Unit Synopsis
The unit introduces you to a wide range of important topics in project management including but not limited to the benefits of project management; project manager's role, responsibilities, organisational strategy, structure and culture; project governance, portfolios and project selection; and project initiation pre-requisites (e.g. business case). You will also learn the foundational elements and definitions within the project management domain (e.g. project life cycle) and analyse factors that contribute to project success in different contexts. The unit exposes you to various aspects of project success and its impacting factors in different contexts.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 1 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 4 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
There are no pre-requisites for the unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Written Assessment | 50% |
| 2. Practical Assessment | 30% |
| 3. Online Test | 20% |
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Source: SUTE
Some students expressed concerns that attendance would contribute to grades, particularly those enrolled in distance education who valued flexibility.
The Unit Coordinator should review assessment design to ensure flexibility for distance learners and explore alternatives to attendance-based grading.
The assessment design was reviewed to ensure that attendance was not directly linked to grades and that distance students could meet the learning outcomes through flexible participation options. Expectations regarding attendance, participation, and assessment requirements were clarified to students at the beginning of the term.
Source: SUTE
Group assignments were challenging and perceived as unfair in a distance education format.
The Unit Coordinator should evaluate group assessment requirements for online cohorts and provide enhanced support where group work remains essential.
The group assessment requirements were reviewed to accommodate the needs of distance education students better. Greater flexibility was provided in forming groups and coordinating group activities, with clear guidance on communication, roles, responsibilities and expectations for individual contributions. Students were encouraged to establish group agreements and maintain regular communication to support equitable participation.
Source: SUTE
Students found it difficult to understand many new terms and concepts introduced early in the unit and requested more real-world examples to clarify abstract ideas.
The Unit Coordinator should collaborate with teaching staff to integrate relevant project-based examples and case studies into learning materials.
Relevant examples were incorporated into workshops and learning activities to help students connect abstract concepts with practical project management situations. Additional explanations and opportunities for questions were provided when students experienced difficulty with new terminology. Feedback and student questions were used to identify concepts requiring further clarification and to inform subsequent teaching sessions.
Source: SUTE
Students requested that weekly learning materials, including videos, readings, and resources, be released at least one week in advance to allow for better preparation and deeper engagement during sessions.
It is recommended that the Unit Coordinator work with teaching teams to release materials earlier, wherever feasible, to support student preparation and engagement.
Weekly learning materials were made available in advance where feasible, including videos, readings, and supplementary resources, to give students sufficient time to review the content before scheduled sessions. Workshop activities were aligned with the released materials so that students could come prepared with questions and engage more actively in discussions.
Source: Student feedback in workshops
Students would benefit from clearer connections between project management principles and their application in authentic project contexts.
Strengthen the use of practical industry examples, case studies and applied activities throughout the unit to help students connect theoretical project management principles with real-world practice.
In Progress
Source: Student feedback and UC observations
Students requested greater clarity around assessment requirements and expectations.
Provide additional assessment guidance, including annotated examples, clearer marking criteria and assessment preparation activities.
In Progress
Source: Student feedback and UC observations
Students would benefit from more opportunities to consolidate key concepts and receive feedback on their understanding before completing assessments.
Introduce additional in-class activities, non-assessed formative quizzes and opportunities for feedback throughout the teaching period to support students' understanding and assessment readiness.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Analyse the importance of project management in various organisational contexts
- Identify the project components and processes essential to successful project implementation
- Identify organisational, strategic and resource-related factors important to project selection and prioritisation
- Evaluate and recommend an appropriate project management strategy for a project considering organisational context and stakeholders' expectations.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | |
| 2 - Practical Assessment | • | • | • | |
| 3 - Online Test | • | • | • | |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | • | • | • |
| 2 - Problem Solving | • | • | ||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • | ||
| 4 - Information Literacy | • | • | ||
| 5 - Team Work | • | |||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |