Business Management through Projects (MAPP)
The only Master’s programme at ASE that brings together the complex field of project management and the world of business.
“The major advantage of the Master’s course we offer you is the fruitful combination of theory and business practice. If you want your work to make a difference in the business world, this is where you need to be!”Prof. Claudiu Cicea, PhD, Programme Director
Apply for admission
Download the 2026 brochure (PDF, Romanian)
Curriculum
About the programme
The Master’s programme Business Management through Projects is run by the Faculty of Management of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE) and has been running since the 2003–2004 academic year, when the need to align with European standards in project management became pressing. Its purpose is to provide solid economic knowledge for managing and leading business projects: from business plans, budgets and feasibility studies to funding applications, project appraisal and investment decisions under risk.
The programme is designed for graduates of any field of higher education who want to develop economic skills, and in particular for those with hands-on experience in project management who wish to round out their knowledge of business administration.
How you learn
- Case studies and simulations
- Problem-based learning and course projects
- Numerical applications and computer simulations
- Workshops with guests from the business community in semester IV
Internship
The programme offers an internship in public and private organisations, organised through EU-funded projects (POSDRU / POCU), with a grant of RON 1,500 per participant, depending on the funding calendar.
Dissertation
The programme ends with a dissertation that integrates what you have learned: up to 50 pages, introduction, three chapters and conclusions, at least 20 bibliographic sources, defended publicly before a committee.
What you will be able to do
Technical skills
- Lead complex projects in any sector across the whole life cycle, from initiation to monitoring and evaluation
- Draw up business plans, budgets and feasibility studies
- Prepare the economic and financial documentation for projects, grants and EU funding
- Identify, assess and manage the risks of a business or a project
Strategic skills
- Value businesses and company assets according to international valuation standards
- Substantiate investment decisions and allocate resources optimally
- Provide management consulting, expert assessments and audits, market studies and strategies
- Lead multidisciplinary teams and organisational change processes
The skills are based on the programme’s entry in the National Register of Higher Education Qualifications (RNCIS) and on the curriculum. Graduates may apply for doctoral studies.
Curriculum
Four semesters, 120 ECTS credits, all courses compulsory. Each semester combines lectures with seminars and projects; courses end with an exam unless marked otherwise.
| Semester | Course | Hours / week | ECTS | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 · Sem. 1 | Project Preparation and Evaluation | 2 lecture + 2 project | 8 | Exam |
| Business Valuation | 2 lecture + 1 seminar | 7 | Exam | |
| Leadership and Organisational Behaviour | 2 lecture + 1 seminar | 7 | Exam | |
| Advertising and Consumer Psychology | 2 lecture + 1 project | 8 | Exam | |
| Year 1 · Sem. 2 | New Product Management | 2 lecture + 2 project | 8 | Exam |
| Investment Portfolio Management | 2 lecture + 1 seminar | 6 | Exam | |
| Start-up and Entrepreneurship | 2 lecture + 1 seminar | 8 | Exam | |
| Strategic Management | 2 lecture + 2 seminar | 8 | Exam | |
| Year 2 · Sem. 1 | Business Risk Management | 2 lecture + 2 seminar | 8 | Exam |
| Financial Project Management | 2 lecture + 2 seminar | 8 | Exam | |
| Quantitative Methods in Management | 2 lecture + 2 project | 8 | Exam | |
| Business Performance Management | 2 lecture + 1 seminar | 6 | Exam | |
| Year 2 · Sem. 2 | Project Budget Management | 2 lecture + 2 seminar | 5 | Exam |
| Methodology of Economic Research | 1 project | 5 | Assessment test | |
| Internship | 20 practice hours | 15 | Colloquium | |
| Ethics and Academic Integrity | 1 seminar | 5 | Assessment test |
Careers after graduation
The programme trains specialists to lead projects and businesses in private companies, banks, public institutions and organisations that manage EU funds. The occupations listed in RNCIS for this programme, according to the Romanian Classification of Occupations (COR):
Where graduates work
- Project, development and investment departments of companies
- Banks and financial institutions, in project financing and appraisal
- Management consulting and EU funding advisory
- Public institutions and managing authorities of EU-funded programmes
- Entrepreneurship: their own business or start-up
What you are trained for
- Preparing and assessing feasibility studies and business plans
- Documentation for grants and funding applications
- Expert assessments, audit and management consulting
- Asset valuation, credit and real-estate appraisal
- Market studies and substantiating business strategies
Why MAPP
Entrepreneurial mindset
You learn how a business is started and run, from incorporating the company to its first years of growth.
Projects from A to Z
You go through every stage of a project, from initiation to monitoring and evaluation, using recognised methodologies.
EU funding
You prepare and substantiate projects for the structural and cohesion funds: funding applications, feasibility studies, standard documents.
Decisions under risk
You use modern managerial decision methods and techniques for the optimal allocation of resources.
Consulting and strategy
You gain the knowledge needed for management consulting, expert assessments, audit, market studies and strategy.
Its own research centre
The programme’s lecturers work within the Business Management through Projects Research Centre and organise the annual International Management Conference.
Guests and partners from academia and business
Visiting professors
- Prof. João Varajão, University of Minho, Portugal, IT project management and digital transformation
- Prof. Andreas Gadatsch, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Germany, business processes and organisational management
- Prof. Selçuk Perçin, Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey, decision analysis and risk management
Guests from the business community
- BRD – Groupe Société Générale, banking project management
- Vodafone Romania, IT and telecom projects
- Toyota Motor Europe, lean project management
- OSIM Romania, intellectual property and innovation
Programme team
Admission
How candidates are selected
Admission is based on the application file, with no written exam, according to the ASE methodology for Master’s programmes. The Bachelor’s final grade counts and, where applicable, professional experience.
The 2025–2026 session had 60 places, 22 state-funded and 38 tuition-based. The figures for 2026–2027 are published together with ASE’s educational offer.
Application steps
- Create your account on the admitere.ase.ro platform during the registration period (usually July, with an additional session in September if places remain).
- Upload the documents: Bachelor’s diploma and transcript, high-school diploma, birth certificate, identity document, marriage certificate where applicable, photos and, for candidates with professional experience, supporting documents.
- Check the results and confirm your place by signing the study contract and, for tuition-based places, paying the first instalment.
Master’s admission at the Faculty of Management Methodology, calendar and fees on admitere.ase.ro
Frequently asked questions
Can I join the programme without an economics degree?
Yes. The programme is open to graduates of any field of higher education. The first-semester courses provide the necessary economic foundation, and the teaching methods are hands-on.
Is there an entrance exam?
No. Selection is based on the application file, following the ASE Master’s methodology, taking into account the Bachelor’s grade and, where applicable, professional experience.
Can I combine the programme with a job?
Many students are already employed. For the actual class schedule of the current year see the Master’s schedule page or write to the Programme Director.
What does the internship and the grant involve?
The semester IV internship takes place in public or private organisations. When EU-funded projects are running, participants receive a grant of RON 1,500; details are announced at the start of each academic year.
How is the dissertation topic chosen?
Topics are agreed with a supervisor from the programme team, usually in the second year. Examples: project management in the public sector, agile methodologies, risks in IT projects, EU-funded projects, project portfolio management.
Can I continue with a PhD?
Yes. The Master’s degree gives access to doctoral studies, including the ASE Doctoral School of Management.
Contact
Programme leadership
Prof. Claudiu Cicea, PhD, Programme Director
claudiu.cicea@man.ase.ro
Prof. Nadia Ciocoiu, PhD, Scientific Secretary
nadia.ciocoiu@man.ase.ro
Faculty Secretariat
Room 0020, 2–10 Căderea Bastiliei Street, District 1, Bucharest
Phone: +40 21 319.19.00 / +40 21 319.19.01, ext. 120
secretariat@man.ase.ro
Public hours: Monday and Wednesday 11:00–13:00; Tuesday and Thursday 11:00–13:00 and 16:00–18:00; closed to the public on Friday.
Want to lead projects, not just take part in them?
Applications are submitted on the ASE admission platform. For any question about the programme, write directly to the Programme Director.
- +4 021 319.19.00
- +4 021 319.19.01
- 2–10 Căderea Bastiliei Street, Sector 1, Bucharest, 010374
- secretariat@man.ase.ro
Secretariat Hours
- MONDAY -11:00-13:00
- TUESDAY -11:00-13:00;16:00-18:00
- WEDNESDAY -11:00-13:00
- THURSDAY -11:00-13:00;16:00-18:00
- FRIDAY – closed to the public
