Graduate Diploma in Project Management

Aims:

The aim of this course is to provide project management professionals with an advanced course of study in Project Management that is current, relevant and prepares students for industry certification from the Project Management Institute, the Australian Institute of Project Managers and Prince2.

Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, graduates will be able to:

Describe the Project Management Framework;
Develop a Project plan;
Identify, and articulate, the environmental pressures which are heightening attention to organisational change and its management.;
Describe how organisational change can be conceptualised and assess theories and practices in its management;
Outline and critique the process of planned change embraced by organisation development;
Discuss techniques used in diagnosing organisations, recognising the role of diagnostic models and assessing the suitability of data collection methods;
Describe and critically assess a range of interventions used to achieve change at different levels or for different target groups within organisations, with particular attention to interventions aiming for individual, group, structural, cultural and strategic change;
Articulate how support for change can be mobilised, with particular attention to aspects like exercising political insight and skills, countering resistance to and fostering enthusiasm for the change program;
Distinguish transitional from transformational change and determine the change approach and strategies appropriate for each;
Apply a range of change management principles and practices to diverse change scenarios;
Understand the various roles and functions of HRM and be familiar with a range of HRM practices;
Be sensitised to the ethical implications of human resource management functions and techniques;
Demonstrate a critical understanding of how the nature and values of knowledge workers fundamentally challenge conventional thinking about the employment relationship and employment practices;
Understand Project Lifecycle Frameworks and how business analysis and project management processes working together in a balanced way are essential to the success of strategic and operational objectives;
Critically evaluate and apply management and organisational theory to the practice of management;
Understand and critically evaluate the manager's role in relation to organisation change and broader society;
Use a variety of theories to identify, analyse and evaluate key issues, opportunities and problems faced by the manager in the IT industry
Be able to analyse and write critically about the practice of management;
Be responsible for all aspects of the project for the life of the project;
Lead and direct cross-functional teams to deliver projects within the constraints of schedule, budget, and resources;
Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and experience to appropriately apply a methodology to projects that have reasonably well-defined project requirements and deliverables;
Have developed a basic understanding of accounting functions;
Evaluate the firms position in its operating environment;
Identify, analyse and solve financial problems confronting business enterprises, particularly problems relating to corporate investment;
Analysis the impact of economic, legal and tax changes on the strategic and financial position of the firm;
Understand the underlying theory of financial decision-making;
Use project management software to plan projects with multiple tasks, customize graphs and reports, and communicate project information and status;
Use enterprise project management software to manage project portfolios effectively;
Evaluate project status and quickly identify at-risk and underperforming projects using roll-up scorecard reports that graphically display key business metrics;
Integrate critical project data as Web parts into executive-level dashboard side-by-side with other critical information for a more complete view of your business;
Evaluate the performance of an overall portfolio by identifying trends and problem areas using powerful analysis tools, and
Understand the impact of trade-offs and evaluate strategies to mitigate risk using what-if scenario modelling features;

This course can be found on the Charles Sturt University site at: http://www.csu.edu.au/handbook/handbook07/postgraduate/P2_25.htm

Entrance Requirements:

Applicants will be required to meet the university’s entrance requirements for postgraduate study (go to http://www.itmasters.com.au/ent_req.htm for details) and also the Project Management Institute’s eligibility criteria for the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) industry certification.

Course Structure:

The Course consists of 8 subjects with a total value of 64 points. There are 3 sessions per year and we recommend a commitment of 2 subjects per session.

Core University Subjects:

Subject: MGT571 Contemporary Management Practice
Subject: HRM571 Managing People in the Information Age
Subject: FIN571 Managerial Finance
Subject: MGT572 Managing Organisational Change

Core Industry Subjects:

Subject: MGI511 Project Management Fundamentals
Subject: MGI512 The Project Lifecycle
Subject: MGI513 Enterprise Project Management
Subject: MGI514 The Project Management Professional

Credit:

Credit is available for Industry (Certification-based) Subjects to students who can provide proof that they have passed relevant industry examinations from the Project Management Institute, the Australian Institute of Project Managers or Prince2. Prospective students can fill out the questionnaire at http://www.itmasters.com.au/eligibility.aspx to obtain an estimate of the level of credit they would be entitled to.

Graduates from the Graduate Certificate in Project Management will be eligible for 6 subjects of credit towards the following qualifications from Charles Sturt University:
- Masters Degree of Management (IT)
- Masters Degree of Business

Noteworthy: The Project Management Institute's Project Management Professional certification came out on top in MCPmag.com's 2006 Salary Survey, with respondents to this year's survey claiming a mean salary of $87,917. See this year's results at http://mcpmag.com/salarysurveys/