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Course Descriptions - PMAN (Project Management)

PMAN 600 Project Management: Foundations and Advanced Methods (6)

An overview of the theory and practice of managing projects in any organization, applying widely used software tools for project management and risk analysis. Emphasis is on leadership in project management: managing projects or tasks in a team environment; building teams; and utilizing communication, organization and conflict management skills. Discussion covers the various phases of a project, including initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing the project. Topics include analytical approaches and quantitative methods in project management, such as earned value management and techniques for estimating project duration and cost, optimizing allocation of resources, expediting projects and scheduling algorithms. Simulation tools and statistical techniques are used to analyze uncertainty in project selection, budget allocation and time estimation. Project management knowledge areas are examined and linked to industry practices for successful management of projects. Students who receive credit for PMAN 600 cannot receive credit for PMAN 634 or PMAN 670.

PMAN 634 Foundations of Project Management (3)

An overview of the theory and practice of managing projects in any organization. Emphasis is on leadership in project management: managing projects or tasks in a team environment; building teams; and utilizing communication, organization and conflict management skills. Discussion covers the various phases of a project, including initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing the project. Project management knowledge areas are examined and linked to industry practices for successful management of projects. The goal is to gain a solid understanding of how to successfully manage each phase of the project life cycle, work within organizational constraints, set goals linked directly to stakeholder needs and utilize proven project management tools to complete projects on time and within budget while meeting specifications. Essential concepts, processes and techniques are applied through management of a team project, which requires regular progress reports and reviews.

PMAN 637 Project Risk Management (3)

Prerequisite: PMAN 600 or PMAN 634. An in-depth analysis of risk management methodologies, from both strategic and tactical perspectives. State-of-the art tools and techniques for identifying, measuring and monitoring risks in the project management environment are examined. Both qualitative and quantitative risk analyses are conducted, and strategies for proactive risk aversion and reactive risk response are developed. Focus is on how a comprehensive risk management approach can enable a project team to proactively manage issues that adversely impact the successful control and completion of a project.

PMAN 638 Project Communications Management (3)

Prerequisite: PMAN 600 or PMAN 634. An overview of conflict resolution processes and methods and the skills needed to manage the human elements within project management—a task as challenging as managing the technical aspects. Topics include critical communication and conflict resolution issues faced by project workers in today’s global corporate environment. Innovative approaches to successfully negotiating and resolving conflicts among team members, colleagues, managers and stakeholders are introduced and practiced. Proven techniques to make conflict a constructive—rather than a destructive—experience are analyzed. Emphasis is on case study analysis, effective communication behaviors, negotiation skills and virtual team processes to successfully lead both domestic and global projects.

PMAN 639 Project Quality Management (3)

Prerequisite: PMAN 600 or PMAN 634. A study of the policy, processes and procedures involved in assuring that projects will satisfy the objectives for which they were undertaken. Emphasis is on quality planning, quality assurance, quality control, and process improvement. Discussion covers all the activities that determine quality objectives, policies, and responsibilities. The importance of customer satisfaction, prevention over inspection, management responsibility and continuous improvement is recognized. Topics include control charts, cause and effect diagrams, Pareto charts, failure mode and effect analysis, design reviews and cost of quality. Course content and approach are compatible with the International Organization for Standardization.

PMAN 641 Project Procurement Management (3)

Prerequisite: PMAN 634. An examination of the tools needed for project procurement management. Focus is on determining what needs to be purchased or acquired and determining when and how to acquire it. Topics include planning the contracting efforts (documenting products and services and identifying potential sellers); requesting sellers’ responses (obtaining information, quotation, bids, offers or proposals); selecting the seller (receiving and reviewing offers, selecting among those potential offers and negotiating a contract); administering contracts (managing the relationship between buyers and sellers, including documentation, corrective actions and contract changes); and closing contracts (completing the contract and settling all open issues).

PMAN 650 Financial Management of Projects (3)

Prerequisite: PMAN 600 or PMAN 634. An investigation of financial decision making in the management of projects. Topics include developing cost estimates, analyzing accuracy of estimates, and monitoring and controlling project budgets, as well as top-down and bottom-up budgeting and integrating cost estimates with work breakdown structures. Techniques of cost and schedule control are discussed in the context of project baselines. Discussion also covers managing change within the project (through design of a project control system, the use of reserves, methodologies to exercise control and change management practices) and breakeven analysis, discounted cash flow and financial risk management in the context of cash flow, schedule and cost. How various functional units in an organization perceive costs differently and how project costs affect both project and corporate financial performance are examined. Earned value analysis is applied as a technique for evaluating, monitoring and forecasting project costs and schedules.

PMAN 670 Advanced Project Methods (3)

Prerequisite: PMAN 634. An overview of advanced methods of managing projects, applying widely used software tools for project management and risk analysis. Topics include analytical approaches and quantitative methods in project management, such as earned value management and techniques for estimating project duration and cost, optimizing allocation of resources, expediting projects and scheduling algorithms. Simulation tools and statistical techniques are used to analyze uncertainty in project selection, budget allocation and time estimation. Discussion covers project portfolio management and how multiple projects and programs fit into strategic direction of an organization. The processes, tools and techniques of project management are applied to a team project with emphasis on quantitative and analytical methods.