Get ahead of the game with a Curtin Project Management qualification

Miri – 25 March, 2010 – Talented individuals holding undergraduate degrees wishing to further their education, increase their skill and knowledge base and advance their careers through postgraduate study might want to consider the distinctive Project Management programme offered by Curtin University of Technology, Sarawak Campus (Curtin Sarawak).

Curtin Sarawak offers Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree courses in Project Management which help students gain the understanding, knowledge and skills necessary for becoming effective project managers.

The Project Management programme offered by Curtin Sarawak, which is identical in all respects to the one offered at Curtin’s main campus in Perth, Western Australia, adopts a generic approach to project management. Thus, it is applicable to a variety of industries, including construction, engineering, education, health, commerce, information technology, and research and development.

Furthermore, the programme’s teaching staff has extensive professional experience in Project Management and offer practical relevancy to student learning.

“Project management might be a distinct professional discipline, with its own body of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques, but our programme’s unique generic approach makes them applicable to a variety of industries,” said Curtin Sarawak’s Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Dr. John Evans.

Our project management courses are in fact among the first to be generic rather than industry-specific, and are furthermore endorsed by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education and endorsed by the Australian Institute of Project Management and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency.”

He added that the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training has predicted that project management will be the fastest-growing occupation by this year, and Curtin is offering its Project Management programmes in Australia and Sarawak to help meet the growing global demand for project management professionals.

In Curtin’s Graduate Certificate in Project Management course, students examine project management and its processes, including history, definitions, attributes, body of knowledge, objectives and success. They explore the characteristics and activities of the project life cycle, along with the functions of planning, organisation and control, as well as consider cost and value management processes within a project environment, including methods and techniques of estimating, budgeting and controlling.

Time management is also a focus of the course, covering time programming and scheduling, line of balance, time estimating, constraints, resources, control monitoring, analysis and reporting.

Their studies will be supported by an exploration of organisational development and the design of organisational structures, including perceptions, personality, motivation, leadership, group processes, performance appraisal, conflict and work redesign.

The structure of this course varies depending on which semester students commence their studies in.

Entering the Graduate Certificate in Project Management course requires an appropriate Bachelor degree from a recognised tertiary institution and a minimum of two years’ relevant work experience, or a minimum of five years’ relevant management experience.

The Graduate Diploma in Project Management course, meanwhile, requires an appropriate Bachelor degree from a recognised tertiary institution and a minimum of two years’ relevant work experience, or a Graduate Certificate in Project Management.

The course builds on the curriculum of the graduate certificate to include topics in project quality, risk and procurement management and managerial effectiveness. Students will explore the application of quality management to projects, including planning, assurance, certification, audits, control, training, benchmarking and best practice. They will identify types of risks and learn risk analysis techniques. The function of contracting and procurement, and the acquisition process and contract administration are also examined.

In addition, they will develop skills effective managers use in order to carry out the people-oriented tasks of management.

For both these courses, applications for recognition of prior learning are assessed on an individual basis. The fee-paying courses are for one-year part-time study.

The Master of Science (Project Management) course builds on the curriculum of the graduate diploma to incorporate studies in strategic planning, stakeholder management, communication management and project management information systems. Students will also prepare and develop an individual research project report under the guidance of experienced academic staff.

The prerequisite for entry to the Master of Science (Project Management) course is an appropriate Bachelor degree from a recognised tertiary institution and a minimum two years’ relevant work experience, or a Graduate Certificate in Project Management. Applications for recognition of prior learning are assessed on an individual basis.

To specifically address the shortage of project management professionals in Sarawak, Curtin Sarawak recently announced that it is collaborating with Kuching’s Centre for Modern Management (CMM) to offer the Master of Science (Project Management) course in Kuching commencing on 17 May this year.

This followed the signing of a MoU between the two institutions on 22 January 2010 for the joint development and promotion of consultancy and training programmes in Sarawak.

Top lecturers and professionals from Curtin University of Technology in Perth and Curtin Sarawak will travel frequently to Kuching to conduct the course at CCM’s premises at Km. 20, Jalan Kuching-Serian, Semenggok.

The course not only has immediate relevance to the local and international industry but is also designed to meet future challenges.

Further benefits to students include career enhancement without having to take a career break, flexibility to balance study/work/life with support from a dedicated team, chance to build a global network of professional contacts, increased confidence and exposure to broader management issues, and of course, an internationally recognised qualification of high standard.

Those interested to enroll in the course in Kuching can contact Alex Chung at +60 85 443 939 or e-mail PG.enquiry@curtin.edu.my.

Postgraduate study at Curtin Sarawak is growing rapidly as the university gains wider recognition as a leading provider of business education in the region. In addition to the Project Management programme, one can choose to complete a range of other postgraduate programmes such Business (Master of Accounting) and Engineering (Master of Engineering and Master of Science), as well as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme.

A key factor attracting students worldwide to the university is its internationally-recognised Curtin qualifications, which are accredited by numerous international as well as national professional associations and governmental agencies, attesting to their quality and giving them much added value.

In addition, the quality of the teaching and learning environment, the reputation of its academics and the application of up-to-date teaching and learning methodologies and technologies allow students to gain an exceptional learning experience.

Curtin Sarawak was established in 1999 as the first offshore campus of Western Australia’s Curtin University of Technology at the invitation of the Sarawak State Government, which recognised the need for a tertiary institution of international calibre to match Miri’s tremendous growth.

In a matter of ten years hence, Curtin Sarawak has become one of the leading international universities in Malaysia, attracting students from all over the world to its modern campus amidst a beautiful garden setting in Senadin, Miri. Currently, there are some 3,000 students from throughout Malaysia and over 40 other countries studying at Curtin Sarawak.

For more information of Curtin Sarawak, visit its website at www.curtin.edu.my. To enquire specifically about its Project Management programmes, e-mail PG.enquiry@curtin.edu.my or contact its Student Recruitment Department at +60 85 443939.

Consider Curtin’s distinctive Project Management programme, one of the first to adopt

a generic approach.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. John Evans.

Students to gain an exceptional learning experience through quality

teaching and learning environment, reputation of academics and application

of up-to-date methodologies and technologies.

Curtin Sarawak’s modern campus in Miri, Sarawak.