Today and tomorrow's challenges are complex. The world has changed into a global village, facing global challenges, such as the depletion of natural resources, growing populations, reduced food security and rising sea levels. Innovative and multidisciplinary approaches are needed to address these complex challenges, whether it is locally, nationally or internationally. Interdisciplinary projects are the engines that make change and innovation, necessary to survive in today's world, possible.

 

Growing sector, increasing employment

Project and agile management has grown significantly in the past decade. Businesses, governmental organisations and non-profit organisations alike organise their work more and more in (agile) projects. Therefore there is an increasing need for professionals in project and agile management and project leaders. Regardless which organisation you will be working for in future, knowledge and skills in project and agile management will be one of the most asked requirements.

 

Quotes from students

"This minor was the perfect match for me between theory and practice of project management and research. I worked in a multidiscplinary team on a project in Indonesia. We developed a new business model for Rutgers, an international centre of expertise on sexual and reproductive health and rights. I liked the fact that we worked on a business challenge for a non-business oriented organisation. Also the experience of working and living in Indonesia was great!".

"My experience doing Managing Projects for Sustainable Development has been one of the most valuable experiences I have had during my studies. The combination of living abroad with a small team and working on a real-life issue has brought me a lot of insight into different cultures, team dynamics, myself, and the professional field. Applying project and change management to sustainable education in Romania has helped me discover my great interest in this field and has given me confidence in myself as a professional. MPSD has truly shaped me."

 

21st century skills

Project management involves planning, coordinating, costing and evaluating projects of all sizes, as well as managing the people and risks involved. In this minor, important 21st century skills are addressed, such as collaboration and leadership, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and innovation.

 

(International) project assignment

During the minor, you will work in an interdisciplinary and intercultural  team on a complex project in an organisational context, either in the Netherlands or abroad. This means that you will be gaining work experience on project management in an organisation for approx. 10 weeks. Apart from this, you will receive intensive training and workshops in project and agile management, personal leadership, visual change management, intercultural awareness and research. Different themes will be covered:

• Research in different project management phases, such as situation analysis, needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation research
• Developing a project scope, project planning, managing project resources, budgeting and risk management
• Creative thinking, innovation, managing people and conflict, intercultural skills

 

Division of minor in ECs

The minor is divided into four educational units:

1. Managing and executing a project for a client, with an interdisciplinary and intercultural team. The client can be from the Netherlands or from abroad: 20EC
2. Leadership Development Programme. In this programme you receive leadership training, personal coaching and peer group counselling: 5 EC
3. Individual Research Project: Proposal, Design and Methodology. You will prepare applied research and implement a research project related to the social-cultural/political context of your project of the client: 5 EC

 

Learning objectives

In this minor you learn to develop, plan and implement a complex project within an organisational setting. You learn how to collaborate within an intercultural and interdisciplinary  team in an intercultural setting.

The minor enables you to develop your strengths further by identifying your natural talents and skills. Also we coach you in developing a 'growth mindset' which means you see challenges instead of problems, you learn from failure and you are motivated by the success of your team colleagues.

Completed at least 120 EC or 150 ECs (year 3 students) and 180 EC (year 4 students)

Good command of English (oral and writing skills); minimum B2 level, preferred C1.

Motivation letter and a motivation interview with the minor coordinator.

If one or two courses are missing; explain in your motivation letter. 

To be announced later. 

In the first 10 weeks, you will follow a programme at Windesheim Honours College (WHC) for three days a week. Two days a week you will work on the project for your client with your project team. The second 10 weeks, you will work on your project full-time. If your project is an international project, this will be the time that you will go abroad for 8 weeks. The final two weeks you will be at WHC again for final presentations, intervision and feedback sessions.

Applied Research (5 Ecs)

Leadership and Team Development (5 Ecs)

Advanced Project Management (20 Ecs)

 

We offer projects in the Netherlands and abroad. If you choose for an international project, you need to cover the costs for travel, local housing etc. yourself. Depending on the country, this will costs you approximately. between €1000 and €2.500 in total. The project assignments are acquired by the bachelor programme: Global Project and Change Management.