Good project management matters. Curtin Sarawak can help you get ahead of the game.

Miri – 17 August, 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, Sarawak Malaysia (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.

In addition, 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. In fact, Curtin’s project management courses are among the first to be generic rather than industry-specific,” said Curtin Sarawak’s Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Ian Kerr.

Furthermore, the qualifications are awarded under the Australian Qualifications Framework, and are thus Australian government-accredited and Australia-wide recognised, and by virtue of Curtin Sarawak’s self-accreditation status granted by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, are also recognised by the Malaysian government.”

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 the both the government and private sectors in Sarawak, Curtin Sarawak is collaborating with the Centre for Modern Management (CMM) in Kuching to offer the Master of Science (Project Management) course in the state capital in tandem with the course run at its campus in Miri.

This arrangement follows 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.

The course at the Centre for Modern Management will see the commencement of its second semester in September. The first cohort for the course, which began in May this year, consisted of 20 State Government-sponsored and two self-funded participants.

Associate Professor David Baccarini, Director of Project Management Course at the Bentley Campus’ School of Built Environment, was in Kuching between 12 and 13 June 2010 to conduct the first module on Project Management.

According to a number of the participants, Associate Professor Baccarini’s lectures gave tremendous insight into the know-how and latest techniques of managing projects. They also said the subject matter was also very interesting and relevant to their jobs, all of which made for a really fulfilling learning experience.

The second module on Project Cost Management was conducted by Lindsay Castell, a lecturer from the School of Built Management who has numerous years of experience in managing construction projects in the Middle East.

Besides the benefit of learning from highly experienced teaching staff from Curtin Bentley and Curtin Sarawak, as well as professionals from the industry, benefits to participants undergoing the course include career enhancement without having to take a career break, the flexibility to balance study/work/life with support from a dedicated team, a chance to build a global network of professional contacts, and increased confidence and exposure to broader management issues.

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.

According Cecilia Anthony Das, postgraduate coordinator of Curtin Sarawak’s School of Business. the Master of Science (Project Management) course has seen steady growth in enrolment since its inception, with a large number of students enrolled at the Curtin Sarawak Campus in Miri and an increasing number at the Centre for Modern Management in Kuching,

“Project Management is the qualification of the future as there is obviously a growing global demand for project management professionals. It is pertinent for those who are in industries where the running of projects is inevitable to be suitably equipped with the knowledge and skills to manage projects effectively. The opportunities for further study in the discipline abound and I would encourage those with the means to do so,” she said.

“As for companies, gone are the days when they could manage projects as they fancied. Companies must recognise that project management is a distinct professional discipline of its own and should hire qualified professionals to get the job done right,” she added.

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.

Students gain an exceptional learning experience through quality teaching and learning environment, reputation of academics and application of up-to-date methodologies and technologies.

Course participants with David Baccarini (centre, front row) at the Centre for Modern Management.

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Ian Kerr.

Postgraduate coordinator Cecilia Anthony Das.

Curtin Sarawak’s modern campus in Miri, Sarawak.