Executive MBA Strategic Project Management | Curriculum

How Digital Can Project Management Get?

During this Executive MBA, students tackle digitizing project management progresses. Below you find a recorded discussion on this topic between the Academic Director and one of the guest speakers in the program.

Training Project Overview

During the first three teaching blocks of the specialization, students work together on a training project. Assuming the roles of project management consultants, participants form small groups to work on planning a project. The training projects are drawn from the students´ own professional practice. This “learning-on-the-project” approach provides participants with a testing ground for the theories, concepts and methods discussed in the course of the Executive MBA program.

Project Vernissage

Another highly practical-relevant feature of the program ist the "Project Vernissage". During this event, students exhibit their training projects and share their project management learning progress with business partners, alumni, students, and faculty of the program.

Below you find examples of projects featured at the "Project Vernissage".

Sound of Music

Updating a Bank Security System

Private Concierge

Company Visits

The Executive MBA Strategic Project Management includes company visits to project-oriented companies and organizations. Here, students have the opportunity to meet experts and discuss formulas for success and pitfalls to avoid in project management. Past company visits include: Audi Hungaria, OMV, Frequentis, City of Vienna, Raiffeisen Bank International.

Project Management Methods and Trends

Understanding and applying the core methods and trends is vital for successful project and program management. You will learn:

• A holistic approach to projects and programs based on a comprehensive theoretical grounding in systems theory and constructivism.
• How to differentiate, process, project, program, and investment and how to relate them to each other.
• To understand the implications of new developments such as agile or sustainability for managing projects and programs.
• How to apply planning methods such as project objective plan, work-break down structure, scheduling methods, cost planning etc.
• To apply a holistic approach to developing a business case underlying a project or program.
• How to contextualize the application of methods to a particular project.

Project Organization

Designing of project and program organizations is a core element of ensuring competitive advantage and success. You will learn:

• How to tailor-design an organization for a project or program.
• How to apply traditional forms of organizations and modern design elements for empowerment and value creation.
• A holistic understanding of different responsibilities and roles in projects and programs.
• The relationship between project organization and stakeholder management.

Project Uncertainty, Risks, and Agility

Dealing with uncertainty and risks on projects is central for every project manager. One answer to uncertainty is including agility into projects. You will learn:

• How to deal with uncertainty in projects.
• The difference between uncertainty and risk, risk identification and risk analysis methods, scenario techniques, alternative project plans.
• How to apply project risk management including risk identification and risk analysis methods, scenario techniques, and alternative project plans.
• Iterative, agile, and hybrid approaches to project management.

Project Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholders of projects and programs are a valuable resource for ensuring sustainable outcomes and their acceptance. You will learn:

• Methods for identifying and engaging stakeholders for value co-creation.
• The difference between managing of and for stakeholder approaches and combining these strategic approaches.
• The benefits and limitations of project stakeholder management and project marketing.

Project Controlling

Project controlling is an essential task of a project manager to ensure project progress and success. Controlling and cooperation on the project can be supported by tooling, social media and digitalization. You will learn:

• Earned Value project management as project controlling method.
• Estimation, extrapolation forecasting and trend analysis methods, relevant to project controlling.
• The need for considering social aspects of project controlling.
• Application of modern media in project management processes and stakeholder engagement.

Project Management Process and International Approaches

Designing the Project Management Process is a core project leadership task. Having an understanding and overview on selected project management standards is part of the profession. You will learn:

• The essentials of a professional project start and simulate the behaviors of project managers, project team members, and project owners in such situations.
• General and specific approaches to designing project management processes, taking into account values like transparency, participation, and traceability.
• The differences and commonalities of international project management standards such as the International Competence Baseline (ICB) of the IPMA, Project Management Body of Knowledge of the PMI, and Projects in Controlled Environments (Prince2) of the AXELOS.

Managing Project-Oriented Organizations and Change

Project-oriented organizations need specific strategies, structures, cultures, processes, and methods expressed in distinct capabilities to support change and innovation. You will learn:

• Latest knowledge about the specific features of project-oriented organizations, such as portfolio management.
• How to structure and manage a project portfolio.
• The different types of Project Management Offices.
• Human Resource Management in project-oriented companies: challenges and potentials.
• How to implement and professionalize project management in an organization.
• To apply specific systemic consulting methods, such as constellation and design thinking.

Project Management Lab

Students visit selected businesses to gain practical insights into how project-oriented companies work and what benefits they bring. Moreover, the Lab includes presentations on topical issues and special exercises that allow participants to further improve and perfect their PM and social skills. Topics in the past included for example project leadership.

You will learn/gain:

• Deeper knowledge and practice understanding to lead projects and project-oriented organizations.
• Practical-relevant insights
• An expanded network through company visits

Additional Benefit: PMA Certification

In addition to acquiring in-depth knowledge and skills in strategic project management, participants have the opportunity to obtain a job-related Project Management certificate and an Agile Leadership certificate according to IPMA®.

The Executive MBA Strategic Project Management prepares students for these IPMA® certifications. Examinations for levels C and D will be conducted in collaboration with project management austria (pma), the national association of IPMA®.

The certification is included in the tuition fee.

Writing a scientific paper

At the end of the Executive MBA program, students have to write a master's thesis in order to receive the academic degree of Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA). The intention of the master's thesis is to guarantee that the graduate of the Executive MBA program is able to write scientific papers on his or her own.