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Course Outline

ENG600 Engineering Project Management Principles

Course Coordinator:Adrian McCallum (amccallu@usc.edu.au) School:School of Science, Technology and Engineering

2026Trimester 1

UniSC Moreton Bay

 Blended learning You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Online

 Online You can do this course without coming onto campus.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

This course will prepare you as practising engineer to project manage the development of solutions in the workplace. You will be introduced to engineering project management theory, considering issues and challenges throughout a project life cycle. You will consider the project responsibilities of engineering managers and organisations, from the definition phase of a project to its conclusion.  The emphasis is interdisciplinary and relevant to all fields of engineering practice.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Asynchronous weekly learning material 1hr Week 1 12 times
Seminar – On campus 1hr Week 1 3 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus 2hrs Week 1 10 times
Online
Learning materials – Asynchronous weekly learning material 1hr Week 1 12 times
Seminar – Online 1hr Week 1 3 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Online 2hrs Week 1 10 times

Course Topics

Topics may include:
  • Modern project management theory and practices
  • Scope & quality management
  • Development of aqusition strategies
  • Managing project teams
  • Selection of consultant and contractors Management of project resources and economics of engineering projects
  • Management of human factors, risk, ethics, sustainability, and standards in engineering projects
  • Progress and performance
  • Communication processes
  • Project measurement, evaluation, and closure

What level is this course?

600 Level (Specialised)

Demonstrating a specialised body of knowledge and set of skills for professional practice or further learning. Advanced application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... Professional Standard Mapping * Engineers Australia Stage 1 Professional Engineer Competency Standards
1 Examine modern project management theory and demonstrate relevant practice techniques. Knowledgeable 
1, 1.4, 1.5
2 Evaluate alternative approaches to managing projects and identify optimal solutions to meet complex contextual demands in different sectors. Creative and critical thinker 
2, 2.1.a, 2.1.b, 2.1
3 Apply project management tools and processes to the scoping, planning and execution of an engineering project and monitoring of progress and performance. Empowered 
2, 2.4.b, 2.4.d, 2.4.e, 2.4, 3, 3.5.a, 3.5.c, 3.5.d, 3.5.e, 3.5
4 Apply acquisition strategies and participate constructively, as a member of a multi-disciplinary engineering team, in the selection of consultants, contractors and resources. Empowered
Engaged 
2, 2.4.a, 2.4.b, 2.4, 3, 3.6.b, 3.6
5 Judge key issues in management systems and control with regard to quality management and WHS. Ethical 
2, 2.1.f, 2.2.j, 2.1, 2.2, 3, 3.1.c, 3.1
6 Evaluate the social, environmental, and economic principles, norms and accountabilities of sustainable engineering practice in engineering project management. Sustainability-focussed 
1, 1.6.c, 1.6.e, 1.6, 3, 3.1.c, 3.6.b, 3.1, 3.6

* Competencies by Professional Body

CODE COMPETENCY
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Professional Engineer Competency Standards
1 Elements of competency: Knowledge and Skill Base
1.6.c Knowledge and Skill Base - Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of sustainable engineering practice in the specific discipline: Appreciates the social, environmental and economic principles of sustainable engineering practice.
1.6.e Knowledge and Skill Base - Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of sustainable engineering practice in the specific discipline: Appreciates the formal structures and methodologies of systems engineering as a holistic basis for managing complexity and sustainability in engineering practice.
1.4 Knowledge and Skill Base: Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline.
1.5 Knowledge and Skill Base: Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline.
1.6 Knowledge and Skill Base: Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of sustainable engineering practice in the specific discipline.
2 Elements of competency: Engineering Application Ability
2.1.a Engineering Application Ability - Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving: Identifies, discerns and characterises salient issues, determines and analyses causes and effects, justifies and applies appropriate simplifying assumptions, predicts performance and behaviour, synthesises solution strategies and develops substantiated conclusions.
2.1.b Engineering Application Ability - Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving: Ensures that all aspects of an engineering activity are soundly based on fundamental principles - by diagnosing, and taking appropriate action with data, calculations, results, proposals, processes, practices, and documented information that may be ill-founded, illogical, erroneous, unreliable or unrealistic.
2.4.b Engineering Application Ability - Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects: Seeks out the requirements and associated resources and realistically assesses the scope, dimensions, scale of effort and indicative costs of a complex engineering project.
2.4.d Engineering Application Ability - Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects: Proficiently applies basic systems engineering and/or project management tools and processes to the planning and execution of project work, targeting the delivery of a significant outcome to a professional standard.
2.4.e Engineering Application Ability - Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects: Is aware of the need to plan and quantify performance over the full life-cycle of a project, managing engineering performance within the overall implementation context.
2.4.a Engineering Application Ability - Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects: Contributes to and/or manages complex engineering project activity, as a member and/or as the leader of an engineering team.
2.1.f Engineering Application Ability - Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving: Conceptualises alternative engineering approaches and evaluates potential outcomes against appropriate criteria to justify an optimal solution choice.
2.2.j Engineering Application Ability - Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources: Understands the role of quality management systems, tools and processes within a culture of continuous improvement.
2.1 Engineering Application Ability: Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving.
2.2 Engineering Application Ability: Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.
2.4 Engineering Application Ability: Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects.
3 Elements of competency: Professional and Personal Attributes
3.5.a Professional and Personal Attributes - Orderly management of self, and professional conduct: Demonstrates commitment to critical self-review and performance evaluation against appropriate criteria as a primary means of tracking personal development needs and achievements
3.5.c Professional and Personal Attributes - Orderly management of self, and professional conduct: Demonstrates commitment to life-long learning and professional development.
3.5.d Professional and Personal Attributes - Orderly management of self, and professional conduct: Manages time and processes effectively, prioritises competing demands to achieve personal, career and organisational goals and objectives.
3.5.e Professional and Personal Attributes - Orderly management of self, and professional conduct: Thinks critically and applies an appropriate balance of logic and intellectual criteria to analysis, judgement and decision making.
3.6.b Professional and Personal Attributes - Effective team membership and team leadership: Functions as an effective member or leader of diverse engineering teams, including those with multi-level, multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural dimensions.
3.1.c Professional and Personal Attributes - Ethical conduct and professional accountability: Understands the accountabilities of the professional engineer and the broader engineering team for the safety of other people and for protection of the environment.
3.1 Professional and Personal Attributes: Ethical conduct and professional accountability.
3.5 Professional and Personal Attributes: Orderly management of self, and professional conduct.
3.6 Professional and Personal Attributes: Effective team membership and team leadership.

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Enrolled in GC002, GD002, MC002, GC003, GD003, MC003, GC004, GD004, MC004, GC005, GD005, MC005, GC006, GD006 or MC006.

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Early feedback will be provided through completion of weekly activities in workshops.  Furthermore, feedback on each assessment will be provided which will be used to help with the following assessment.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Report Group 50% 
2000 words
 Week 7 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Oral Group 25% 
10 minutes
 Week 10 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Report
Goal: 
Produce draft plan for final report
Product: Report
Format: 
Intermediate team based development of a project plan focusing upon a relevant engineering task. This will be presented as a draft report mid way through the study period.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Evaluation of alternative approaches to managing projects and identification of optimal solutions to meet complex contextual demands in different sectors
 2
2 
Application of project management tools and processes to the scoping, planning and execution of an engineering project and monitoring of progress and performance.
 3
3 
Judgement of key issues in management systems and control with regard to quality management and WHS.
 5
4 
Examination of modern project management theory and demonstration of relevant practice techniques.
 1
5 
Evaluation of social, environmental, and economic principles, norms and accountabilities of sustainable engineering practice in engineering project management.
 6
Generic Skills: 
Collaboration, Organisation
All - Assessment Task 2:Oral Presentation
Goal: 
Communicate group project plan.
Product: Oral
Format: 
Final plan for the group project.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Evaluation of alternative approaches to managing projects and identification of optimal solutions to meet complex contextual demands in different sectors.
 2
2 
Application of project management tools and processes to the scoping, planning and execution of an engineering project and monitoring of progress and performance.
 3
3 
Judgement of key issues in management systems and control with regard to quality management and WHS.
 5
4 
Examination of modern project management theory and demonstration of relevant practice techniques.
 1
5 
Evaluation of social, environmental, and economic principles, norms and accountabilities of sustainable engineering practice in engineering project management.
 6
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Collaboration

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

Not applicable

How are risks managed in this course?

Risk assessments have been performed for all studio and laboratory classes and a low level of health and safety risk exists. Some risk concerns may include equipment, instruments, and tools; as well as manual handling items within the laboratory. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:

- The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%

- The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

- You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
    • UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
    • UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au
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