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Project Management - MGT280/1 Spring 2026
Course
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Emel Yarimoglu
Course code: MGT 280
Term and year: Spring 2026
Day and time: Thursday 8:00-10:45
Instructor: Emel Yarimoglu, Ph.D.
Instructor contact: emel.yarimoglu@aauni.edu
Consultation hours: Thursday 10:45-11:15
Project Management
Course code: MGT 280
Term and year: Spring 2026
Day and time: Thursday 8:00-10:45
Instructor: Emel Yarimoglu, Ph.D.
Instructor contact: emel.yarimoglu@aauni.edu
Consultation hours: Thursday 10:45-11:15
|
Credits US/ECTS |
3/6 |
Level |
Bachelor |
|
Length |
15 weeks |
Pre-requisite |
MGT 245 |
|
Contact hours |
42 hours |
Grading |
Letter grade |
1. Course Description
Key Concepts and Definitions, Project Life Cycle, Initiation and Definition of a Project, Planning (Task Generation, Roles and Responsibilities, Task Interdependence, Earned Value Management, Critical Path, Schedule Development, Resource Loading, Project Budget, Risk Development Plan), Execution and Control of a Project.
The students will learn about the Principles of Projects and Project Management. They will learn that many of the things we do every day are “little or large projects”. The students will learn how to decompose complex things into a set of simple tasks, transform these into a plan, calculate the duration of the project and identify the actions to do during the execution of the project.
During this course, students will learn and apply basic Project Management Concepts including Time and Resource Constraints, Planning, Scheduling, Work Breakdown Structure, Gantt Charts, Network Diagrams and Project Control.
2. Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Understand basic project management principles and vocabulary
- Understand main theories and methodologies of project management
- To be able to apply project management principles in different situations and for solving various problems in the everyday operation of business
- To be able to deconstruct complex things into a set of simple tasks, transform them into a plan, calculate the duration of a project and identify the actions to do during the execution of the project
- Write a project charter
- Make a project plan
- Execute a project
3. Reading Material
Required Materials
Textbook:
- Larson, E. W., Gray, C. F., & Sirisomboonsuk, P. (2024). Project Management: A Socio-technical Approach. McGraw Hill.
Perlego:
- Rosenau, M. D., & Githens, G. D. (2011). Successful project management: a step-by-step approach with practical examples. Wiley.
- Kerzner, H. (2022). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. Wiley.
- Resch, M. (2011). Strategic Project Management Transformation: Delivering Maximum ROI & Sustainable Business Value. J. Ross Publishing.
Recommended Materials (under Resources section in NEO)
- Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., & Mantel Jr, S. J. (2017). Project management: a strategic managerial approach. John Wiley & Sons.
- Project Management Institute, https://www.pmi.org/
- Shariff, S. M., Johan, Z. J., & Jamil, N. A. (2011, June). Developing soft skills and learning outcomes of business management students in project management. In 2011 International Conference on Business, Engineering and Industrial Applications (pp. 141-146). IEEE.
- Söderlund, J., & Maylor, H. (2012). Project management scholarship: Relevance, impact and five integrative challenges for business and management schools. International journal of project management, 30(6), 686-696.
4. Teaching methodology
The course will consist of 14 interactive lectures. Professor will teach every week’s subjects by presentations and in-class lecturing. Details of subjects can be seen below 5. Course Schedule. In the classroom, the main topics will be supplemented by short case studies, problems, and further readings. Students will have midterm and final exams in order to show their knowledge in a comprehensively written way.
Students are responsible for reading all materials given by the professor during the semester. Students should actively participate in the learning environment. Students will develop a group project throughout the semester, then present this project as a group presentation at the end of the semester. Students will present their work individually using PowerPoint presentations. There will be one main presentation on the board, each student will be responsible for one part and present their parts. However, all students in the group will be responsible for the entire presentation and should answer all questions related to the presentation.
5. Course Schedule
|
Date |
Class Agenda |
|
Session 1 Feb 5 |
Topic: Introduction to Project Management Description: Modern project management, project lifecycle, traditional and agile project management, technical and sociocultural dimensions Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 1 Assignments/deadlines: tbd |
|
Session 2 Feb 12 |
Topic: Organization Strategy and Project Selection Description: strategy of organization, project priority system, kinds of projects, gate model, value of projects, project portfolio Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 2 Assignments/deadlines: tbd |
|
Session 3 Feb 19 |
Topic: Organization: Structure and Culture Description: Different project structures, project matrix, project management offices, project management culture, culture of organization Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 3 Assignments/deadlines: tbd |
|
Session 4 Feb 26 |
Topic: Defining the Project Description: Project scope statement, cost, time, performance, organization breakdown structure, responsibility matrices, communication plan Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 4 Assignments/deadlines: tbd |
|
Session 5 Mar 5 |
Topic: Estimating Project Times and Costs Description: project planning and control, estimation, resources, kinds of costs, database, mega projects, white elephant. Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 5 Assignments/deadlines: tbd |
|
Session 6 Mar 12 |
Topic: Developing a Project Schedule Description: WBS, project network, AON methods, activity times, critical path, free slack, application of lags Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 6 Assignments/deadlines: tbd |
|
Session 7 Mar 19 |
Topic: Managing Risk Description: Risk management process, project risks, contingency plans, opportunity management, contingency funds and time buffers, PERT simulation projections Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 7 Assignments/deadlines: tbd |
|
Session 8 Mar 26 |
Topic: Midterm Exam Description: Written exam Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 1-7 Assignments/deadlines: none |
|
|
Mid-term break |
|
Session 9 Apr 9 |
Topic: Scheduling Resources and Costs and Reducing Project Duration Description: time-constrained and resource-constrained schedules, multiproject resource scheduling, time-phased project budget baseline, crashing a project, optimum cost-time point, options for reducing the costs Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 8-9 Assignments/deadlines: tbd |
|
Session 10 Apr 16 |
Topic: Project Manager and Managing Teams Description: managing and leading a project, project stakeholders, stakeholder map, effective project manager, project team development, conflicts, challenges of managing virtual project teams Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 10-11 Assignments/deadlines: tbd |
|
Session 11 Apr 23 |
Topic: Outsourcing and Progress Measurement Description: outsourcing project work, Request for Proposal, negotiation, expectations model, procurement management, controlling a project, Gantt chart, earned value management, final project cost Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 12-13 Assignments/deadlines: tbd |
|
Session 12 Apr 30 |
Topic: Project Closure and Agile Project Management Description: project audit, project management maturity, team performance, Agile Project Management, core Agile principles, Scrum, Extreme programming, Kanban board Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 14-15 Assignments/deadlines: student presentations next week! |
|
Session 13 May 7 |
Topic: Final Presentations Description: Students’ term project presentations Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 1-15 Assignments/deadlines: review of class materials |
|
Session 14 May 14 |
Topic: Final Exam Description: Written exam Reading: Larson et al. Chapter 1-15 Assignments/deadlines: review of class materials |
6. Course Requirements and Assessment (with estimated workloads)
|
Assignment |
Workload (hours) |
Weight in Final Grade |
Evaluated Course Specific Learning Outcomes |
Evaluated Institutional Learning Outcomes* |
|
Attendance |
42 |
5% |
Attending classes and active engagement in all tasks. |
3 |
|
Class Participation |
14 |
5% |
Active participation in discussions and the ability to express thoughts and opinions. Preparation is critical, and devices like phones, tablets, and PCs are restricted. |
2,3 |
|
Midterm exam |
20 |
20% |
Comprehensive assessment of knowledge acquired in the first half of the class |
1 |
|
Assignment 1: Project Development |
24 |
20% |
Create a term project with peers. Enhance understanding of terminology and project management. Teamwork. |
1,2,3 |
|
Assignment 2: Project Presentation |
20 |
20% |
Comprehensive assessment of knowledge acquired during the project process. Improve presentation skills through in-class presentations. Teamwork |
1,2,3 |
|
Final exam |
30 |
30% |
Demonstrate subject knowledge, recognize and find solutions to a variety of management problems; analysis skills |
1 |
|
TOTAL |
150 |
100% |
|
|
*1 = Critical Thinking; 2 = Effective Communication; 3 = Effective and Responsible Action
7. Detailed description of the assignments
Attendance:
Students’ physical attendance to every class and active engagement to class without disturbing anyone. Attendance is mandatory at AAU School of Business.
Class Participation:
Students are responsible for participating in all class discussions. Participation is evaluated on the quality of your contribution to the learning experience of the class. Participating by actively responding to questions, asking questions, and engaging in class discussions will help you earn your participation grade. Simply attending every class is not participation. If you need more clarification, please ask your professor what you can do to increase your participation.
Midterm Exam:
1.5-hour written exam covering areas related to the first half of the course.
Assessment breakdown
|
Assessed area |
Percentage |
|
Answering the questions according to what was asked in the exam paper, definitions/demonstration of topic comprehension, explanations |
100% |
Assignment 1: Project Development
Teams will be formed at the beginning of the semester. Students will study with their peers in their teams throughout the semester. They will design a project based on course subjects and topics. They may be a team member, manager, or leader in the project management process. They will adapt what they learnt during the semester to their projects.
The project should be written in MS Word around 10 pages. Times New Roman, 12 font, justified, spacing 6pt before and after, single line spacing. References will not be included in the page number. Use APA style for all references. Due date is the last day of the course. All submissions should be uploaded to NEO.
Assessment breakdown
|
Assessed area |
Percentage |
|
Project topic, plan, coverage, context quality, clarity and relevance |
40% |
|
Sections accuracy, flow of the topic, quality of delivered final project |
30% |
|
Solved problems demonstrating grasp of class topics |
20% |
|
Timeliness, adapting to templates and guidelines |
10% |
Assignment 2: Project Presentation
20-30 minutes group presentation examining in-depth the topic of the group’s project. Due to different responsibilities in the presentations, students may take different grades.
The presentation should be prepared by all group members in PowerPoint or Canva. Presentations must be submitted to NEO before the due date. Due date is 6th of May. Students will present their work on 7th of May at class.
Assessment breakdown
|
Assessed area |
Percentage |
|
Coverage of related topics, context quality |
60% |
|
Sufficient depth of topics, originality, non-trivialness |
15% |
|
Presentation delivery/preparedness |
15% |
|
Timely submission and timeliness of presentation |
10% |
Final Exam:
2-hour exam covering areas in the entire course, with emphasis on topics not covered in the mid-term exam.
Assessment breakdown
|
Assessed area |
Percentage |
|
Answering the questions according to what was asked in the exam paper, definitions/demonstration of topic comprehension, explanations |
100% |
8. General Requirements and School Policies
General requirements
All coursework is governed by AAU’s academic rules. Students are expected to be familiar with the academic rules in the Academic Codex and Student Handbook and to maintain the highest standards of honesty and academic integrity in their work. Please see the AAU intranet for a summary of key policies regarding coursework.
Course specific requirements
There are no special requirements or deviations from AAU policies for this course.
Here is the course outline:
1. Introduction to Project Management
Feb 5, AAU
Modern project management, project lifecycle, traditional and agile project management, technical and sociocultural dimensions |
2. Organization Strategy and Project Selection
Feb 12, AAU
strategy of organization, project priority system, kinds of projects, gate model, value of projects, project portfolio |
3. Organization: Structure and Culture
Feb 19, AAU
Different project structures, project matrix, project management offices, project management culture, culture of organization |
4. Defining the Project
Feb 26, AAU
Project scope statement, cost, time, performance, organization breakdown structure, responsibility matrices, communication plan |
5. Estimating Project Times and Costs
Mar 5, AAU
project planning and control, estimation, resources, kinds of costs, database, mega projects, white elephant |
6. Developing a Project Schedule
Mar 12, AAU
WBS, project network, AON methods, activity times, critical path, free slack, application of lags |
7. Managing Risk
Feb 19, AAU
Risk management process, project risks, contingency plans, opportunity management, contingency funds and time buffers, PERT simulation projections |
8. Midterm Exam
Mar 26, AAU
Written exam Larson et al. Chapter 1-7 |
9. Scheduling Resources and Costs and Reducing Project Duration
Apr 9, AAU
time-constrained and resource-constrained schedules, multiproject resource scheduling, time-phased project budget baseline, crashing a project, optimum cost-time point, options for reducing the costs |
10. Project Manager and Managing Teams
Apr 16, AAU
managing and leading a project, project stakeholders, stakeholder map, effective project manager, project team development, conflicts, challenges of managing virtual project teams |
11. Outsourcing and Progress Measurement
Apr 23, AAU
outsourcing project work, Request for Proposal, negotiation, expectations model, procurement management, controlling a project, Gantt chart, earned value management, final project cost |
12. Project Closure and Agile Project Management
Apr 30, AAU
project audit, project management maturity, team performance, Agile Project Management, core Agile principles, Scrum, Extreme programming, Kanban board |
13. Final Presentations
May 7, AAU
Students’ term project presentations |
14. Final Exam
May 14, AAU
Written exam Larson et al. Chapter 1-15 |