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Project Management in Science (SKIL90004)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
Please refer to the return to campus page for more information on these delivery modes and students who can enrol in each mode based on their location.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 - Dual-Delivery |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
Projects drive most modern science organisations. Learn how to plan and manage projects, and to relate to a client, team members, and to other stakeholders. The subject covers the processes and tools/techniques in project management as well as the ‘soft side’ of managing people in projects. The subject uses the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) covering the competencies in project management including scope, time, cost, quality, resource, risk, communication and integration management.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Plan a science consulting project;
- Identify the stages of the project life cycle, and the tasks and deliverables for each stage;
- Describe and apply key processes in project management including risk management;
- Apply various techniques in project execution and monitoring including diagramming techniques such as PERT charts, the critical path method and resource levelling;
- Describe and apply leadership and management capabilities required for managing projects;
- Communicate fluently and present arguments in oral and written form;
- Collaborate effectively in small and large groups.
Generic skills
On completion of this subject, students should have developed the following skills:
- Exercising critical judgement, being capable of rigorous and independent thought;
- Examining critically, synthesising, and evaluating knowledge pertaining to biotechnology;
- High level written report presentation skills;
- Oral communication and presentation skills;
- Time management and self-management skills.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
A group written assignment on writing a project charter
| Mid semester | 10% |
A group assignment (4-6 per group, with a 10 minute oral presentation of the project outcomes involving all students in the group (30%), and a 1,000 word summary from the group (10%)). All students will be marked equally on the group component
| From Week 8 to Week 10 | 40% |
An individual assignment applying skills in computerised project management tools requiring 10-15 hours of work
| End of semester | 10% |
Final Exam
| During the examination period | 40% |
Hurdle requirement: Attendance at greater than 80% of workshops throughout the semester | Throughout the semester | N/A |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Richard Buchta Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours One 3-hour workshop per week for twelve weeks Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 1 March 2021 to 30 May 2021 Last self-enrol date 12 March 2021 Census date 31 March 2021 Last date to withdraw without fail 7 May 2021 Assessment period ends 25 June 2021 Semester 1 contact information
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Recommended texts and other resources
INDICATIVE KEY LEARNING RESOURCES
There will be no set text book but the following recommended texts are appropriate.
- Schwalbe, K., Introduction to Project Management, Fourth Edition, Course Technology 2012 (or similar books by Schwalbe)
- Gido and Clements., Successful Project Management, 5th ed., South-Western Cengage Learning, 2011.
- Meredith, J and Mantel, S. Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 8th Ed., Wiley, 2012.
- Subject notes
INDICATIVE CONTENT
The following content will be covered:
- What is a project?
- Scooping
- Project roles
- Planning a project
- Budgeting and cost estimation
- Risk management
- Documentation of projects
- Organisational structure and culture
- Evaluating and ending projects
CAREERS / INDUSTRY LINKS
This subject is relevant to careers as project consultants and managers in scientific fields. Since many large science-based organizations today carry out significant project work there is a large ongoing demand for people with knowledge of this topic from both private consulting and government run organizations. Students will develop real world skills that they can use in industry. There will be one or two lectures from invited practitioners from industry.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Last updated: 3 November 2022