MANGT 575 The Management of Projects (3 credits): A problem-based capstone course that integrates the themes necessary to appreciate the overall challenge of project management. Prerequisite: MANGT 510 prerequisite or concurrent: completion of at least 15 credits from MANGT 515, 520, 525, 531, 535, or 540.

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Overview

This course will introduce you to the major new theoretical and practical developments in the field of project management. During your study, it is expected that you will draw on your own work experiences to further enhance your understanding of the subject matter. Because this course functions as the lead-in to the master's thesis component of your degree, the material will also reflect the need for you to begin assessing your organization's project management practices for possible thesis topics. Certainly, you will need to engage in intensive communication with your supervisor, as well as the course instructor before settling in on your topic of choice, but this course requires that we begin shifting our learning focus from one of "book learning" to one of active, problem-based learning.

So how are we going to do this?

Our program begins with a two-day plenary session, or if you are not attending the plenary, a virtual plenary session. At the end of the course, you will have your concluding session, during which you will be able to review any final questions and then take your exam for the course. MANGT 575 materials include textbook and online content lessons available through this Web site. 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. A course schedule is posted later in this document to help keep you organized over the course of the semester. This Web site was designed to help facilitate your understanding of the content. It contains a link to discussion forums that you can use to ask questions or discuss content issues with your professor and fellow delegates, e-mail access, a chat room, and other materials to aid you in your study.

What will be expected of you, the delegate?

As a student in this course, you are expected to read the material in the course content and textbook, and complete any self-assessments and your midterm assignment. 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 Web, e-mail, phone, or in person) of your instructor and fellow delegates on issues you don't understand,
* complete your coursework assignment, and
* prepare for your final exam.

Interaction with the Instructor

In order to facilitate timely responses to any questions students may direct at the instructor, the following policies will be employed in this course:

1. I will log on to the Angel site three times a week to answer direct questions or comments. If you post a question Friday afternoon, it should be answered by midday Monday.

2. In cases where students require immediate response, please e-mail me directly at my Penn State email address: jkp4@psu.edu. I will usually get back in touch with you within the day.

3. I will also routinely monitor class discussion forums and occasionally contribute comments or ask questions as part of the students' message strings. 

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Course Objectives

This course will introduce you to the major topics in the current state of project management theory and practice. By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• understand the key new developments in project management research,
• make appropriate linkages between these theoretical developments and the practice of effective project management,
• begin developing a research question for your thesis, based on dialogue with your supervisor and course instructor, and
• become familiar with and comfortable in the steps of social science research.

Grading

Grading for this course is based on two (2) deliverables plus your participation on the Discussion Board.  The first is a position paper.  The first draft is due early in the course and the final draft is due at the end of the term.  It is worth 50% of your final grade. 

The second deliverable is due at the end of course and will consist of an annotated bibliography containing at a minimum 15 articles related to a particular topic of interest to you in the project management field.  This topic will be developed in collaboration with the course instructor.  It is worth 35% of your final grade.

Overall grade breakdown is as follows:

• Discussion Board participation (15%)
• Midterm paper (50%)
• Final annotated bibliography (35%)

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Materials

The following materials are required and must be purchased from MBS Direct:

The Oxford Handbook of Project Management (Oxford Handbooks). Peter W. G. Morris, Jeffrey K. Pinto, Jonas Soderlund. Oxford University Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0199563142

For pricing and ordering information, please see the MBS Direct Web site, located at http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/psude.htm. MBS Direct can also be contacted at 1-800-325-3252.

Materials will be available at MBS Direct approximately three weeks before the course begins. It is very important that you purchase the correct materials. If your course requires one or more textbooks, you must have exactly the correct text required (edition and year).

Many of Penn State's library resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Library Resources and Services for Off-Campus Users Web site, you can...

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep...or even your desktop
• ask a librarian for research help via e-mail, chat, or phone using the ASK! service

...and much more!

NOTE: You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Once you have a Penn State account, you will automatically be registered with the library within 24-48 hours. If you would like to check that your library registration has been completed, visit the Library's homepage, click on "My Library Accounts" and then click on "CAT Account".

Microsoft Word 2000 or higher is highly recommended. Students using PCs must use Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003 (Office 2007 users MUST "Save As" .doc). If you do not have this software package the current version may be purchased at JourneyEd.com (see within the materials listing on the syllabus) or a vendor of your choice.

One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Technology and Software page.

One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit our Student Services page regarding course materials.

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Technical Specifications

For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:

Technical Requirements

Operating System	Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor	2 GHz or higher
Memory	1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space	20 GB free disk space
Browser	We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers. Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins	Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe] Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software	Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection	Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer	Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM	Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers	Required
Monitor	Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

Outreach Helpdesk

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

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Course Requirements and Grading

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.

Deferred Grades

If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.

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Course Schedule

Lesson 1: The Management of Projects
Time frame:
Readings:	Read Content Lesson 1 Read the Course Textbook Chapters 1, 2, 4 and 13) Post any questions that you may have to the Lesson 1 Discussion Forum

 

Lesson 2: Strategy, Portfolio, and Program Management
Time frame:
Readings:	Read Lesson Content 2. Post any questions on the General Discussion Forum Read the GM/EDS Case Study found in the Lesson 2 Activities folder Read Course Textbook Chapters 5, 6, 9, 10 and 16
Assignments:	Answer the discussion questions listed under Lesson 2 Discussion Forum Answer the discussion questions related to the Case Study listed under Question for Discussion

 

Lesson 3: Technology Management
Time frame:
Readings:	Read Content Lesson 3 Read Course Textbook Chapters 11, 12, 14 Submit your Research Topics September 29, 2013 at noon (Eastern Time Zone) Post any questions that you may have to the Lesson 3 Discussion Forum

 

Lesson 4: Project Management Competencies and Organizational Maturity
Time frame:
Readings:	Read Content Lesson 4 Read Course Textbook Chapters 19 - 21 Answer the questions at the end of the lesson in the Lesson 4 Discussion Forum

 

Lesson 5: TBA -The instructor will provide information on this lesson at a later date.
Time frame:

Lesson 6: An Introduction to Research Methodology
Time frame:
Readings:	Read Content Lesson 6 Submit your Problem Narrative Post any questions that you may have to the Lesson 6 Discussion Forum

 

Lesson 7: Starting Your Research Project
Time frame:
Readings:	Read Content Lesson 7 Post any questions that you may have to the Lesson 7 Discussion Forum
Assignments:	Answer the questions listed under the Self-assessment Exercises and post them to the Lesson 7 Drop Box

 

Lesson 8: Literature Review and Use of the Library
Time frame:
Readings:	Read Content Lesson 8 Post any questions that you may have to the Lesson 8 Discussion Forum

 

Lesson 9: Research Methodologies
Time frame:
Readings:	Read Content Lesson 9 Submit First draft of Research Paper Post any questions that you may have to the Lesson 9 Discussion Forum
Assignments:	Answer the questions listed under the Self-assessment Exercises and post them to the Lesson 9 Drop Box

 

Lesson 10: Data Analysis and Simple Statistical Methods
Time frame:
Readings:	Read Content Lesson 10 Post any questions that you may have to the Lesson 10 Discussion Forum

 

Thanksgiving  Break
Time frame:

 

Lesson 11: Writing Your Research Project
Time frame:
Readings:	Read Content Lesson 11
Assignments:	Answer the questions listed under the Self-assessment Exercises and post them to the Lesson 11 Drop Box

 

Annotated Bibliography
Time frame:
Assignments:	Work on your Annotated Bibliography. The instructor will provide more details at a later date Submit your Annotated Bibliography Submit Final Draft of Research Paper

 

Course Access

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, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

Graduation

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. 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.

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Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.

In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.

All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .

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Policies

Accommodating Disabilities

Additional Policies

For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.

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