Text

Course syllabus - Product Management

Scope

7.5 credits

Course code

PPU476

Valid from

Autumn semester 2026

Education level

Second cycle

Progressive Specialisation

A1N (Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements)

Main area(s)

Product and Process Development

Organisation

Department of Engineering Sciences

Ratified

2023-01-19

Revised

2025-11-03

Literature lists

Course literature is preliminary up to 8 weeks before course start. Course literature can be valid over several semesters.

    • Ratified date: 2023-11-17
    • Latest update: 2025-05-27

    Books

    Klaus J. Aumayr,

    Successful Product Management: Tool Box for Professional Product Management and Product Marketing

    LIBRIS-ID: 7p0lsh1152nlvhkw

    URL: Tillgänglig för användare inom Mälardalens högskola

    1, Springer,

    Mandatory

    Reference Literature

    Mintzberg, Henry; Ahlstrand, Bruce W.; Lampel, Joseph

    Strategy safari: the complete guide through the wilds of strategic management

    ISBN: 9780273719588 (pbk.)

    LIBRIS-ID: 11239091

    2. ed., Harlow, Financial Times Prentice Hall, 441 s.

    Miscellaneous

    Vetenskapliga artiklar och rapporter tillkommer

Objectives

By the end of the course, students will have knowledge of product management and the skills to establish a product management process in a business context. Product management is a strategic function, and the product management process encompasses several disciplines that guide the strategic efforts of a product to ensure that it ultimately delivers a saleable product to the end user. The primary objective is to gather market intelligence, conduct customer research, translate customer needs into requirements and manage those requirements to create profitable products throughout the life cycle and maintain a competitive product portfolio.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student must be able to:

  1. Explain in detail how a product management process, from idea to phase-out, can be established in a company
  2. Demonstrate the ability to identify and analyse opportunities and threats to a company's product portfolio
  3. Explain in detail and critically evaluate a company's product portfolio from an ethical and sustainable perspective
  4. Explain in detail the appropriate methods and tools for identifying and analysing a company's product portfolio
  5. Demonstrate the ability to analyse scientific material related to product management using a critical approach
  6. Communicate and present conclusions both orally and in writing

Course content

The course deals with product management from a strategic perspective and the principles for creating a successful product management process - from idea to phase-out.

Specific requirements

60 credits of completed courses in Product and Process Development of which 22.5 credits must be at G2F level. In addition, Swedish course 3 or Swedish level 3 and English course 6 or English level 2 are required. For courses given entirely in English exemption is made from the requirement in Swedish course 3 or Swedish level 3.

Examination

Assignment (INL1), An assignment that continuously reported according to instruction, 3 credits, examines the learning outcomes 1 - 4, marks Fail (U) or Pass (G)
Project (PRO1), A project assignment, 4,5 credits, (examines the learning outcomes 1 - 6, marks Fail (U), 3, 4 or 5

A student who has a certificate from MDU regarding disability study support, can request adaptions for the examination. It is the examiner who takes decisions on any adaptions, based on the certificate and other conditions.

Grade

Grading scale: 5, 4, 3