Overview

The combination of knowledge, innovative methodologies and hands-on experience to tackle heritage management problems is a landmark characteristic of our programme. It is in the intersection between academic institutions, heritage and society and that new knowledge and value are created. The Field Study Projects (FSPs) of the MA in Heritage Management bring together teams of graduate students, who have advanced significantly in their course work, with forward-looking organizations to work on applied issues. With the MA students acting as initiators and driving force of the entire process, the organization representatives, the students and the programme faculty collaborate in formulating, structuring, executing and reporting FSPs for mutual benefit and enrichment. The projects emanate from real problems that organisations face, are formulated with coherent objectives, account for all practical constraints, and are structured based on well-defined time frames and deliverables. The results of the projects are presented in professionally written reports and under a specific clause of confidentiality if necessary.

The FSPs represent a unique opportunity for leveraging the talent of our highly qualified and ambitious MA students, and for moulding strong ties with leading organisations in Greece and abroad. Faculty and students take pride in this partnership that also provides, in collaboration with the partner organizations, unique input to curriculum and applied research.
Projects run for a duration of 6 months between July and December. Working in teams of 1-4, the students address issues of current concern to the Partner Organizations, and apply state-of-the-art frameworks, tools and methods to successfully address the needs defined by the organizations. A Field Study Project can be defined in any relevant area where MA students can provide their knowledge and competencies. Some indicative examples are listed below:

A: The study for a developed cruise tourist route within the limits of a county.

B: The human resources plan of clearly defined tasks for an organization, such as a local authority

C: The management plan for an archaeological site

The FSP Partner Organizations propose a project of importance to them and commit executive and staff time. Part of the commitment includes providing a liaison officer – the Partner Organization Supervisor, supplying information and data, and ensuring that communication and computing facilities are available while the graduate students are on site. The commitment of the Partner Organization determines to a large extent the success of the project. Although there are no fees, each Partner Organization may wish to sign an agreement containing appropriate terms and conditions. The agreement can contain a confidentiality clause if necessary. Field Study Project deliverables are kept at the programme office and can neither be borrowed nor copied.
The FSPs are coordinated by a faculty member. He/she insures the initial interface between organisations and the programme, and is responsible for the attribution of supervisors. Further he/she ensures that the projects are reported and presented on time and in correspondence with the rules defined, and that the FSPs are recorded and stored in the programme library.

Schedule

The schedule unfolds as follows:

• The Partner Organization defines and proposes a field study project in collaboration with students and programme faculty. The deadline for project propositions is mid January each year. A simple format for the project proposition and sample proposition are available from the programme office.
• The student team and faculty advisor are defined for each project. The Partner Organization participates in selection of students.
• The project is initiated with a kick-off orientation meeting in order to acquaint the student team and the advisors with the Partner.
• The first phase (proposal) of the project is concluded with a proposal meeting that presents the Partner with the team’s proposed scooping, methodology and deliverables. The objective is to create a venue for mutually agreeing upon the objectives and expected outcomes of the study.
• The second phase of the project (execution) includes periodic progress reviews that take place at the convenience of the Partner Organization, the students and the faculty advisor. The reviews are gateways in which preliminary results and further steps of the project are discussed.
• At the end of September students submit their first report to the company and to the faculty advisor. At the end of December the students must finalise their results. An oral presentation of the results and recommendations takes place soon thereafter.

Upon completion of the Field Study Project requirements on the part of the students, the Partner Organization is kindly asked to provide a project feedback statement where the Partner Organization Supervisor and other company representatives make an appreciation of the work done. The report and presentation are then subject to formal grading.

Key benefits

Students: Our top quality MA Students brings to organisations their skills, expertise and recently acquired knowledge from one of the leading MA programmes internationally. The Partner Organization benefits from highly motivated students with a broad background in different academic disciplines, and substantial experience from different fields of management.
Faculty: Faculty contributes as project supervisors with their academic knowledge, research exposure and consulting and international experience. The Faculty Advisor, with specific interests and expertise relevant to the project, provides coaching and advice to the team, reviews progress reports, assists in the analysis of results, and ensures academic integrity and effectiveness.
Professional Deliverables: The Partner Organization receives a written report and an oral presentation upon completion of all work comprised in the Field Study Project. The report analyzes the defined problem and presents recommendations and conclusions. Depending on the project’s scope and goals the deliverables might include a business, management or market plan, a strategic positioning analysis or a feasibility study.
Library and Computing Resources: The Field Study Project draws on the unique library and computing resources of the Athens University of Economics and Business. This includes access to the university library with over 70,000 titles, electronic access to over 1,000 scientific journals, a range of data bases, and various software packages for business applications. Moreover, the programme draws on the specialist libraries of the Heritage Management Organization in Eleusina, AUEB and KENT, as well as the library of the British School in Athens.