Course syllabus for Project Management

Projektledning

Versions of this syllabus:

Autumn 2025

Essential data

Course code: 4FH092
Course name: Project Management
Credits: 3
Form of Education: Higher education, study regulation of 2007
Main field of study: Public Health Sciences
Level: AV - Second cycle
Grading scale: Fail (U), pass (G) or pass with distinction (VG)
Department: Department of Global Public Health
Decided by: Finalized by: 2025-03-07, Utbildningsnämnden GPH
Decision date: 2025-03-07
Revised by: Education Committee GPH
Course syllabus valid from: Autumn semester 2025

Specific entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree or a professional degree equivalent to a Swedish Bachelor's degree of at least 180 credits in public health science, healthcare or other relevant social sciences subject area. And proficiency in English equivalent to English B/English 6.

That the student has completed courses with approved results equivalent of 45 credits on the specific specialisation at the Master's Programme in Public Health Sciences.

Outcomes

The overall goal of this course is to understand and apply project management principles in the field of public health and research including observational and intervention studies. The course will introduce project phases, their content, project management tools, describe project leadership skills and will give students the opportunity to apply the learnt content by writing a detailed protocol. The course includes a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural perspective in support of the sustainable development goals.

After the course participants should be able to:

  • Describe, explain and apply basic project management tools for Public Health and research projects 
  • Define important skills and qualifications of project leadership and human resource management
  • Describe and apply planning, costing and risk assessment of projects
  • Describe and apply specific research skills such as writing a protocol and a data management plan, engaging the community and preparing targeted information and dissemination materials
  • Describe and apply interprofessional learning for project management
  • Describe and apply ethical considerations and principles of respectful and sustainable collaborations throughout the planning and conduct of a project

Students will write a detailed protocol which will allow them to apply tools, describe details of processes including resource management, risk management and continuous planning and forecasting.

Content

The course will cover the following aspects taking a global perspective by drawing from examples from different settings and areas relevant within the sustainable development goals.

  • The project cycle with its specific features
  • Project management tools including Gantt charts, organigrams etc
  • Specifics of research management including the data management plan, GDPR, data repositories, etc
  • Needs assessment, stakeholder analysis, stakeholder and community engagement 
  • Risk assessment and risks management
  • Characteristics of different leadership skills for project management
  • Aspects of human resource management
  • Effective project teams / inter-professional and intercultural working and competences
  • Reporting and communication

Teaching methods

The course will include lectures, reading, group work, peer review and the preparation of an individual protocol which allows the student to apply the learned content. During the course project examples of different designs and contexts will be used allowing learning to be is done on concrete examples.

Examination

Final exam: Individual project work of writing a detailed implementation and collaboration protocol.

Compulsory participation
Selected lectures and peer-reviewing, exam are compulsory. The examiner assesses if, and how, absence from compulsory educational elements can be compensated for. Before the student has participated in the compulsory educational elements or compensated the absence in accordance with the examiner's instructions, the final course results will not be reported. Absence from a compulsory educational component may imply that the student cannot compensate for missed compulsory educational elements until the next time the course is given.

Limitation of number of occasions to write the exam
The student has the right to write the exam six times. If the student has not passed the exam after four participations he/she is encouraged to visit the study advisor. The number of times that the student has participated in one and the same examination is regarded as an examination session. Submission of a blank examination is regarded as an examination. An examination for which the student registered but not participated in will not be counted as an examination.

If there are special grounds, or a need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to deviate from the syllabus's regulations on the examination form, the number of examination opportunities, the possibility of supplementation or exemptions from the compulsory section/s of the course etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities may not be changed, removed or reduced.

Transitional provisions

Examination will be provided during a time of two years after a possible cancellation of the course. Examination can take place according to an earlier literature list during a time of one year after the date when a major renewal of the literature list has been made.

Other directives

Course evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines established by the Committee for Higher Education.

The course language is English.

Literature and other teaching aids

**Literature: **