Students

MGMT8014 – Capstone - Management Project

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Dr. Robert Jack
rob.jack@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
4 Eastern Road Room 643
Tuesdays 4-5pm
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp including (MGMT8005 and MGMT8009 and MGMT8011)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This Management Project course is the capstone unit for the Macquarie University Master of Management degree.  This unit is designed to help students integrate, synthesise, and practically apply the knowledge and skills gained over the course of their Master of Management studies. Students will research and apply established theories to develop a proposed solution to a selected business issue, in the context of a real-world organisation.  Completed as a consulting project this course provides you with the opportunity to present findings and recommendations to the senior management of the organisation.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply relevant theoretical frameworks to develop strategic options and recommendations.
  • ULO2: Demonstrate problem-solving skills, both as an individual and as part of a team, to communicate solutions.
  • ULO3: Reflect and report on the knowledge, skills and broader capabilities acquired throughout the project.

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalties:

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days.

Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

  • Example 1 (out of 100):

If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

  • Example 2 (out of 30):

If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

 

Extensions:

Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Professional practice: Industry consulting project 40% No Weeks 12-13 Individual and Group No Open AI
Skills development: Reflective managerial development 40% No 20/03/2026 Individual Yes Open AI
Professional practice: Industry consulting communication 20% No Weeks 11-13 Group No Observed

Professional practice: Industry consulting project

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Weeks 12-13
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is to develop your ability to integrate research, theory, and professional judgement to address a real organisational challenge in collaboration with an industry partner.
 
You will work in a team to analyse the partner’s brief, conduct independent and scholarly research, and propose actionable, evidence-based recommendations. Your submission will demonstrate applied problem solving, professional communication, and the ability to translate management theory into practice. Each team member will identify their individual contribution within the team output.
 
 
Skills in focus:
 
  • Work readiness
  • Collaboration and communication
 
Deliverable(s): Group submission [max 5000 words]
 
Individual and group assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply relevant theoretical frameworks to develop strategic options and recommendations.
  • Demonstrate problem-solving skills, both as an individual and as part of a team, to communicate solutions.
  • Reflect and report on the knowledge, skills and broader capabilities acquired throughout the project.

Skills development: Reflective managerial development

Assessment Type 1: Reflection task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 20/03/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is to strengthen your ability to critically reflect on your managerial development, self-awareness, and learning throughout the Master of Management program, connecting personal experience with theoretical and professional insights.
 
You will evaluate your current capabilities and development areas, drawing on your self-assessment and key lessons from the program. Your reflection will consider how your values, beliefs, and experiences shape your approach to management and inform your future career choices.
 
 
Skills in focus:
 
  • Work readiness
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
 
Deliverable(s): Reflective written submission [max 1500 words]
 
Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Reflect and report on the knowledge, skills and broader capabilities acquired throughout the project.

Professional practice: Industry consulting communication

Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Weeks 11-13
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

The purpose of this assessment is to develop your ability to communicate research-informed insights and professional recommendations to an industry audience with clarity, confidence, and impact.
 
You will work collaboratively to deliver an engaging, evidence-based presentation that summarises your team’s key findings and recommendations from the industry partner project. Your communication should integrate relevant theory, academic research, and practical analysis, while demonstrating professional delivery and teamwork.
 
 
Skills in focus:
 
  • Collaboration and communication
  • Work readiness
 
Deliverable(s): Group presentation (20 minutes max, with an additional 10 minutes Q&A).
 
Group assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply relevant theoretical frameworks to develop strategic options and recommendations.
  • Demonstrate problem-solving skills, both as an individual and as part of a team, to communicate solutions.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

UNIT READINGS

Unit readings, where applicable, will be available through Leganto

PRESCRIBED TEXT

There is no prescribed text for MGMT8014

RECOMMENDED TEXT

There are no recommended text for MGMT8014

Unit Schedule

The Unit schedule will consist of one seminar class per week unless indicated otherwise in the lecture schedule. 

Session

Topic

1

Introduction to Management Project

2

Introduction to Management Project (cont.)

3

Industry Partners - Introductions and Briefings

4

Industry Partner Project Work

5

Industry Partner Project Work (cont.)

6

Industry Partner Project Work (cont.)

7

Industry Partner Project Work (cont.)

8

Intergroup Presentations – Peer Review

9

Intergroup Presentations – Peer Review

10

Intergroup Presentations – Peer Review

11

Industry Partner Project Presentations

12

Industry Partner Project Presentations

13

Industry Partner Project Presentations

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.07 of the Handbook