Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science - Concordia University

SYLLABUS
ENGR 301 Engineering Management Principles and Economics (3 credits)
Fall 2015
Instructor:

Dr. Fuzhan Nasiri

Office: EV 6.207

Email: fuzhan.nasiri@concordia.ca

Lecture:

Time [Tue & Thr 16:15-17:30], Classroom [H-415]

Office Hour:

Tue 13:30-14:30 (EV 6.207)

Tutorials:
A) Time: Thursdays 17:45 - 18:35, EV-3.309
B) Time: Thursdays 19:45 - 20:35, EV-3.309
C) Time: Tuesdays 19:45 - 20:35, EV-1.162
D) Time: Tuesdays 19:45 - 20:35, EV-3.309
Course Description
This course provides an overview of project management and engineering economics. General
concepts in these areas, along with a number of most commonly employed tools and techniques
will be presented. The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) defines Engineering
Economics and Project Management as: an ability to appropriately incorporate management,
economic and business practice; including project, risk, and change management into the
practice of engineering, and to understand their limitations. At the end of this course, students
are expected to have a general understanding of the principles of project management and
engineering economics.
Tentative Schedule/Outline:
Topic
Introduction
Project Management Stakeholders & Organization
Project Management Contract Management
Project Management Delivery & WBS
Project Management Planning & Scheduling I
Project Management Planning & Scheduling II
Project Management Costing I
Project Management Costing II
Engineering Economics Time Value of Money
Engineering Economics Cash Flows
Engineering Economics Interest Rate I
Midterm Revision
Midterm Exam

ENGR 301H

Lectures
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
October 20

Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science - Concordia University

Engineering Economics Interest Rate II

Engineering Economics Project Evaluation I
Engineering Economics Project Evaluation II
Engineering Economics Decision Making with Alternative Projects I
Engineering Economics Decision Making with Alternative Projects II
Engineering Economics Replacement Analysis
Engineering Economics Other Economic Evaluation Techniques
Engineering Economics Depreciation I
Engineering Economics Depreciation II
Engineering Economics Tax I
Engineering Economics Tax II
Engineering Economics Inflation
Final Revision

13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Required Course Text Book

Engineering Management Principles and Economics, custom Pearson ebook available
through the Concordia Bookstore. This ebook comprises several chapters taken from
references 1 and 2 below as well as some chapters prepared by Dr. C.J. Willis and some
sections prepared by Dr. G.J. Gouw. This ebook is available for rental from the Campus
Bookstore (in person from the cashier or online from the Bookstores website).
Other References
1. Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage, Pinto, J.K., Third edition,
Pearson, 2013
2. Engineering Economics: Financial Decision Making for Engineers, Fraser, N.M., and
Jewkes, E.M., Fifth edition, Pearson, 2013
3. Engineering Economics Analysis: 2nd Canadian Edition, Newnan, D.G., Whittaker, J.,
Eschenbach, T.G., and Lavelle, J.P. Oxford University Press, 2010
4. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Project Management Institute
5. Project Management for Construction, Hendrickson, C., 2nd Edition, version 2.2, 2008
6. Construction Management Fundamentals, Schexnayder, C.J., and Mayo, R.E. McGraw
Hill, 2004
7. Principles of Engineering Economic Analysis, 4th Edition, White, J.A., Case, K.E.,
Pratt, D.B., and Agee, M.H. John Wiley and Sons. 1998
8. Construction Management, Halpin, D.W., and Woodhead, R.W. John Wiley and Sons.
1998
9. Project Management in Practice, Mantel, S.J., Meredith, J.R., Shafer, S.M., and Sutton,
M.M., 2nd Edition, John Wiley and Sons. 2005
Grading:
Assignments
Midterm Exam
Final Exam

ENGR 301H

10%
35%
55%

Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science - Concordia University

The midterm exam is mandatory and no make-up midterm will be given. If a student does not
write the final exam for whatever reason and that student also has not written the midterm, that
student will receive an R grade.
Assignments:
You are expected to solve the assignments on your own (unless it is stated that its a group
assignment). You are not allowed to use homework answers from previous years. Assignments
should be submitted online via Moodle. Late assignments will not be accepted.
Graduate attributes
ENGR 301 emphasizes and develops the CEAB (Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board)
graduate attributes and indicators:
Attribute

Indicator

Economics and project

management
An ability to appropriately
incorporate economics and business
practices including project, risk and
change management into the
practice of engineering and to
understand their limitations
Life-long learning
An ability to identify and to address
their own educational needs in a
changing world in ways sufficient
to maintain their competence and to
allow them to contribute to the
advancement of knowledge.

Fundamentals of economics

Level of
knowledge
Introductory

Economic evaluation of
projects
Project planning and
implementation

Introductory

Continuous improvement and

self-learning

Introductory

Introductory

These attributes will be assessed through assignments, mid-term and final exam
Course learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of ENGR 301, the students will be able to:
o Make economic decisions
o Explain engineering costs
o Prepare and use cash flow diagrams
o Perform and use various economic analysis techniques
o Perform economic assessment of projects
o Evaluate and select alternative projects
o Carry out project cost estimation
o Explain and select organizational structures
o Develop work breakdown structure
o Develop project schedules

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Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science - Concordia University

o
o
o
o

Perform network diagram analysis

Identify critical paths
Calculate earned value
Learn new material not covered in class on their own and use it to solve problems

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Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science - Concordia University

ADDENDUM TO THE COURSE OUTLINE

ACADEMIC CONDUCT ISSUES
The basic ten rules that make you a good engineer
The B. Eng. program is set to satisfy most of the requirements for your education and prepares
you for a professional engineering career that requires dedication and knowledge. What you
learn, and how you learn, will be used extensively in your engineering profession for the next 30
to 40 years. Therefore, the four years spent in the engineering program are crucial towards your
professional formation. The first step is for you to learn to think like an engineer which means:
accept responsibility for your own learning
follow up on lecture material and homework
learn problem-solving skills, not just how to solve each specific homework problem
build a body of knowledge integrated throughout your program
behave responsibly, ethically and professionally
One of the mainstays of being a professional engineer is a Professional Code of Conduct and as
an engineering student this starts with the Academic Code of Conduct (Article 16.3.14 of the
undergraduate calendar). However, you may encounter situations that fall outside the norm and
in such cases; you use your common sense.
Further, the following issues should be given serious consideration:
1) Attendance at lectures and tutorials are major learning opportunities and should not be missed.
The labs represent a unique opportunity for you to acquire practical knowledge that you will
need in your career. Class and tutorial attendance is important for you to comprehend the
discipline and make the connections between engineering skills. You are strongly encouraged to
participate in the class, ask questions and answer the instructors questions. Tutorials are just
extensions of the classes in which application of the concepts presented during the lectures are
presented and problems are practically solved.
2) The decision to write tests that are not mandatory is entirely yours. For example, midterm test
are often stated in many courses as optional. However, one of the objectives of the midterm is to
check on your comprehension of the material and allow time for whatever corrective action is
necessary (from more study time to discontinuing a course). If you pay attention in the lectures,
it will take you significantly shorter time to comprehend the material. You are advised to attend
the class tests even if they are not mandatory.
Important note: If you are in the unfortunate position of being unable to write the final exam
due to medical reasons and seek a deferral, this will not be possible if the Professor has no
chance to observe your performance in a comprehensive in-class examination such as the
midterm exam (indicating that you have been attending the course and assimilating the material).
In this case you will be assigned an R grade and youll have to repeat the course.
3) Homework and quizzes are mandatory and they have some weight in the final grade (such
information is given in the course outline). Homework may also be conceived as training
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Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science - Concordia University

material for the class tests. Under all circumstances, it is highly recommended to carry out the
home work on time and submit it on the prescribed date. Late submissions are not granted to
individual cases regardless of the reason (including late registration to the course). This is part
of the training for being in the workforce where deadlines have to be met. Please, plan your work
such that you submit all the assignments on time and in the correct place.
4) Office hours are listed in the course outline/website/office door. Please respect these office
hours and in case you have a serious conflict, contact the instructor asking for a special time
arrangement.
5) Class tests (midterms, quizzes) are returned to the student. The final exams and project reports
are not. If you wish to see your exam paper, be aware that most instructors allow only a narrow
window of time for that purpose. For the fall term, exams may usually be reviewed in January
and May for the spring term.
6) When you see your marked work (assignments, midterms, final exam etc), be aware that you
are advised to review your material and see the type of errors you made and if marks have been
added incorrectly. This is not an opportunity to try and negotiate a higher grade with the
Professor. If you believe that your grade is not right, you may apply for a formal Course
Reevaluation through the Birks Student Centre.
7) Writing tests and exams represents a major component of your course work. These tests and
exams have rigorous requirements such as:
No cell phone or other communication enabling tool is allowed on the student during the
examination.
Only specified faculty calculators are allowed during tests and exams unless otherwise
indicated by the instructor.
Usually, no materials are allowed in the exam unless otherwise announced.
Get used to signing in and out of your exam. Make sure that you leave your exam papers with the
invigilator. There are rules concerning general exam issues in the UG Calendar. These
requirements are there to eliminate any possible misunderstanding and you are asked to respect
the rules. Disciplinary measures are taken when the rules are not followed.
8) Respect your colleagues and those that you meet during the class: tutors, instructors, lab
instructors, technical personnel, assistants, etc. Use appropriate communication means and
language. Be considerate for all human beings. This includes small things such as turning off
cell-phones before a class begins. Concordia University is a very diverse group of people and a
very large multicultural community.
9) Communication is part of your future profession. Learn how to communicate effectively and
efficiently in the shortest time possible. Write short but meaningful emails, make effective phone
calls, etc. In your email make sure to identify the course/subject of your message in the subject
line:
Subject: ENGR 301 .

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Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science - Concordia University

Please also include your name and ID number in your message. Do not ask for special treatment
as instructors have to treat all students equitably. Note also that e-mails wont be answered in the
evenings or on the weekends.
10) Respect all the above and you will get closer to your future profession.

ENGR 301H