Based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) this unit introduces the end-to-end project management lifecycle. Students learn how to select appropriate projects based on their alignment with an organisation's strategy and then how to manage those projects successfully from initiation through execution to completion. The unit covers the essential components of effective project management and how to apply them in an integrated manner. The unit also explores both the technical and behavioural aspects of project management - including Microsoft Project - and students gain experience in critically analysing the application of concepts in specific project contexts. As organisations increasingly structure their activities on a project basis, the unit is of value to a range of discipline specialisations. The unit can also contribute to achievement of internationally recognised accreditation from the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Drawing upon the knowledge and skills developed from other units in the project management specialisation, this unit examines project management in practice. Students' understanding and experience of real work projects is enhanced by undertaking structured assessments of historical projects in a variety of contexts and partaking in various team-based learning activities. Contemporary alternative methodological approaches are also examined. Students learn how these methodological approaches are currently applied in industry to include a presentation from a project management expert practitioner.

An understanding of cultural differences and how to manage such differences is critical to effective management in international and multi-cultural business environments. The aim of this unit is to provide conceptual frameworks and evidence from practice that will develop an understanding of the ways in which cultures differ, how these differences can impact on management, and how cultural issues can limit organisational effectiveness. Major topics include the significance of culture in international management, the meaning and dimensions of culture, comparative international management and leadership styles, managing communication across cultures, ethics and social responsibility in global management, cross-cultural negotiation and decision-making, forming and managing global teams, and developing the international and global manager.

The forces that currently drive business transformation, such as globalisation, the IT revolution and environmental sustainability, require businesses to be in a constant state of change to stay competitive in turbulent markets. However, as companies need to maintain their current revenue streams, they need to progress through a series of integrated business transformation projects. In this unit students learn how to analyse an organisation within a local and global context and develop knowledge of techniques required for managing technology-enabled business transformation projects. Topics covered include: the drivers of business transformation, managing change as a process, analysing information and processes, and planning, leading, sustaining, diffusing and learning from transformational projects.

Traditional approaches to project management and design work well under stable conditions, when intended outcomes are well understood. Yet, under conditional of market disruption, in innovation projects, new product development or for start-up businesses, traditional methods are often restrictive and inflexible. Agile Project Management and Design Thinking offer alternative approaches that value continuous change, flexibility, time-to-market, interactive learning and self-organisation over rigorous planning and design processes. In this unit you will learn the ethos, principles, and methods of agile project management and design thinking. You will experience hands-on techniques such as design thinking, learn management and Scrum as applied in practice. Learning will revolve around practical activities, insights from experienced guest speakers and case studies representing various industries.

Infrastructure is crucial to economic performance; without it business cannot operate efficiently or competitively. Delivery of large infrastructure projects, however, is complex and despite many more megaprojects being undertaken than any time in history, the majority of these projects are completed significantly over-budget and longer than planned. In this unit students will be introduced to megaproject decision making. The sources of social and technical complexity are discussed, issues of risk management and governance explored, and human biases in decision making are also highlighted. Strategies to overcome weaknesses in mega project decision making are also outlined.

New products and services are crucial to successful growth and increased profits in many industries. Students are introduced to the development and marketing of new products and services in both the private and public sectors. A product development assignment is carried out to reinforce the material covered and to provide realistic examples of how new products are designed, tested and launched.

This unit introduces models and tools for decision analysis and their application in managerial settings. The unit focuses on the use of formal decision methods for management decisions in business. The main goal is to show how these decision models can improve the decision process by helping the decision maker to understand the structure of decisions; use subjective probabilities for measuring risk; analyse sensitivity of decisions to changing decision parameters; quantify outcomes in accordance with risk attitudes; and estimate the value of information. Special attention is paid to informal interpretations of formal decision approaches.

In this unit students learn theories of communication and how they apply within organisations, at an organisational, team and individual level. In the unit we review the concept of communication through different theoretical and philosophical lenses, so that students gain an understanding of how different perspectives provide different insights into communication within organisations. The unit also examines communication processes and how communication occurs between individuals and within groups. There is also a focus on communication challenges such as technology, diversity and globalisation. The unit incorporates practical exercises and case studies to enable students to evaluate their own communication practices and to apply the knowledge and understanding they gain from the unit to their own organisations and careers.