CNIT48000 – Managing Information Technology Projects

Course Description

Credit Hours: 3.00. This course introduces the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques that project managers use to plan, staff, estimate, and manage information technology projects. Special emphasis is placed on learning and applying the concepts of managing scope, risk, budget, time, expectations, quality, people, communications, procurement, and externally provided services. Students will apply project management technology and techniques to business problems. Typically offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. 0.000 OR 3.000 Credit hours

Catalog Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the genesis of project management and its importance to improving the success of information technology projects.

2. Demonstrate knowledge of project management terms and techniques.

3. Use Microsoft Project and other software to help plan and manage information technology projects.

4. Appreciate the importance of good project management.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

· Appraise the genesis of project management

o Methods of evaluation: (In-class exercises, Quizzes, Exams, Assignments, Discussions)

· Assess the importance of project management in improving the success of information technology projects

o Methods of evaluation: (In-class exercises, Quizzes, Exams, Assignments, Discussions)

· Demonstrate knowledge of project management terms and implement project management techniques including but not limited to the following such as:

o The triple constraint of project management

o The project management knowledge areas and process groups

o The project life cycle

o Tools and techniques of project management such as

o Project selection methods

o Work breakdown structures

o Network diagrams, critical path analysis, and critical chain scheduling

o Time and Cost estimates

o Earned value management

o Motivation theory and team building

§ Methods of evaluation: (Quizzes, Exams, Assignments, Discussions, Case Study)

· Use Microsoft Project and other software to help plan and manage information technology projects

o Methods of evaluation: (Case Study)

Prerequisites

· CNIT 280 – Systems Analysis and Design Methods or CNIT182 – System and Organizational Security

Instructor Objectives

1. My objective is to facilitate your education, but this requires effort and interest from you. I want you all to succeed not just in terms of securing an A but in being able to apply concepts learned here in your future classes and/or workplaces.

2. This course is designed to be an effective and realistic introduction to the topic.  It may be challenging but to make this course “easier” would be a disservice to employers, alumni, the CIT programs, Purdue University, and most importantly to you, the students.

Course Expectations

What you can expect of the instructor:

· I will treat all students with respect and professionalism.

· During the work week, I will respond to emails within 24 hours.

o When contacting me by email, please use the subject line: Course Number (e.g., CNIT480) and then your topic.

o Please allow a full 24 hours before emailing me again about the same question or issue.

o If you email me over the weekend, please wait till Monday before emailing me again.

· I will post grades within a week of the final due date of the assignment, unless otherwise stated.

· I will notify you in advance about any changes in the syllabus.

· Most questions can be answered via email, however, I can also be available to meet with you by appointment at a suitable time that works for everyone.

o Meetings can be scheduled with a minimum notice of 24 hours.

What your instructor expects of you:

· Students enrolled in this course should actively engage with the course content.

· Students should expect to spend between 6 and 10 hours of effort weekly with this course.

o Please do not hesitate to ask me for help should you require it.

· Due-dates are different from Do-dates.

o Just because an assignment is due on a specific date doesn’t mean that you only start working on it then.

· The language of instruction for this course this will be English.

o All communication and deliverables are to be in English.

Learning Resources, Technology, & Texts

Lecture Textbooks

Brewer, J. & Dittman, K. (2022), Methods of IT Project Management Fourth Edition, Purdue University Press.  ISBN978-1612497907

For those of you who prefer (or at the very least don't mind) using an e-book, the textbook for this class is accessible online free-of-charge through Purdue Libraries at the link below:

https://purdue.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01PURDUE_PUWL/14jvcc9/alma99170391958001081

Login using your Boilerkey credentials to access the book.

MS Office is free for all students. 

Microsoft Project is required for this course and instructions will be posted on Brightspace as to how you can acquire it.

Course Logistics

· All deadlines pertaining to assignments, quizzes, and discussions are posted on Brightspace.

· Deadlines are an unavoidable part of being a professional and this course is no exception.

o It is the responsibility of the students to submit deliverables correctly and in a timely manner.

Assessment

Your learning will be assessed through a combination of quizzes, discussion posts, participation, projects, a reflection paper, and exams spread throughout the semester.

Assessment Descriptions

· Quizzes

· Reading quizzes will be given for each chapter (14) in the textbook.

· Quizzes will consist of multiple-choice, true/false and fill-in questions. There will be typically 5-15 questions per quiz.

· Quizzes will be online via Brightspace.

· Quizzes are worth 15% of your course grade.

· Exams

· Examinations in this course will consist of multiple-choice, short-answer, long-answer, and problem questions.

· There will be two online mid-term exams and one online final.

· Makeup examinations will only be given under extenuating and unavoidable circumstances. The burden of proof of said circumstances is on the student.

In the absence of adequate proof being provided, make-up exams may be allowed with a penalty being assessed at the discretion of the instructor.

· Makeup exams taken ahead of the scheduled date and time will be the same as for other students in the class.

· Makeup exams taken after the scheduled date and time will usually differ from the exam taken by other students in the same class and may include an oral component.

· Graded examinations are NOT returned to students to keep.

· Students must agree to abide by the published Purdue University student honor code.

· Exams are worth 35% of your overall course grade.

· Discussion Forums

· Class participation (discussion forums via Brightspace) will be assessed as a learning component meaning they will be graded. You will be assessed on the quality of your participation. Participation is an important activity based on the underlying belief that students learn from one another.

· Discussions are worth 10% of your course grade.

· Homework and Project Milestones

· By default, all homework assignments and projects are to be considered as individual efforts unless otherwise stated or published by the instructor.  If unclear for any given assignment or project, ask the instructor before collaborating in any way with other students in the course, current or past.

· Work is defined as the student's submitted work in response to an assignment, project, paper, or examination.

· You are required to have 80% of the points available for Milestone 2 before you are allowed to work on any subsequent deliverables in MS Project.

· Homework assignments are worth 20% of your course grade.

· Project milestones are worth 20% of your course grade.

Missed or Late Work

· Due dates and deadlines are always expressed in U.S. Eastern Time.

· Late work will be accepted with a 10% deduction per day following the deadline.

· The late submission policy is not applicable to quizzes or discussion posts.

· If you are unable to turn in an assignment on time, please contact the instructional team ASAP.

o Asking for an extension does not guarantee it will be granted.

Course Schedule

The course schedule will be posted on Brightspace and may be subject to change. Any changes will be posted in the learning management system.

Grading Scale

Grade Scale

A 90 -- 100 %

B 80 – 89 %

C 70 – 79 %

D 60 – 69 %

F 0 – 59 % 

· Your grade in this course will be determined by your performance on several essential criteria: quizzes, discussion posts, assignments, in-class activities, developing project plan in MS Project, and examinations.

· Border-line grade cases will be rounded up or down as applicable. For example, 79.3 will be treated as a C but a 79.8 will be treated as a B.

· This course will under normal circumstances NOT involve any grading curves. The grade you get is what you have earned.

· In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances beyond the instructor’s control.