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2025/2026  KAN-CMIAO1002U  Project Management and Product Development

English Title
Project Management and Product Development

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Quarter
Start time of the course Autumn, Second Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for Markets & Innovation
Course coordinator
  • Tom Grad - Department of Strategy and Innovation (SI)
Main academic disciplines
  • Innovation
  • Project and change management
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 20-06-2025

Relevant links
Learning objectives
  • Apply basic concepts, theories and approaches from the course to explore the challenges of managing complex projects in general and product development projects in particular
  • Explain and critically examine the theories from the course in isolation, and in relation to other theories of the course
  • Use project management and product development theory to analyze empirical cases and use cases to discuss fundamental assumptions, opportunities and limitations of used theories
  • Explain and compare different types of projects and product development processes and practices
  • Use, explain and reflect over project management tools used when planning and managing your own course-work group project
Examination
Project Management and Product Development:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Group exam
Please note the rules in the Programme Regulations about identification of individual contributions.
Number of people in the group 4-5
Size of written product Max. 20 pages
Groups of 4 or 5: groups of 4 write max 16 pages, groups of 5 max 20 pages (CBS standard pages) The page limit does not include references, cover page, or any eventual appendices
Assignment type Report
Release of assignment The Assignment is released in Digital Exam (DE) at exam start
Duration 7 days to prepare
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Winter
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
* if a whole group fails to deliver the report or fails the exam they must hand in a new product for the re-take on Digital Exam.
* if one student in the group fails the exam she/he must hand in a revised product for the re-take on Digital Exam.
Description of the exam procedure

You have 7 days to write a report, starting at a specific date after the last in-person session of the course.  The report links course ideas to an assigned case company and to your own project work, drawing on perspectives from both project management and product development.

 

The report has two components, an individual and group component. Each student has to answer individually one of several questions that will be handed out at a specific date. The number of questions will match the team size. Furthermore, as a group, students need to weave their individual answers into a coherent discussion and briefly reflects on the development and project management the team applied. 

 

Students are allowed to use GenAI in the exam but are required to follow the Guidelines for the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in exams at CBS.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

Project management and product development have become increasingly relevant for an organization's innovation activities, which are core to the success of businesses. Yet, successful project management and product development require specific competencies and skills. The course aims to provide students with analytical tools and transformative capabilities that will allow them to examine the challenges and opportunities of developing products and managing projects in a complex, uncertain, and ambiguous world, and familiarize students with state-of-the-art practices of project management and product development, such as stakeholder management, waterfall vs. agile, design thinking or the use of AI for product development.

 

The course design is developed around a problem-based approach to intertwine theory and practice:  The course starts with a Kickoff Day, where the focus is to create a common baseline for what project management and product development entail and to gain some first-hand experiences. After the Kickoff Day, we will dive further into the theories and concepts that help us along our project management and product development journey, and help us navigate the opportunities and challenges we face when developing products using projects. We will explore a new theme every week, starting with online lectures, followed by hands-on in-class exercises. 
Research-based teaching
CBS’ programmes and teaching are research-based. The following types of research-based knowledge and research-like activities are included in this course:
Research-based knowledge
  • Classic and basic theory
  • New theory
  • Models
Research-like activities
  • Analysis
  • Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
Description of the teaching methods
The pedagogical approach aims at advancing the students learning and competence development in the areas of project management and product development using a mix of five main activities:
• Online lectures will provide students with the theoretical background which they can study at their own pace
• Theoretical exercises will support the students learning of the theoretical concepts presented
• Case exercises to connect theory to cases will improve the reflexivity of projects and product development in different settings as well as the limitations of theories
• Practical hands-on tool-based exercises will give the students some experience of what it means to develop products and manage a project
• Feedback on own work will stimulate learning processes in relation to the course content
Feedback during the teaching period
This course involves continuous opportunities for feedback through weekly exercise classes, where the teachers will be present and explain, discuss, and probe the students to advance their learning. Besides this, there will be a feedback session related to the exam report.
Student workload
Teaching 36 hours
Preparation 100 hours
Exam 70 hours
Further Information

You will find more information on all course activities on Canvas. 
Last updated on 20-06-2025