Syllabus for MAN-435

PROJECT MANAGEMENT


COURSE DESCRIPTION

Project Management provides the foundation and framework for managing projects to assure completion within budget, schedule, and performance specifications. The course begins by introducing the role of project management and elements of effective project leadership. Within the modules, students are introduced to principles and tools for managing project scope, risk, and cost. The course also introduces project evaluation and control methods, keys to future project success.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

CO1        Discuss the significance and challenges of effective project management. 

CO2        Analyze the criteria for screening and selecting projects for implementation.

CO3        Differentiate between the role of a manager and leader and formulate principles of effective project leadership.

CO4        Assess the importance of scope management and devise methods for breaking work down in planning for a project.

CO5        Evaluate the reasons why project teams typically succeed and fail and recommend ways to foster success.

CO6        Identify causes of project risk and devise ways to mitigate risk in project management.

CO7        Compare various methods of project cost estimation.

CO8        Discuss principles of project scheduling and resource management.

CO9        Distinguish the phases of project evaluation and control and assess common evaluation and control methods.

CO10        Assess the importance of successful project closeout and termination.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the University’s textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

ISBN-13: 978-0-13-379807-4

COURSE STRUCTURE

Project Management is a three-credit online course, consisting of six modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

Course objectives covered in this module include: 1

Course objectives covered in this module include: 2, 3, 4

Course objectives covered in this module include: 5, 6

Course objectives covered in this module include: 7

Course objectives covered in this module include: 8

Course objectives covered in this module include: 9, 10

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, answer case study questions, complete written assignments, and take three (3) proctored online examinations—one at the end of Module 2, one at the end of Module 4, and one at the end of Module 6. See below for more details.

Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Discussion Forums

Project Management requires you to participate in six (6) graded online discussion activities, in addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted activity and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

If you use text material or outside print or online sources to enhance your discussion, please be sure to provide references.

For posting guidelines and help with discussion forums, please see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.

Case Studies

You are required to answer questions on six (6) case studies from your text. The case studies are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. If, while completing the case study questions, you make reference to outside sources of information, document these references in proper APA format.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete six (6) written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.

Examinations

You are required to take three (3) proctored online examinations: one at the end of Module 2, one at the end of Module 4, and one at the end of Module 6.

All three exams require that you use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.

In the exams, you will be asked to assess decisions and justify actions, providing examples, evidence, and explanations that indicate your mastery of course concepts.

Online exams are administered through the course Web site. Consult the Course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.

Allowed Materials: During the exam, you are permitted to use your textbook and any course notes. The permission applies ONLY to the required course textbook and your own personal notes, not to Internet sites or other resources.

Statement about Cheating

You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A

=

93–100

C+

=

78–79

A–

=

90–92

C

=

73–77

B+

=

88–89

C–

=

70–72

B

=

83–87

D

=

60–69

B–

=

80–82

F

=

Below 60

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.

Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:

Plagiarism

Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.

If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > “Citing Sources.”)

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.

For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance and originality report checking, click the links provided below.

Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism

When to Quote and When to Paraphrase

Writing Assistance at Smarthinking

Originality Report Checking at Turnitin

Disciplinary Process for Plagiarism

Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.

If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.

If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.

Possible sanctions include:

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