YAM-60312 Academic Master Cluster

Course

Credits 12.00

Mandatory knowledge:

A BSc giving admittance to one of the Wageningen MSc programs, some MSc programs have additional requirements (consult your study advisor).

Contents:

A specialised training to acquire professional skills in project planning and management and in communication skills is scheduled at the start of the course. This includes element of project design, strategic planning, effective negotiation, group processes and participation in and chairing of meetings.
A project team is formed in which you will work on an assignment of your own choice for an external client. The projects will range from relatively disciplinary to strongly cross-disciplinary to allow students an individual choice of "real-life" application, broadening and deepening of their skills and knowledge.

Registration for the course:
Pre-registration to the course is possible until 6 weeks before each period through the web-site (http://edu.zod.wau.nl/YAM60312), pre-registration for period 1 is closed 6 weeks before the end of period 5. After pre-registration further information about registration will be send through email.

Aims:

1. to gain knowledge and professional skills in executing a project according to plan, technical backing, budgeting, execution, reporting and judgement of projects with a disciplinary component covered by your previous study.
2. to be able to use management and decision models, to implement knowledge and to take decisions in practical situations, taking into account economical, administrative, operational, societal (ethical) infrastructure and ecological boundary conditions.
3. to get acquainted with multidisciplinary analysis of strategic problems at various system levels related to your disciplinary background.
4. to be able to solve multidisciplinary problems independently and in (intercultural) teams by novel approaches; this requires the integration of academic (disciplinary) knowledge in the appropriate technical, administrative and societal context.
5. to gain knowledge, skills and expertise in negotiating with a range of stakeholders in project planning and implementation.
6. to be able to analyse and interpret group processes and to gain insight in one's own role in group development and functioning.
7. to have an increased understanding of interpersonal communication processes, with a special reference to functional teams.
8. to develop increased understanding of different personality types, how they impact team performance, and how to deal with team conflicts.
9. to be able to gather relevant information in your own field of expertise and appropriately integrate this into the final group product.

Organisation:
The master cluster is given in the periods 1+2, 2+3, 3+4 as a halftime course (6 ECTS per period working only mornings or only afternoon as the case will be) and during period 5 as a full time course. Depending on interest from students an extra course may be provided during period 4+5, again as half time course during these two periods. For more detail see the web site.

Activities:

- to acquire the basic knowledge about and skills related to project planning and management you will follow short lectures and perform exercises and report on these orally and in writing.
- during the first few weeks of the master cluster the project teams will negotiate with their client about the exact products that have to be delivered and the costs that may be made.
- on the basis of the accepted project offer and working schedule the team will execute the self formulated tasks to get to the products that have been agreed upon.
- final products are presented in a larger audience during a final presentation.

Literature:

A study guide and other additional information is available on the webite:
http://edu.zod.wau.nl/YAM60312