Course syllabus

Companies are restructuring, and most of them are adopting a project-based organization; thus, effective handling and managing of projects is a necessary skill in all social sectors and almost all students are expected to deal with project management and leadership soon after graduation. This is primarily a case in IT and software-intensive industries.

This course is designed to prepare students for effective handling and managing of projects. It aims to develop the student’s knowledge in project management and leadership (focusing on software development), including theoretical foundations for different types of leadership and team management in knowledge-intensive environments, the general structure of projects and project planning for software development, and practical implications for running a software project smoothly and successfully.

The current field of project management and leadership is enriched with new literature and techniques, making it a clear “professionalization.” Thus, employees responsible for projects or those who continuously need to work with projects should have professional training. They need to have a deep understanding of leadership and project management theories in addition to their basic academic studies.

Leadership theory talks about different styles, characteristics, and mechanisms and how to apply them to manage software projects effectively. Project management describes processes, models, and procedures to initiate, plan, organize, build a team, and lead a project. During this course, all the theories and models in leadership and project management are applied with judgment and reflection, customized and matched for software development. Ethics and sustainable work in organizations are also emphasized and addressed.

• Present an overview of leadership and project management and what are the complexities associated with them
  
• Describe the structure and process of project management and leadership (with a specific focus on software development)
  
• Formulate the aims and implement tools and techniques for a detailed plan of activities, time, and resources
  
• Understand the financial aspects, human resources, and risk analysis and explain how to apply them effectively in project management.
  
• Explain the different structures of methods (e.g., agile project management) and how to apply them in software development projects
  
• Connect the projects with their external environment, carry out stakeholder analysis, and describe the main responsibilities for a project manager
  
• Understand and explain the social and environmental aspects of software projects
  

• demonstrate knowledge and ability to use theories, principles, and models of leadership and project management.
  
• plan, deploy, and manage software projects in established organizations or start-ups
  
• define the roles and responsibilities of the project manager and effectively use the techniques for managing time, cost, team, and risk.
  
• show the comprehension of the critical role of leadership and communication skills in the software development environments
  
• apply sustainability criteria in designing software development projects
  

• use the literature and knowledge acquired during the course to critically evaluate the proper leadership styles for effective software project management
  
• use the literature and knowledge acquired during the course to assess project management models in established companies and start-ups (focusing on software development)
  
• critically search and read the literature to frame, analyze, and solve managerial problems in project settings
  
• asses the sustainability of the software projects and propose techniques and solution to improve the sustainable development of software projects