Teaching project management: A student perspective

Employability is a key concern of most students as they embark on a course of university study. For engineering students today a more diverse course of learning that brings together technical, managerial and life skills is becoming increasingly common. Previous work has explored the inclusion of project management in the engineering curriculum and identified innovative yet practical approaches to the teaching of the subject [1]. This study builds on this earlier work by exploring the student view of project management and its study. An on-line survey has been administered to two groups of students to ascertain their understanding of project management, its alignment with their future careers and their perceptions of the learning and teaching environment required for effective study. With projects such a fundamental component of business today and with anecdotally around 25% of Engineering Management masters students becoming project managers on graduation, a deeper understanding of the role project management can play in the development of tomorrow's engineers is of significant value. This study will be presented against the backdrop of a move towards a more project management focused engineering teaching group structure and the establishment of a Centre for Project Management Practice to promote business engagement and research.