Project Management for Mountain Areas

Master
1st level vocational master
A.Y. 2022/2023
Study area
Agricultural and food science
1st level vocational master
60
ECTS
1
Years
14-11-2022 - 30-11-2023
Italian
The first-level Master?s degree programme in ?Mountain Region Project Management? is intended to sharpen participants? understanding of, and to hone their professional skills in, the field of project management. Students are trained to manage projects on a national and international scale following a competitive-tender process, and taught to take a holistic approach to resource management in mountain areas. At the end of the programme, students will be able to develop projects focussed on the sustainable development of mountainous regions for all those who live and work in them. The archetypal professional the programme seeks to produce is a project manager with the ability to research and identify the best funding and grant opportunities for mountain-community projects, and the expertise to plan and oversee a project by building a network of team members and contractors, and selecting the operational means through which to achieve the project's stated objectives. The programme?s discrete academic objectives are as follows:

- Developing an understanding of the characteristics of a mountainous region, from its terrain to its socio-economic/cultural and legal/regulatory concerns, and to contextualise these on a national level, and within Europe as a whole;
- Developing an understanding of the ?innovation ecosystem? for mountain areas, meaning the network of organisations, whether Italian or international, public or private, tasked with monitoring regional development and governance;
- Enhancing students? marketable skills in fund-raising and grant-writing for the landscape and culture specific to mountain communities;
- Optimising students? skills in institutional relations and networking (both nationally and internationally) with a view towards forging strategic partnerships;
- Acquiring a knowledge base in planning and development specific to mountainous regions;
- Honing participants? ability to analyse and find solutions for issues germane to these types of regions, from identifying characteristic resources, to managing stakeholder relationships, to appreciating the sociological implications of the complex reality represented by a community living and working in the mountains;
- Reporting and budget-management skills for European and international grants;
- Developing knowledge and expertise in project execution and supervision.

The programme, which will launch during the fall semester of the 2022/2023 academic year, will include 348 hours (34 CFU) of e-learning, and 158 hours (9 CFU) of other instructional formats.
As a complement to their coursework, students will complete 400 internship hours (16 CFU), and a final exam (1 CFU); the latter consists of presenting and analysing a case study, as well as the student?s project proposals (generated during their for-credit internship)
The course is open to those holding a Bachelor's degree or single-cycle Master's degree.
Professional opportunities include working for an organisation, or as an independent consultant, or in-house as a project coordinator, drafter, supervisor, or specialist, in the private or public sectors, whether on a national or international level, in market segments or industries strategic to mountainous-area economies. Students will be well-positioned to transition into the following working environments: professional and technical firms, consultancy and project-management groups specialising in resource optimisation and regional development; local advocacy groups (?GALs?); industry associations; natural parks and reserves; municipalities, municipal consortia, provinces, regions, ministries, development agencies, foundations and nonprofits; educational and training enterprises; research and development entities.
  • UNIMONT - Università degli Studi di Milano
    Via Morino 8, 25048 Edolo (BS)
    +390250330500

Courses list

Open sessions
Courses or activities Professor(s) ECTS Total hours Language
Compulsory
Best Practices for Mountain Communities 2 20 Italian
Drafting a Project Proposal 5 86 Italian
Drafting a Project Proposal
8 80 Italian
European and Italian Policies On Mountain Regions 5 50 Italian
Managing a Complex Project 4 72 Italian
Managing a Complex Project
6 68 Italian
Planning and Management for Mountain Communities; Resource Optimisation 4 40 Italian
Survey of Topics in the Environment, Socio-Economic Context, and Resources of Mountain Communities 5 50 Italian
The Regulatory, Legislative, and Administrative Environment of Mountain Communities 3 30 Italian
Use of Databases and Statistical Analysis
1 10 Italian