22787 Business Project Management
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 15315 Project Management Principles
Description
This subject takes a holistic and business-oriented approach to the management of projects. Topics covered include project definition, leadership and project team management, project planning, managing project risk, resource management, time and cost estimation, project control and reporting, measuring project success, and stakeholder communication management. Students learn to use project management software to assist with resource allocation, costing and scheduling management. Students are also required to form project teams and manage a simulated project throughout the teaching period.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | demonstrate an understanding of how effective project management contributes to organizational objectives |
|---|---|
| 2. | explain issues relating to project scope, schedule, resource and risk management |
| 3. | discuss various types of project costs and apply common project estimation, evaluation and control techniques |
| 4. | apply appropriate project reporting and communication techniques |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
There are few accounting or IT/IS positions in the contemporary business environment that do not involve some responsibility for managing or at least being involved in projects. Project management techniques are generic techniques used where limited resources have to be coordinated in order to achieve specific, and often unique, objectives within a given timeframe. This subject introduces students to these techniques in the context of accounting and information management.
Teaching and learning strategies
Preparation for study
ALL students are advised to acquire the textbook (see below) before the subject starts. It is expected that students have read at least the first two chapters of the book and have logged on to the learning management system (canvas.uts.edu.au) before the first teaching session. The learning management system is an essential tool and required resource used in this subject.
Class preparation
Students will be expected to prepare for each class by reviewing online video material and specific readings from the text. This content will then be referenced in an instructor-led combined lecture/tutorial. Students will demonstrate their comprehension of the material through active learning experiences during the lecture/tutorial in the following ways:
- In-class discussions, individual and collaborative practical exercises
- A session long collaborative exercise in which students will use project management software in small groups to plan and deliver a simulated business project. This exercise will be undertaken predominately in the allocated tutorial time but may require additional work outside of class.
Assessment feedback
Ongoing feedback will be provided by the lecturer throughout the semester on the progress and performance of students in the individual topic quizzes and group assignment.
Feedback on assessment performance prior to the census date is available through the topic quiz results. Details and formative feedback is provided in the results of the first update report, and the capacity of student groups to incorporate this feedback is tested in the second update report.
Content (topics)
- Project selection
- Leadership and team management
- Scope delivery
- Project Communications and Stakeholder management
- Cost estimation and project budgeting
- Scheduling and resource management
- Project control and reporting
- Projects in an organisational context
Assessment
Assessment task 1: In-class Tests (Individual)*
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 3 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | about 20 minutes |
| Criteria: | Topic tests consist of a variety of question types (multiple-choice, multiple answers, fill in the blanks, short answer questions) and require students to demonstrate knowledge of the topic with the following criteria. *Note: Late submission of the assessment task will not be marked and awarded a mark of zero. Students who do not attend one half of the total number of in-class quizzes will have the weighting of that assessment added to the final examination conditional on the students submitting, receiving approval and complying with the requirements of special consideration in accordance with the UTS rules. If the composite mark for the final exam totals more than 50 percent and the student is in the final subject of their degree, the UTS rules on borderline result (range of 45-49) shall apply whereby students will be allowed to undertake a supplementary final examination. Where a student completes and passes a supplementary examination, the maximum mark awarded for the subject will be 50 Pass. |
Assessment task 2: Simulated Project (Group & Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Reports: 1,700 - 2,200 words |
| Criteria: | Marks for each report will be based on the following criteria: |
Assessment task 3: Final Exam (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 2 hours, no reading time |
| Criteria: | Multiple choice questions are awarded a single mark for each correct answer. Short answer and case study questions are awarded marks on the following criteria: |
Minimum requirements
Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.
Required texts
- Linton, T (2020), Project Management Essentials, Cengage Learning
- Pinto, J.K (2013), Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage, Pearson (Chapter 14 only - electronic copy provided to class).
- Slides for 22787 (current version) – available on Canvas (Learning Management System (LMS)).
- Faculty of Business (current version), Guide to Writing Assignments, Faculty of Business, University of Technology, Sydney (available online).
Non-texts, but also required:
- Canvas: https://canvas.uts.edu.au
- UTSEmail: www.uts.edu.au/email
- MS Project 2019 (installed in UTS computer labs)
Other resources
- Various LinkedIn Learning videos about MS Project 2019/21 and Project Management topics.
LinkedIn Learning is accessible via the UTS Library website (www.lib.uts.edu.au).