Setting Up a Project

Admission requirements

This course is only available for students in the BA Urban Studies who have successfully completed the first year (propedeuse) of the Urban Studies programme.

Description

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with project management. Students will work on projects, starting from concrete questions provided by governmental, non-governmental and business organizations (our ‘clients’). Students will work in a team setting (approx. 7-8 students/ team) and supervised by Urban Studies staff. They will cover the full project life-cycle: inception, development, execution, closeout.

During the kick-off session our ‘clients’ will present their project and research questions. These concern real-life issues and are related to the themes of the Urban Studies programme: The Multicultural City, The Safe City, The Healthy City and The Sustainable City. Ideally, each project lies at the cutting edge of more than one theme. Teams will research the issue, address its key challenges, and come up with the best solutions.

The tutorials of the course guide students through the process of the project cycle, starting from discussing team roles and setting up a project plan, the do’s and don’ts of working as a team, followed by sessions monitoring the research, the writing of the report and the formulation of the conclusions. At the end of the course student present their findings and concrete solutions to the ‘client’ organization, their academic supervisors and their peers. During the lectures, academic staff and guest speakers will teach students on a variety of (academic) issues concerning project management.

Course objectives

General learning outcomes

See tab Additional information for the overview of the programme's general learning outcomes. In the assessment methods below is outlined which general learning outcome will be tested through which method.

Course objectives, pertaining to Setting Up a Project

Student will learn to:
1) develop research skills such as problem formulation, literature review, theory building and research methodology skills;
2) build on the ability to critically assess real-life cases of organizations and develop recommendations in connection to scientific research and bearing in mind ethical considerations;
3) liaise with clients and stakeholders;
4) give and take on board feedback in constructive manner;
5) is able to critically reflect on and judge own research and research of others as well as of the work of practitioners;
6) build on teamwork competencies, the ability to brainstorm, debate and integrate perspectives through group work and collaboration;
7) structuring and planning a research project;
8) build on skills to write, present and defend research findings in a professional and structured way.

Timetable

The timetables are available through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

• Lecture (compulsory attendance)

• Tutorial (compulsory attendance)
  This means that students have to attend every session of the course. If a student is unable to attend a tutorial, they should inform the lecturer in advance, providing a valid reason for absence. The teacher will determine if and how the missed session can be compensated by an additional assignment. If they are absent from a tutorial without a valid reason, they can be excluded from the final exam in the course.

Assessment method

Assessment

• Assignments (Project Charter, Project Plan, Work Break Down Structure) - measured general learning outcomes: 1,4
  -measured course objectives: 5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26

• Written group report (14.000 - 18.000 words, excluding front page, table of contents, bibliography and foot- or endnotes)
  -measured general learning outcomes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23,
  -measured course objectives: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8

• Written individual report report (3.000-5.000 words, excluding front page, table of contents, bibliography and foot- or endnotes)
  -measured general learning outcomes: 13, 14, 15, 17, 23, 24, 26
  -measured course objectives: 4, 5, 7

• Participation during Lectures and Tutorials
  -measured general learning outcomes: 4-5, 8-9, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
  -measured course objectives: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

• Oral presentation
  -measured general learning outcomes: 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
  -measured course objectives: 3, 8

Weighing

End grade

To successfully complete the course, please take note of the following:

• The end grade of the course is established by determining the weighted average of all assessment components.

• The grade for the Individual Report needs to be a 6.0 or higher.

Resit

Students who have been active participants in class and submitted the Individual Report on time but scored an overall insuffient mark are entitled to a resit. For the resit, the students are given a chance to hand in an improved version of the Individual Report. The deadline for resubmission is to be consulted with the lecturer. No resit for the other components is possible.

Faculty regulations concerning participation in resits are listed in article 4.1 of the Faculty Course and Examination Regulations.

Inspection and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organised.

Reading list

To be announced.

Registration

• Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.

Contact

• For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.

• For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Student Affairs Office for BA Urban Studies

Remarks

None.