Faculty Contact Information:
Prior to the first class meeting, contact is via email at the above address.
Phone number and snail-mail addresses will be provided at the first class meeting, and in the WebTycho classroom.
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Consultation:
Professor will be available in the classroom 30 minutes prior to the start of each class, and also during (most of) the lunch break.
Note that this hybrid class meets 9-5 on
Sat 27 Oct, Sat/Sun 3/4 Nov, Sat/Sun 8/9 Dec.
Students are also expected to participate via WebTycho throughout the course.
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Required Texts and Readings:
- American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American psychological association (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: APA.
- Marchewka, Jack T. (2006). Information Technology Project Management. (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
- Project Management Institute. (2004). A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge.(3rd ed.). Newton Square, PA: PMI Publications.
[Additional reading materials to be provided by the instructor.]
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Supplementary Readings:
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All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills.
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Recommended Journals:
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Publications of the various professional societies (such as ACM -- the Association for Computing Machinery, the IEEE Computing Society, and the various management professional societies) are strongly recommended. In addition, there are many trade journals (such as eWEEK) that IT professionals should become familiar with, many of these being published both weekly and on-line.
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Course Description:
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An examination of the fundamental principles and practice of managing programs and projects in an information processing and high-tech environment. The dynamic nature of IT and the effect of life cycles are explored. The fundamental building blocks of high-tech management styles (including project planning, organizational structure, team building, and effective control mechanisms) are addressed. Discussion covers the effect of product and project life cycles in delivering a successful IT project, considering the obsolescence factors in procurement/stakeholder contracts. The goal is to gain a solid foundation to successfully manage each phase of the project life cycle, work within organizational and cost constraints, set goals linked directly to stakeholder needs, and utilize proven management tools to execute a dynamic project on time and within budget. Emphasis is on how to apply the essential concepts, processes, and techniques in the management of large-scale governmental or commercial programs. Topics also include the need for global vision, strong planning techniques, appropriate training before introducing any IT product into the market, and discipline in executing tasks.
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Course Goals:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should understand and be able to apply knowledge concerning:
- Successful management of each phase of the project life cycle.
- Effects of product and project life cycles relative to the dynamic nature of IT.
- Use of proven management tools to execute a dynamic project on time and within budget.
- Current and emerging issues and trends in in information technology project management.
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Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion, the student should be able to:
- Identify major principles in IT Program/Project Management and the need for dynamic detail planning for 21st Century marketplace, differentiating IT Project Management from classical program management.
- Develop advanced job descriptions/requirements, statement of work (SOW) with detailed change management procedures for IT environment.
- Master the fundamental principles of Information Management into multiple projects to deliver a successful program and strategic direction for an organization.
- Develop an integrated project plan to include project goals and objectives, statement of work, work breakdown structure, project activity network diagram, project schedule and milestones, project budget, and cost-time performance tracking measures.
- Address the effect of IT life-cycle in industry and the need for efficient processes, organizational structure and implementation tasks.
- Use project management software to effectively plan, execute and track all types of projects.
- Examine the organizational and behavioral aspects of Information Management and develop "soft skills" to effectively lead, manage, communicate, and resolve conflicts.
- Examine the obsolescence factor in design and implementation programs of IT, addressing procurement issues.
- Planning for advance training of stakeholders before any new IT product is introduced into market.
- Analyze both successful and unsuccessful projects and apply state-of-the-art and proven techniques to the "real-world" projects in a series of case studies.
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Grading Information:
The final grade will be determined as follows:
20% -- Mid-term Examination
20% -- Final Examination
25% -- Group Project(s)
25% -- Individual Assignments
10% -- Class Participation
Note that Friday, 7 Dec, is the last date for withdrawal from this course.
According to the Graduate School grading policy, the following symbols and scale are used:
A = excellent (90-100)
B = good (80-89)
C = passing (70-79)
F = failure (less than 70)
The grade of "B" represents the benchmark for the Graduate School. It indicates the student has demonstrated competency in the subject matter of the course, i.e., has fulfilled all course requirements on time, has a clear grasp of the full range of course materials and concepts, and is able to present and apply these materials and concepts in clear, reasoned, well-organized and grammatically correct responses, whether written or oral.
Only students who fully meet this standard and, in addition, who demonstrate exceptional comprehension and application of the course subject matter, merit an "A."
Students who do not meet the benchmark standard of competency fall within the "C" range or lower. They, in effect, have not met graduate level standards. Where this failure is substantial, they earn an "F."
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Course Requirements:
The course requirements are as follows:
Examinations: Midterm and final examinations will be given.
Individual Assignments: Students will prepare individual deliverables appropriate to the various phases of the project life cycle. Students will also be assigned to seek out up-to-date information on various topics, and provide summaries.
In this hybrid course, most individual assignments will be accomplished via the WebTycho classrom.
Group Project(s): Students will be assigned to project teams for the purpose of developing appropriate deliverables for the various phases of the project life cycle.
In this hybrid course, this group work will take place both in the face-to-face classroom and in WebTycho study groups. Use of the study groups (as opposed to email) allows the professor to be aware of the efforts put forth by all group members.
Participation: There will be individual and group work during the class meetings to reinforce and supplement lecture content, and to allow students to share relevant real-world experiences If you must be absent and wish to make up for missed work in this area, ask the professor – there are alternatives.
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Description of Course Requirements:
Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the face-to-face classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an 8-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most 10-week graduate distance education courses require at least 15 hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
STATEMENT ON WRITING REQUIREMENTS:
Effective managers and leaders are also effective communicators. Written communication is an important element of the total communication process. The Graduate School recognizes and expects exemplary writing to be the norm for course work. To this end, all analyses and papers must demonstrate graduate level writing ability and comply with the format requirements of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. All writing assignments will be graded on the basis of content, logic, analysis, mechanics, organization, and research. Careful attention should be given to source citations, proper listing of references, the use of footnotes, and the presentation of tables and graphs. Work submitted online should follow standard procedures for formatting and citation.
POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Academic integrity is central to the learning and teaching process. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that will contribute to the maintenance of academic integrity by making all reasonable efforts to prevent the occurrence of academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) obtaining or giving aid on an examination, having unauthorized prior knowledge of an examination, doing work for another student, and plagiarism of all types.
PLAGIARISM:
Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional presentation of another person's idea or product as one's own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to the following: copying verbatim all or part of another's written work; using phrases, charts, figures, illustrations, or mathematical or scientific solutions without citing the source; paraphrasing ideas, conclusions, or research without citing the source; and using all or part of a literary plot, poem, film, musical score, or other artistic product without attributing the work to its creator. Students can avoid unintentional plagiarism by following carefully accepted scholarly practices. Notes taken for papers and research projects should accurately record sources of material to be cited, quoted, paraphrased, or summarized, and papers should acknowledge these sources in footnotes. The penalties for plagiarism include a zero or a grade of F on the work in question, a grade of F in the course, suspension with a file letter, suspension with a transcript notation, or expulsion.
Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment.
DISABLED STUDENTS:
Students with disabilities should contact the Director of Student Services, phone: +49-6221- 378299, email: edstudent_svc@ed.umuc.edu, mailing address: Unit 29216. APO AE 09102 or Im Bosseldorn 30, D-69126 Heidelberg, Germany.
COURSE EVALUATIONS:
Feedback on each graduate course and instructor is important to the university, your professor, and to all UMUC students. UMUC has the responsibility to assess the effectiveness of classroom instruction, and each student has the responsibility to provide accurate and timely feedback through completion of the course evaluation form. This is a shared obligation for us all. It is therefore important that you complete the evaluation form for each course you attend. This should be viewed as an additional course and program requirement.
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Course Schedule:
Projected Course Schedule:
Sat 27 Oct AM: Overview Marchewka Chapters 1 & 2
- Introduction, Course Structure, Projects, Assignments
- Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
- The Nature of Information Technology Projects
- The Project Management Body of Knowledge
- Information Technology Project Methodology
- The Business Case
- Project Selection and Approval
Associated Readings: Marchewka, Chapters 1, 2; PMBOK, Chapters 1, 2; Internet articles as assigned by the professor and/or located by the students.
Sat 27 Oct PM: Overview Marchewka Chapters 3 & 4
- Project Management Process
- Project Integration Management
- The Project Charter
- Project Planning Framework
- The Kick-Off Meeting
- Organizational and Project Planning
- The Project Team
- The Project Environment
Associated Readings: Marchewka, Chapters 3, 4; PMBOK, Chapters 3, 4, 9; Internet articles as assigned by the professor and/or located by the students.
In WebTycho, Week of 28 Oct:
Exercises, assignments, and projects relating to topics in Marchewka Chapters 1 & 2.
Sat 03 Nov AM: Overview Marchewka Chapters 5 & 6
- Project Scope Initiation and Planning
- Project Scope Definition
- Project Scope Verification
- Scope Change Control
- The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
- Project Estimation
- Software Engineering Metrics and Approaches
- COCOMO
Associated Readings: Marchewka, Chapters 5,6; PMBOK, Chapters 5, 6, 7; Internet articles as assigned by the professor and/or located by the students.
Sat 03 Nov PM: Overview Marchewka Chapters 7 & 8
- Developing the Project Schedule
- Project Management Software Tools
- Developing the Project Budget
- Finalizing the Project Schedule and Budget
- IT Project Risk Management Planning Processs
- Identifying IT Project Risks
- Risk Analysis and Assessment
- Risk Strategies
- Risk Monitoring and Control
- Risk Response and Evaluation
Associated Readings: Marchewka, Chapters 7, 8; PMBOK, Chapters 6, 7, 11; Internet articles as assigned by the professor and/or located by the students.
Sun 4 Nov AM: Overview Marchewka Chapters 9 & 10
- Monitorng and Controlling the Project
- The Project Communications Plan
- Project Metrics
- Reporting, Information Distribution
- The Quality Movement
- Quality Systems
- The IT Project Quality Plan
Associated Readings: Marchewka, Chapters 9, 10; PMBOK, Chapters 8, 10; Internet articles as assigned by the professor and/or located by the students.
Sun 4 Nov PM: Overview Marchewka Chapters 11 & 12
- The Nature of Change
- The Change Management Plan
- Dealing with Resistance and Conflict
- Project Procurement Management
- Outsourcing
Associated Readings: Marchewka, Chapters 11, 12; Internet articles as assigned by the professor and/or located by the students.
In WebTycho, Week of 05 Nov:
Exercises, assignments, and projects relating to topics in Marchewka Chapters 3 & 4.
In WebTycho, Week of 12 Nov:
Exercises, assignments, and projects relating to topics in Marchewka Chapters 5 & 6.
In WebTycho, 14 Nov - midnight (German time) 21 Nov: open books, notes, etc. Midterm Exam
In WebTycho, Week of 19 Nov:
Exercises, assignments, and projects relating to topics in Marchewka Chapters 7 & 8.
In WebTycho, Week of 26 Nov:
Exercises, assignments, and projects relating to topics in Marchewka Chapters 9 & 10.
In WebTycho, Week of 03 Dec:
Exercises, assignments, and projects relating to topics in Marchewka Chapters 11 & 12.
Note that Friday, 7 Dec, is the last date for withdrawal from this course.
Sat 08 Dec AM: Leadership and Ethics (Marchewka, Chapter 13)
- Project Leadership
- Ethics in Projects
- Multicultural Projects
- Case Studies, Discussion
Readings: Marchewka, Chapters 12, 13; PMBOK, Chapter 12; Internet articles as assigned by the professor and/or located by the students.
Sat 08 Dec PM: Project Implementation, Closure, Evaluation (Marchewka, Chapter 14)
- Project Implementation
- Administrative Closure
- Project Evaluation
- Case Studies, Discussion
Readings: Marchewka, Chapters 12, 13; PMBOK, Chapter 12; Internet articles as assigned by the professor and/or located by the students.
Su 09 Dec AM: Final Examination - Part Closed books, etc; Part open books, notes.
Readings: Marchewka, Chapter 14; Internet articles as assigned by the professor and/or located by the students.
Su 09 Dec PM: Case Studies, Discussions, Presentations
Readings: Marchewka, Chapter 14; Internet articles as assigned by the professor and/or located by the students.
Note that all work to be considered in computation of the final course grade must be submitted by midnight (German time), Wednesday, 12 Dec, unless you have made special arrangements with the professor in advance.
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Academic Policies:
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The University has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University's contract with Turnitin.com. If you object to this temporary storage of your paper, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please Note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarism
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/a a15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course.
Students with disabilities should contact the appropriate support office at UMUC-Europe.
Jan Keller, Director of Student Services
UMUC-Europe, Heidelberg
Phone: +49-6221-378299
Email: edstudent_svc@ed.umuc.edu
Mailing Address: Unit 29216, APO AE 09102 OR Im Bosseldorn 30, D-69126 Heidelberg, Germany
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Code of Civility
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center.
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Faculty Bio:
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Dr. Dean earned the BA in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University, and the MS and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has worked at various times as a programmer, programmer/analyst, systems analyst, and project manager in the areas of medical information systems, small business support, and life insurance. Since 1975, she has been involved in teaching and curriculum development in computing, most recently at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, prior to joining UMUC - Europe. She has served for several years on the Board of Directors, and serves as President, of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (CCSC). She serves on the Regional Board of the CCSC Southeastern Conference, and as Associate Editor of the Journal for Computing Sciences in Colleges. Her areas of interest include curriculum development, database management systems, programming languages, and information security.
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