Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convener / Lecturer
Dr Cathy Y. Xu
Contact via email or in class
Friday 4:00 - 5:00 pm
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
BUS651 or ECON649 or MKTG696 or admission to MBiotech or MInfoTech
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
Through a combination of formal learning, group and individual project work, and interactive class-based activities, participants will develop a full understanding of the leadership and technical capabilities needed for effective project management: definition, scoping and assessing the feasibility of projects; project planning; procurement and building a project team; delivery – time, cost and quality; project resource management; managing project risks; and project communications and marketing.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Class Tests | 20% | No | 8pm Friday, Week 5 & Week 9 |
Individual Essay | 30% | No | Week 7 |
Group Project Analysis | 50% | No | Week 12 |
Due: 8pm Friday, Week 5 & Week 9
Weighting: 20%
A class test will take place respectively in Week 5 & Week 9 tutorials from 8pm. Each of the two tests is worth 10%, a total of 20%. The tests will be in written format and cover materials preceding the test week.
Failure to complete either class test will result in a mark of 'zero' for the corresponding test. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Disruption of Studies is made and approved.
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 30%
This individual written assignment will require in-depth research and analysis of a question related to project management theory. The assignment should be about 1500 words excluding references.
Details of the essay question and requirements will be provided in class and on the unit's iLearn website by Friday of Week 2.
You should submit your essay to turnitin on the unit's iLearn website before Friday 6pm of Week 7. We do not require you to hand-in a hard copy of your essay.
No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved.
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 50%
The assignment will require students to, (i) research and present an analysis of a completed project (such as a government construction project); (ii) to treat this group assignment as a mini-project, and to present an analysis of the effectiveness of the group at managing the mini-project. The exercise will allow you to gain teamwork experience and enhance your communication skills in a team environment. Both are essential for project management.
This assessment involves two specific tasks:
Further details of the assignment will be provided in class and on the unit's iLearn website by Friday of Week 4.
No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved.
Classes
Classes are held each week of the semester unless the class falls on a public holiday. Each class is 3 hours, including a 2-hour lecture and a 1-hour tutorial.
The timetable for classes can be found on the University website at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au.
Unit Website on iLearn
iLearn (http://ilearn.mq.edu.au) will be used to post course material such as lecture slides, assessment details and assessment grades. All important unit-related announcements will also be made available on iLearn.
You are expected to check the course website at least once per week.
Technology Used and Required
Technology used: iLearn. Please ensure that you have access to a personal computer and internet so you are able to use iLearn.
Students are required to familiarise themselves with iLearn. If you have difficulties logging on to iLearn, please contact the university's technical support staff. Do not contact the lecturer or the tutors as they will not be able to help you with technical queries.
Students are expected to check their university email account and contact the teaching staff through it. Gmail, hotmail and other personal email accounts are often blocked through the university's spam filter; communicating through those risks that your query will not be answered.
Learning and Teaching Activities
The unit is taught using a combination of lectures & tutorials.
Please note that attendance will be taken in the tutorials - You are expected to attend at least 10 of the 12 tutorials. Failure to do this may affect your final mark.
To complete the unit satisfactorily, you must achieve an overall score of 50 marks or more.
Required text and useful sources
Required text:
Larson E W and Gray C F, Project Management - The Managerial Process, McGraw Hill, 6th edition (2014).
This text is compulsory and can be purchased from the Macquarie University Co-op Bookshop.
Useful websites:
Weekly Program Outline*
Week |
Topic |
Tutorial & Assessment |
1 |
Introduction to the unit and key concepts |
No tutorial scheduled |
2 |
Project teams and estimation |
Class activities |
3 |
Project set-up |
Class activities |
4 |
Project planning - time |
Class activities |
5 |
Project planning - resources |
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6 |
Project risk analysis |
Cass activities |
7 |
Alternative approaches to project planning |
Class activities (Assessment 2 Individual Essay to be submitted to turnitin) |
8 |
Project monitoring and control |
Class activities |
9 |
Socio-cultural aspects of project management, leadership, stakeholders and communications |
(2nd in-class test) |
10 |
Agile project management and project selection |
Class activities |
11 |
Project procurement and project close down |
Class activities |
12 |
Group Project Analysis Presentations |
Class activities (Assessment 3 Group Project Analysis Report to be submitted to turnitin) |
13 |
Review of the unit |
Class activities / Consultation |
*Note: Changes to this outline, if required, will be discussed in class and/or announced on iLearn.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, 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 ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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.
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.
This graduate capability is supported by:
1. Changes were made on the weightings and schedule of assessments as follows:
2. An additional topic has been added to the weekly program.
- This unit entails examination of global context through evaluating project management practices and literature review;
- The unit discusses sustainability from the perspective of project stakeholders.
- This unit uses research from external sources;
- This unit gives you opportunities to manage a project through a group assignment.