ENG8046 : Project Management and Digital Engineering
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Module Leader(s): Dr Craig Robson
- Lecturer: Professor Mohamad Kassem
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to manage construction projects across their full lifecycle, from early feasibility and planning through delivery, handover, and operation. It treats construction project management as a structured yet context-dependent decision-making discipline, integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches to feasibility, risk, and stakeholder management with project planning, monitoring, and control. The module integrates digital engineering analytics by showcasing how the use of data, digital models, and programming-based analytical tools to represent and analyse the built environment, interrogate project and engineering datasets, and support evidence-based planning, coordination, performance evaluation, and decision-making can be done using the latest technologies.
Outline Of Syllabus
The following syllabus outline is a guide only. Actual topics may slightly differ:
•Project lifecycle and project feasibility and appraisal studies (financial & economic)
•Project risk, uncertainty, and value management
•Stakeholder management, collaboration, and communication in projects
•Project planning, monitoring and control, including the use of digital data to support performance management
•Procurement strategies, cost estimating, bidding, and contractor selection
•Managing project and asset information in the digital age, including data standards, interoperability, and information flows across the lifecycle
•Digital representation of the built and urban environment, including GIS-based modelling and spatial data
•Data modelling concepts and the structuring of engineering and project datasets
•Data analytics and data-science methods for engineering, including the use of Python for analysis
•Digital data visualisation and communication of analytical insights for project decision-making
•Application of digital tools and analytical approaches in contemporary engineering practice
•Emerging themes in project management and digital transformation, including the evolving role of data, automation, and decision support.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 18 | 1:00 | 18:00 | Lecture presentation and supporting documentation |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 45:00 | 45:00 | Exam |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 45:00 | 45:00 | Report |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 1 | 16:00 | 16:00 | Review of recorded lecture, and uploaded materials (briefs for seminars and practicals) |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Research and preparation for presentation |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 38:00 | 38:00 | Structured research and reading activities to support learning and assessment |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 1 | 8:00 | 8:00 | A day-long practical involving a real-world project in a simulated environment |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 5 | 3:00 | 15:00 | Practicals giving hand-on experience of working with digital tools for engineering and analytics |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 5 | 1:00 | 5:00 | Expert speakers on project management and use of digital innovation |
| Total | 200:00 |
Jointly Taught With
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CEG8012 | Construction Project Management and Digital Engineering |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Knowledge-based learning outcomes are primarily delivered through lectures and seminars, which introduce core project management principles alongside digital engineering and data-driven concepts, including emerging technologies. These sessions are supported by structured learning materials to underpin independent study.
Skills-based learning outcomes are developed through computer-based practical sessions and a gamified project management simulation. Practical sessions enable students to apply digital tools and analytical methods to realistic engineering scenarios, while the simulation provides experiential learning within an authentic project context, exposing students to uncertainty, stakeholder dynamics, and project trade-offs.
Together, these methods support the integration of project management judgement and digital analytics, and the development of analytical, collaborative, and reflective capabilities aligned with the module learning outcomes.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 90 | 1 | M | 50 | In-class closed book examination testing the learning outcome linked to the construction and project management part of the module |
Exam Pairings
| Module Code | Module Title | Semester | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Project Management and Digital Engineering | 1 | N/A |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 50 | Written report with limit of 3000 words assessing knowledge and awareness of digital tools for engineering applications |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 1 | M | tutorial/discussion/authentic workshop style event within the block module period. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The in-class, closed-book written examination assesses learning outcomes related to project management, with emphasis on critical understanding and applied judgement across feasibility appraisal, procurement strategies, risk and stakeholder management, and planning and control. Scenario-based questions require students to interpret project contexts, justify decisions, and critically evaluate alternatives.
The written report is used to assess the digital engineering analytics component, allowing students to demonstrate a knowledge and awareness through critical evaluation of the role and ability to which digital tools can be used in a data-driven digital engineering future.
The oral presentation, delivered through a tutorial, discussion, or authentic workshop-style activity, assesses integrative learning outcomes related to professional communication and critical reflection. It enables students to articulate and defend project and digital decisions, respond to questioning, and demonstrate reflective insight appropriate to advanced professional practice.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- ENG8046's Timetable