Engineering Project Management

The module provides you with an understanding of the relationship between projects and the business. It offers insight into the strategic, business, commercial and financial issues within projects and their relationship to project and organisational performance. You will gain an understanding of how projects are used to underpin and support the organisation and enable the achievement of its mission and strategy. After completing this module you will be able to:

• Contextualize project management issues within broader business and strategic situations.
• Identify and recognise how business and commercial performance affect and are affected by the development of projects and how project management activities and processes interface with business issues.
• Apply and utilise appropriate strategic frameworks, undertake strategic analysis and construct an appropriate response to inform the development of business and project planning and to determine a suitable management approach.
• Identify, construct and explain the content of a business plan or business case and how such documents contribute to organizational strategy and the purpose and development of a project.
• Explain the procurement and supplier management processes and recognise how they relate to project management, organizational strategy and the development of a project.

Students will complete a technical project as part of a small team. This module focuses on the technical contribution made by a team member and how they managed their work within the context of the larger project. The project is usually industry or company linked and provides the opportunity to develop the time management, project control, teamworking and other skills learnt during the programme.

Students will complete a technical project as part of a small team. This module focuses on effective operation of the team to realise the project's objectives. The project is usually industry or company linked and provides the opportunity to develop the project planning, teamworking, leadership and other skills learnt during the programme.

This module is based on a series of industrial lectures to give first-hand insight into different aspects of company practice. In this way it bridges the gap between project management theory and its implementation in engineering organisations. The strengths and weaknesses of different approaches are analysed and critically assessed against textbook approaches in a series of seminars and tutorials.

Projects are obtained from local companies who have a genuine engineering problem, design or development requirement. The three-week project commences with a team and project assignment and briefing lecture. Each team then meets their company and is assigned an industrial contact and academic supervisor for the project. Communication with the company and academic supervisor for most of the project is at the discretion of the team. The modules ends with a presentation session to which the company and all academic project supervisors are invited.

This module gives the opportunity to apply the technical, problem analysis and project management skills learned in earlier modules to a real industrial environment.

Gaining professional experience solving problems in the industry can greatly increase the employability of postgraduates. Students can also forge useful connections within the industry during their communication with the company.

During the project, students will learn how to structure a technical problem; assess the technologies required to meet the requirements using available literature and resources; work creatively to develop possible solutions; and apply multidisciplinary scientific and engineering skills to assess the technical validity of those solutions.

This module is only available to full time MSc students.

This module provides you with a theoretical and practical understanding of relevant concepts relating to organisational behaviour and leadership in the contexts of projects, supply chains and (temporary multi) organisations. This incorporates an understanding of self-awareness, teams within and between organisations, leader- and followership, as well as the leadership of change. After completing this module you will be able to:

• Interpret their own self-awareness as well as their own self-management
• Demonstrate social awareness including empathy and relationship management, including team membership
• Examine the development, composition and performance of teams and in particular of cross-functional teams
• Evaluate and apply team leadership in terms of leading with and without authority in different organisational structural contexts
• Appraise and lead change in organisations
• Demonstrate the ability to think clearly and apply critical thinking skills, including critical analysis, for example to reading academic journals to their won academic writing
• Show how the role of critical reflection applies to personal learning and development
• Demonstrate and apply standards of academic practice to assignments, specifically with regard to referencing, plagiarism, structuring, signposting and development of a reasoned, justified and cohesive argument.

This module presents the tools and techniques needed to effectively initiate, plan and manage a project through to successful completion. The approach is primarily practical and pragmatic, providing an integrated planning process that supports the production of a holistic and robust project plan. Examples from a broad range of industries are introduced throughout the module. After completing this module you will be able to:

• Explain and critically evaluate the purpose, importance & relevance of project management and its role in delivering successful projects
• Explain and critically evaluate the core knowledge of project management processes and methods within practical applications
• Explain and critically evaluate how the use of processes and methods links with the development of positive attitudes and behaviours appropriate to successful project completion

This module provides you with the opportunity to obtain practical experience of project management practices and to understand the interrelationships between decisions, teams and objectives through a simulated project. The practical experience will be supported by in-depth investigation of relevant tools, techniques and theories. After completing this module you will be able to:

• Evaluate and employ project management tools, techniques and theories, as appropriate to the project lifecycle
• Apply interpersonal and communication skills to successfully lead, manage and/or participate in a team
• Explain how information is identified, developed and utilised during decision making throughout the project lifecycle
• Demonstrate professional project management behaviours and skills