Overview
This course develops the economic reasoning and project management capabilities required to plan, evaluate, execute, and control engineering projects. Students examine the engineering project life cycle, including scope definition, objectives, stakeholders, constraints, work breakdown structures, scheduling, resource allocation, cost estimation, budgeting, procurement, quality management, communication, leadership, risk management, change control, and project closeout.
Engineering economics topics include time value of money, cash-flow diagrams, interest and discount rates, present worth, future worth, annual worth, rate of return, benefit-cost analysis, break-even analysis, depreciation, taxation, inflation, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty. Students use spreadsheet-based financial models to compare engineering alternatives and formulate defensible recommendations.
Applied coursework centers on a realistic engineering project case involving a project plan, schedule, budget, risk register, earned value analysis, and management recommendation. Ethical, environmental, safety, sustainability, and stakeholder considerations are integrated throughout project and economic decision-making.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze engineering project life cycles, objectives, stakeholders, constraints, and governance requirements.
- Construct work breakdown structures, schedules, resource plans, budgets, and risk registers for engineering projects.
- Apply present worth, future worth, annual worth, rate of return, benefit-cost, break-even, depreciation, tax, and inflation analyses.
- Evaluate engineering alternatives using spreadsheet-based financial models, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty assessment.
- Interpret earned value and other performance data to identify cost, schedule, scope, and resource variances.
- Develop procurement, contract, quality, communication, and change-management strategies appropriate to engineering projects.
- Assess ethical, environmental, safety, sustainability, and stakeholder implications in engineering economic and management decisions.
- Synthesize technical, financial, schedule, and risk evidence into clear recommendations for technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
| Practicum | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Spreadsheet-based engineering economic analysis. | 15.00% |
| Test | Individual test on economic evaluation methods. | 15.00% |
| Deliverable | Project scope, work breakdown structure, and schedule. | 15.00% |
| Deliverable | Project budget, risk register, and mitigation plan. | 10.00% |
| Assignment | Earned value and project performance analysis. | 15.00% |
| Capstone | Final project management recommendation and presentation. | 30.00% |
Prerequisites
- ENGR302 Manufacturing Processes
- ENGR305 Engineering Systems and Control
- Requirement Competence in algebra, introductory statistics, spreadsheet modelling, and written technical communication.
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
