Course syllabus

ACE115 Project management in construction

The course is offered by the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering.

 lp1 HT23 (7.5 hp)  

 

Examiner

Dilek Ulutas Duman, DUD, senior lecturer, Construction Management ACE, dileku@chalmers.se

Teachers

Anna af Hällström, AH, Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Applied IT, University of Gothenburg, anna.af.hallstrom@gu.se

Daniella Troje, DT, Senior lecturer, Construction Management and Engineering, ACE Chalmers, daniella.troje@chalmers.se

Dimosthenis Kifokeris, DK, Associate professor, Building Design, ACE Chalmers, dimkif@chalmers.se

Jan Bröchner, JB, Professor Emeritus, Innovation and R&D Management, TME Chalmers jan.brochner@chalmers.se

Johannes Ris, JR, Project manager, Byggstyrning

Madhu Happalad, MH, PhD Researcher, Construction Management and Engineering, ACE Chalmers, happalad@chalmers.se 

Martine Buser, MB, Associate Professor, Building Design ACE Chalmers, buser@chalmers.se

Mikael Viklund Tallgren, Researcher, Construction Management and Engineering, ACE Chalmers, mikael.tallgren@chalmers.se

Oliver Löfman Nastefski, OL, Project Manager, WSP

Robert Sturk, RS, Operations Manager, Skanska

Sean Elliot Wisse, SEW, PhD Researcher, Construction Management and Engineering, ACE Chalmers, wisse@chalmers.se

 

Course purpose

Projects are the primary method of creating value in the built environment and constitute the central unit of production and innovation in the construction sector. Their effective management is therefore a crucial skill for project managers in design and construction. Despite the availability of established standards, methods, tools, and techniques, construction projects often face delays, budget overruns, poor quality performance, or an inability to meet societal needs. Construction projects are inherently complex and require project managers to manage competing demands from internal and external stakeholders, institutional forces, and the influence of decision-makers. This complexity is further exacerbated by increasing demands for sustainability, growing political and economic uncertainties, and continuous technological transformation.

This course introduces the multifaceted and complex nature of the construction sector and emphasizes the central role of projects and the project manager. The aim of the course is to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to understand construction projects in a dynamic and changing industry. Students will be introduced to fundamental project management concepts and knowledge based on insights from construction management research and real-world examples. The course combines theoretical and practical perspectives to ensure that students can confidently apply what they learn.

In addition to the core aspects of project management (PM), the course addresses broader themes such as power dynamics, politics, and ethics. These topics are explored to help students understand the multifaceted role of the project manager and the impact of their decisions on stakeholders, institutions, and the built environment. Through this course, students will build the skills and confidence to responsibly shape the future of the built environment.

 

Schedule*

Week	Day	Date	Time	Location	Teaching form	Topic	Lecturer
36	Thursday	04/09/2025	09:00-11:45	SB-H6	Lecture 1	Course introduction and overview Introduction to the assignment Group formation and expectations	DUD
	Thursday	04/09/2025	13:15-16:00	SB-H6	Lecture 2	Project management theory and paradigms	DK
37	Monday	08/09/2025	13:15-16:00	SB-H6	Lecture 3	The context of construction project management	DT
	Thursday	11/09/2025	09:00-11:45	SB-H6	Lecture 4	Project-based organization	MB
38	Monday	15/09/2025	13:15-16:00	SB-H6	Lecture 5	Project life cycle	DUD
	Monday	15/09/2025	45-minute supervision booking – flexible scheduling	-	Supervision	Each group must book a 45-minute supervision session with their supervisors in advance (mandatory).	DUD, DK, MH, SEW
	Tuesday	16/09/2025
	Thursday	18/09/2025	08:00-11:45	TP-L13	Presentations	Each group will have a presentation followed by Q&A (Mandatory)	DUD, DK, MH, SEW
	Thursday	18/09/2025	13:15-17:00	TP-L12	Presentations
39	Monday	22/09/2025	13:15-16:00	TP-L13	Seminar	Literature seminar (Mandatory)	DUD, AH
	Thursday	25/09/2025	09:00-11:45	SB-H6	Lecture 6	Scope and Quality	DK
40	Monday	29/09/2025	13:15-16:00	SB-H6	Lecture 7	Risk management	DUD, RS
	Monday	29/09/2025	45-minute supervision booking – flexible scheduling	-	Supervision	Each group must book a 45-minute supervision session with their supervisors in advance (mandatory).	DUD, DK, MH, SEW
	Tuesday	30/09/2025
	Thursday	02/10/2025	09:00-11:45	TP-L13	Lecture 8	Planning and Scheduling	MVT
	Thursday	02/10/2025	13:15-16:00	TP-L12	Workshop	Stakeholder management  (Mandatory)	DUD, MH
41	Monday	06/10/2025	13:15-17:00	SB-H6	Lecture 9	Estimating and budgeting	DUD, OL
	Thursday	09/10/2025	09:00-11:45	SB-M022	Lecture 10	Power, authority, and politics in PM	MB
	Thursday	09/10/2025	13:15-16:00	TP-L12	Lecture 11	Governance of projects and the Scandinavian approach to project management	DUD
42	Monday	13/10/2025	13:15-16:00	TP-L13	Lecture 12	Quiz + PM and digitalization	DK, DUD, JR
	Monday	13/10/2025	45-minute supervision booking – flexible scheduling	-	Supervision	Each group must book a 45-minute supervision session with their supervisors in advance (mandatory).	DUD, DK, MH, SEW
	Tuesday	14/10/2025
	Thursday	16/10/2025	09:00-11:45	SB-H6	Lecture 13	Ethics in PM in the construction sector	JB
43	Monday	20/10/2025	13:15-16:00	SB-H6	Lecture 14	Course overview	DUD
	Tuesday	21/10/2025	08:45-11:45	SB2-L408 SB2-M415	Presentations	Final presentations in 2 parallel sessions / Wrap-up and participant feedback	DUD, DK, MH, SEW
			13:15-15:30		Presentations
	Thursday	30/10/2025	17:59	Via Canvas	Written project report	Submission Deadline for Group Project

 

*The course schedule outlined in the table may be adjusted. Any changes will be promptly communicated through announcements and updated on the Canvas page.

**Supervision days are listed in the course page but not in TimeEdit. Once you are informed of your group and supervisor, you should contact your supervisor to schedule meetings for three different occasions. The time and location for these meetings will be arranged between the supervisors and the groups.

Course literature

Course book: Winch, G. M. (2010) Winch, G. M. (2010). Managing construction projects (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/chalmers/detail.action?docID=698479

The course literature also comprises scientific articles, along with excerpts from selected books on construction and project management. A detailed reading list for each session will be uploaded to the Canvas page before the course starts. Lecture slides and handouts will also be made available for review before each session.

Reading list: See Canvas

You are expected to have read the assigned literature before the beginning of each lecture. This will provide you with the necessary terminology and preconceptions to enable further collective exploration in class.

 

Course design

Course content

• Introduction to project management: what it means in today’s construction sector and how it has developed over time
• Basic concepts in project management
• Different approaches to project management and the changing role of the project manager
• The specificities of project-based organizations
• Actors and stakeholders in construction projects
• Planning of projects and cost management
• Project scope and quality
• Managing risk and uncertainty
• Power, authority, and politics in project management.
• Technological transformation and project management
• Ethical concerns in the construction industry.
• Practical applications and case studies: Real examples of successful and unsuccessful projects

Teaching methods

The course includes lectures, case studies, tests, student-led presentations, and seminars.

 

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course, the student should be able to)

Learning objectives

Knowledge

• Describe basic project management (PM) concepts and tools
• Have knowledge of different PM knowledge areas, paradigms, and traditions
• Identify PM issues in specific cases
• Understand specific characteristics of construction projects

Skills

• Identify and synthesize relevant PM literature
• Analyze and evaluate organizational aspects of PM practice
• Analyze, evaluate, and interpret PM practice
• Evaluate the impact of PM practices on actors and stakeholders

Competencies

• Define, formulate, and solve PM-related problems through process-based pedagogy
• Critically evaluate project management models
• Critically review and discuss peers students' work
• Reflect on power, politics, and ethical issues in PM practice
• Reflect on issues of uncertainty, complexity, and bias for PM practice

 

Examination

Course participation

Students must participate in at least 80% of the course sessions; attendance will be controlled during the class. Participation in mandatory course activities (or a relevant compensation assignment in agreement with the examiner) is a prerequisite for passing the course.

Assignments

The course assessment has two parts:

•  Interim assessment
  • Group work (10%): Oral presentation on the main project management knowledge areas
  • Individual exam (30%): Multiple-choice test on the main project management knowledge areas
• Final assignment
  • Group work (50%): Written project report
  • Group work (10%): Oral presentation of the report, with peer-review feedback on the final day

Details regarding group work 

• With an estimated 70-80 students registered for the course, there will be around 16 groups*, each consisting of 4-5 students. For the presentations and subsequent group work/assignments, each group will be assigned a dedicated teacher who will supervise them throughout the study period. The teachers supervising the group work are: DK, DUD, MH, and SEW.
• The allocation of students to groups and supervisors will be done by the course teachers and published on the course page at the end of the first week.
• Student Presentations – Week 38 (Participation is mandatory)
  • Each group prepares a 10-minute presentation on their assigned project management knowledge area.
  • The slides should be clear and informative, so other students can use them for learning.
  • After each presentation, there will be a 10-minute discussion with the group, teachers, and classmates.
• Individual quiz – In Week 42, a quiz on the main project management knowledge areas will be done in class through Inspera (digital exam portal - closed book exam).
• Final Presentation – Week 43
  • The presentations will run in two parallel sessions with DK, DUD, MH, and SEW as supervisors.
  • Each group has 12–15 minutes to present their work. After that, the opponent group has 10–15 minutes to ask questions and give feedback. At the end of the session we will have a general discussion with all participants (about 30 minutes). 
  • Attendance is mandatory for all students for the whole day.
• Written project reports must be uploaded to the Canvas ACE115 page.

*Depending on the total number of students registered in the course, there might be changes in the plans for the group work presentations. 

 

Course grade

The final grade is based on a weighted total of 100 points from the following parts of the examination:

Assessment	Week	Points	Notes
Oral presentation of project management knowledge areas	38	0–10	10 points for presentation, 0 points for non-attendance
Individual multiple-choice test	42	0–30	Taken in class via Inspera
Final presentation and peer-review feedback	43	0–10	10 points for presentation and feedback, 0 points for non-attendance
Written project report	43	0–50	Submitted to Canvas.
Total		0–100

 

Grading scale: 

Grade	Point range
5	85–100
4	70–84
3	55–69
Fail	< 55

 

Course updates and improvements since last year

• The course reference book has been replaced, leading to major updates in content and structure.
• The course assessment has been revised: the weight of the individual exam has increased from 10% to 30%. This exam will now be taken online through Inspera (closed book exam).
• New sessions have been added, and several existing sessions have been updated.
• The grading scheme has been adjusted as shown above.
• The teacher team has been updated with new members.

Instructions on using generative AI tools (like ChatGPT)

ACE115 follows the general stance of Chalmers’ Executive committee for education, which is that bachelor's and master's education should reflect a real working situation within the professional field as much as possible, including access to AI tools. However, it is not always appropriate to use them, and when they are used, it is a prerequisite that AI tools are employed in a responsible and transparent manner. In this page, you can find instructions and implications on using AI for your course work: https://www.chalmers.se/en/education/your-studies/masters-and-bachelors-thesis/regulations-for-the-use-of-ai-tools/Links to an external site.. The page refers to working on theses, but the same principles apply to your regular coursework and assignments.

Communication

Feel free to contact the examiner (dileku@chalmers.se) anytime you need assistance. However, please avoid asking questions that are already covered in the course documents on Canvas. Additionally, please CC the examiner on all emails with teachers and supervisors regarding the course to help us track the information exchange more easily.