Duration of the study

One academic year (two semesters) which brings 60 ECTS credits, with the possibility of writing and defending the specialist’s thesis in the third semester.

Conditions for enrolment

Postgraduate specialist study can be enrolled by a candidate with completed university graduate study with at least 300 ECTS credits earned up during the university study or with an equivalent degree.

Good knowledge of English language is necessary.

Competences acquired upon completion of the study

This specialist study will equip students with analytical methods, technical skills and management techniques to become leading experts in project management in economy and state and public administration. The acquired knowledge and skills are comparable to internationally recognized standards in project management.

At the end of this specialist study students will be able to:
• apply methods, techniques and tools for project management,
• evaluate and apply management and decision-making,
• adapt project management and control processes to global environments and distributed project teams,
• apply stakeholder communication with regard to project context and stakeholder role,
• manage changes in order to adapt project delivery,
• analyse and improve the organization's project management practices,
• evaluate projects in operational and strategic way,
• assess and manage risk in project implementation.

Academic title awarded upon completion of the study

Upon completion of the study, the acquired academic title is university specialist in project management (universitatis specialista moderandi inceptorum, univ. spec. mod. incep.).

Structure of the study

The Faculty has the standing Committee for Scientific and Postgraduate Professional Studies, which follows and promotes instruction at undergraduate study and interprets the Statute and the General Bylaw related to this area, and the Specialist Study Committee, which is appointed at the same time when the Decision is adopted to perform a specialist study accompanied by studies and defence of a specialist’s thesis. The Specialist Study Committee consists of the chairman, vice-chairman and a member. The chairman must be a teacher in the scientific-teaching rank of an associate or a full-time professor.

Specialist study has two parts: instruction and specialist work. The instruction is performed in the first and the second semesters, specialist work in the third. Students must pass examinations in the three required and the three optional courses, and produce and defend specialist’s thesis.
When enrolling the study, a student will choose the tutor, and agree with him the basic area of his work and courses he will attend.

Criteria and conditions for transfer of ECTS credits

The student can, in agreement with the tutor, attend also courses from other studies at the University or other institutions of higher education, and the criteria and conditions for transfer of ECTS credits will be defined by the Specialist Study Committee.

Rhythm of studies

As a rule, enrolment is performed once a year.

Courses that can be held in foreign languages

All the courses are held English.

Completion of studies

Upon passing an examination, the attendant has the right to a certificate of completion of a part of specialist study programme.

The postgraduate specialist study is completed with production of specialist’s thesis and its successful defence, and with earning up at least 60 ECTS credits required by the programme of the study.

Student has the right to apply for the defence of his specialist’s thesis after he has earned up at least 20 ECTS credits required by the programme of the study.

The specialist’s thesis must be submitted and defended within periods of time specified by the Faculty Council through the Decision on performance of specialist study.

The tutor can also give a specialist’s thesis to two students, keeping in mind the number of ECTS credits per student. In such cases, the defence of the specialist’s thesis will take place at the same time.

For each candidate who has applied for the defence of his thesis, the Specialist Study Committee will confirm his tutor, who will define the subject of the thesis taking into account the wishes of the candidate.

The title and the subject of the thesis, with short description of expected results, will be defined by the tutor. Subject of a specialist thesis must be defined, and the thesis submitted, within prescribed periods of time.

With his specialist’s thesis, the student should prove his capability of engineering work in solving problems of high professional complexity.

The student must regularly inform the tutor or a collaborator specified by the tutor about the course of production of the specialist’s thesis.

The specialist’s thesis at the Faculty shall be written and defended in Croatian. At candidate’s request and in agreement with the tutor, the Committee for Scientific and Postgraduate Professional Studies can allow that thesis can be written and defended in one of world languages.

Upon submission of the specialist’s thesis, the Specialist Study Committee will appoint a commission for the defence of the specialist’s thesis of each student.

The commission for the defence shall have three members. As a rule, the tutor will be the chairman of the commission.

The defence of the final thesis will be public.

The student whose specialist’s thesis has been assigned a failing grade will not be admitted to its defence.

The defence of specialist’s thesis will consist of oral presentation of results, and examination of knowledge in the field of work. Examination of knowledge means giving answers to questions related to the specialist’s thesis put by members of the commission.

Upon defence of the specialist’s thesis the commission will make public the success of the candidate. The result of the defence can be:

• Defended by unanimous decision of the commission,
• Defended by majority votes of the commission,
• Failed to defend.

A specialist’s thesis can be defended only once.

Maximum time from commencement to completion of studies

The maximum time from commencement to completion of the study can be two years. At student’s request and Committee’s proposal, the dean can extend the duration of the study, or allow its interruption. Upon interruption of the study, the student can continue the study in accordance with the rules that will apply to the generation with which he will continue his study.