task, practice cases and activities

0%

15%

Additional readings

0%

10%

On-site final exam

0%

60%

 

Bear in mind…
That if you decide to only take the final exam, you will need to have 5 points out of 6 to pass the subject. .

Professor

Francisco Astudillo

Education: PhD in Computer Science at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Computer Engineer and Specialist in Business Administration. He has worked as a professor at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and associate researcher in United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo. He is currently a member of PMI’s governing board (Madrid Chapter).

Professional experience: Certified as PMP by the PMI, he has developed most part of his professional career in Japan, China and South Korea. In addition, he has a considerable experience in managing multicultural and multidisciplinary projects management at national and international level

Lines of research: He has participated in research projects of multilingual systems in NEC Japan, UNU and UPM, in computer projects in the BBVA and in the Spanish Foreign Service and has managed projects to promote the Spain Brand in major international events: Universal Exhibitions of Aichi 2005 and Shanghai 2010, International Exhibitions of  Zaragoza 2008 and Yeosu (Korea) 2012, where he defined the Spanish presence in these exhibitions: design, construction, equipment and operation of unique buildings, development of promotional activities and organization of institutional and cultural events.


Tips

Orientación para el estudio

Studying online means you can organize your study as you wish, as long as you meet the due dates of the different assignments (activities, tasks and tests). In order to help you, we propose the following steps:

  1. From our online platform you will have access to each of the subjects you are enrolled. Apart from this, t you can access to the virtual classroom of the master. In this section, you have available all the documents on how to use the different tools included in the virtual classroom, how a subject is organized and you will also have the possibility to organize your study plan with the tutor.
  2. Do not forget to check the weekly program. You will see which part of the content of the course you have to work on every week.
  3. After knowing your work for the week, go to Units in your virtual classroom. There, you will have access to the study material (theory and practice) from the unit you need to study throughout the week.
  4. Start by reading thethe Basic Knowledge of the unit, this section is the basic study material of the unit. Always read the first part of the same, Introduction, as we will show you here all the material you need to study. Visit, as well, the Resources section, you will find here the complementary readings, videos, experiences, etc.
  5. Devote some time when doing the Practical Cases and Test. In the subject Program we will detail which are the corresponding activities for each week and the max. grade you can achieve in each one.
  6. We strongly recommend to take part in the events of the course (On-site virtual classes, debate forums, etc.). To know the exact date for each one of these events you must visit the communication media on the Virtual Classroom. Your teacher and your tutor will inform of the subjects news.
In the Virtual Classroom of the master you will always find available the documentation where we explain how the units are structured and what you will be able to find in each one of its sections: Basic Knowledge, Practical Cases, Experiences, Readings, More Resources and Test.

Remember that in the virtual classroom of the master you can check how the different tools of the virtual classroom work: email, forum, online classes, sending the tasks, etc.

Please, take into account the following tips…

  • Whatever you study plan is, go often to the virtual classroom so that you are always up to date about the course and you are in contact with your teacher and your tutor.
  • Remember you are not alone: send an email to your tutor if you have any doubt. If you attend the online classes, you can also ask your teacher about the contents of the unit. Also, you can always write your doubts and questions about  the contents in the Forum of each subject (Ask the teacher).
  • Be active and participate!  Whenever it is possible, attend the online classes and take part in the forums. The exchange of information, opinions, ideas and resources enrich us and the course.
  • And, remember, you are studying online: your effort and perseverance are the key element to obtain good results. Don’t leave everything to the last minute!!!