Project Management for Mountain Areas

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 2024/2025 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 450 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).

Thirteen scholarships will be provided to fully cover the costs of enrolling in the master's degree, divided as follows: twelve scholarships, worth EURO 4000.00 each, established by the Department for Regional Affairs and the Autonomy of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers; a scholarship, worth EURO 4000.00, established by the Brescia Chamber of Commerce.