Projects, Programs, and Portfolios

Leaders and managers in the modern organization must undertake the challenging task of ensuring control and delivery of strategic initiatives within the continuous, rapid change and diversity that characterizes our information-rich society. The projects, programs and portfolios (P3) concentration provides the required synthesis to manage these challenges. P3 graduates master and blend the competencies of organizing and leading complex interactions of people, strategic processes and tasks, and resources including cost and time. These requirements apply to enterprises operating in the private, public, and government domains and across multiple functional domains. For example,

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) leaders must rationalize portfolios of active systems and less-active, legacy systems to reflect change while simultaneously facilitating organizational developments with new technology.

In the PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOTECHNOLOGY sectors, global competition and increasing costs obligate leaders in R&D, manufacturing, and distribution to maximize efficiency and value. Program management of therapeutic areas as well as portfolio management to narrow the drug development pipeline are critical.

DEFENSE/SECURITY contractors and agencies must balance investments in large, complex defense/security systems against the need for flexibility and adaptability. Managers must integrate project, program, and risk management with organizational leadership, coaching, change management, and political/cultural sensitivity.

PROFESSIONALS IN THESE AND OTHER SETTINGS often become specialists in their particular areas but lack the skill to address two major components of change: strategic perspectives and the interests of people.

Six P3 Courses

P3 students complete courses on alternating Saturdays in the morning and afternoon on the Penn campus, choosing from the following educational options:

  • Complete six P3 courses as a concentration (earning a graduate certificate) then complete six additional Organizational Dynamics courses to earn the Master of Science Degree.

  • Complete six P3 courses (earning a graduate certificate) then complete the MPhil capstone to earn the Master of Philosophy degree (for those admitted to the MPhil degree program).

  • Complete six P3 courses and receive a graduate certificate.

Of the six, there are four core courses: DYNM 605, 619, 621 and 624 (DYNM 619 may be waived and replaced by an elective P3 course for students who hold the project management professional certificate).

Course number five is a practicum which can be accomplished in one of three ways:

The sixth course is selected from one of the elective P3 courses: List of courses

P3 Lecture Series

A Saturday lunch P3 speaker series is scheduled each semester. An example is the December 13, 2008 Luncheon Presentation by Kevin McDevitt, "The Benefits of Program Management in a Global Organization." See Presentation (PDF). Here is the link to the community lecture series open to all including P3 students.