Since 2016, Velopi and University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC), a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, have partnered to offer an innovative suite of postgraduate programmes in Project Management designed to suit people working in industry. The programme reflects the growing need for project managers worldwide. Most organisations are increasingly embracing project management processes and striving to ensure their staffs are trained in them.
Obtaining a professional accreditation, such as the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Professional (PMP)®, endorses your ability as a project manager. But it will not necessarily give you the gravitas to take on executives at the C-Suite level and to convince them that their objectives have no chance of succeeding. However, armed with a master’s degree in project management, you will equip yourself to communicate with the organization’s directors because you will understand how projects contribute to the overall business strategy and what outcomes your leaders are looking for.
Here at Velopi, we have been aware of this need. So working with University College Cork (UCC), we designed a postgraduate programme path to a Master’s qualification that will equip practicing project managers with the tools to manage projects but also to take them into the higher levels of corporate strategy and the realization of benefits. To this end, the Master’s programme incorporates both PMP® accreditation and executive-level strategy as part of the syllabus.
The partnership between UCC, a higher-education institution renowned for its academic excellence and Velopi, the leading industry specialist in project management training to optimise business performance, creates a unique learning pathway solution for participants to develop their professional skills and further their careers. With the solid reputation in academia and corporate learning of both partners, successful participants are assured of internationally recognised academic and professional accreditations underpinned with the latest thinking and sound practitioner experience that employer’s value and which will differentiate participants in their career paths.
The Velopi/UCC suite of project management courses is designed to be flexible with a part time schedule to facilitate the busy project management practitioner’s work and family commitments as they study. Classes over the two-years are scheduled from 2pm to 6pm Fridays and from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays, every second week. Various progression and exit points are offered along particular award pathways providing flexibility in delivery method and opportunities for students to learn at a pace that meets their individual needs where
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT (PG CERT) programme: Successfully completing one year of the course, entitles the student to a post-graduate certificate;
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT (PG DIP) programme: Successfully completing two years leads to a post-graduate diploma. The second year of the course also includes Project Management Professional exam preparation, providing the student with both academic and professional accreditations.
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT (MSC) programme: Completing the 15,000 word thesis component in the third year leads to a Level 9 Master’s degree.
Designed in collaboration with industry, local and international partners and professional bodies, the programme is supported by academic and expert practitioners who deliver a curriculum that is relevant, current and research-informed. Students are exposed to cutting-edge research, critical thinking and toolsets in addition to preparing candidates for PMP accreditation. The use of interactive seminar and workshop formats, case studies, group and individual exercises support the development of decision-making and problem-solving skills.
As the Industry Partner, Velopi has been closely involved in the design of this programme providing a balance with the academic perspective of the UCC lecturers. All Velopi’s trainers, who are PMP® certified with over 20 years’ industry practitioner experience each, contribute to the teaching work as well. They will ensure that the students will be offered practical applications for the knowledge gained and will ground the material in the real world. Our UCC academic colleagues provide opportunities to critique the field and explore the latest thinking – why are we doing things the way we do? How will project management evolve over time? Between us, the graduates of the MSc in Project Management are well qualified, not only to manage projects, but to drive their organization to adopt project management as a corporate competence.
The focus of the UCC/Velopi Project Management programme is on postgraduate studies for project management practitioners. No undergraduate degree in project management is offered. The rationale is that while a basic degree equips learners to develop expertise in completing tasks in specific application area e.g. medicine, or software, or agriculture, the postgraduate Project Management programme equips professionals to manage others doing these same tasks. Having both domain and project management skills is a powerful and effective combination.
University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. Located in Cork, UCC was originally founded in 1845 as “Queen’s College Cork” and is one of Ireland’s oldest institutions of higher education. Over 150 years later, UCC is internationally acclaimed as one of the top 2% of research institutions in the world. Amongst other rankings and awards, the university was named Irish University of the Year by the Sunday Times on five occasions; most recently in 2017. Today UCC has a student research population of over 21,000 supported by 2,800 academic, research and administrative staff with over 150,000 alumni worldwide. UCC’s mission – to advance excellence in teaching, research and the quality of the student experience – makes UCC a contemporary University with a global outlook.
Velopi is a specialist provider of Project Management Training and Consulting services. Founded in 2007, Velopi serves a national and international client base, including leading players in the pharmaceutical, life science, IT, financial services and energy sectors. The Kinsale-based company delivers programs and services across three continents; Europe, North America and Asia. Velopi is recognised internationally by employers for its provision of the latest in proven industry best practice and thought leadership delivered by an expert team of Project Management practitioners and backed up by internationally recognised academic and professional accreditations. Velopi is approved as a Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) of project management training by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) the world's leading association for those who consider project, program or portfolio management their profession.
