Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (17/02/2025 - 14/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Chemical Engineering School
Professional Practice is designed to give you the knowledge needed to effect change and implement design solutions in the real world. You will be able to identify barriers to technology uptake and work towards overcoming these through practical knowledge of: engineering economics, engineering law, engineering ethics, and the nature of engineering businesses. Students will learn how to undertake and interpret cost-benefit analyses, develop the skills required to understand business decision-making and economic drivers relevant to engineering and investigate key concepts required for ethical professional practice.
Industry representatives and academics will deliver keynote lectures. Students will engage in workshops and project-based discipline-specific content and assessment which will lead the student through the issues encountered in professional engineering practice. Assessment will have both written and oral sections.
Professional Practice is designed to prepare engineers to effect change and implement engineering solutions in the real world.ﾠ You will learn to identify barriers to technology uptake and project delivery and work towards overcoming these through practical knowledge of: strategic management, financial analysis, stakeholder engagement and ethics, as they relate to engineering related businesses and projects.ﾠ Students will learn how to undertake and interpret cost-benefit analyses, develop the skills required to assess risk and uncertainty and understand economic, social, environmental and ethical drivers for investment decision-making relevant to engineering projects and businesses.
This course introduces the factors and barriers that influence the delivery of engineering technologies and projects.ﾠ Students will be able to recognise and address technical, economic, legal, social and environmental issues and to assess risks and uncertainties that are faced when deploying technologies or implementing projects. Strategies and tools will also be developed to manage risk and reduce uncertainty so as to make better business decisions. Ethical decision making features prominently throughout the course, in particular recognising the often-conflicting objectives and values among multiple stakeholders (including oneself)ﾠ and the challenges such conflicts can present to ethical decision making in professional practice.
Course requirements
Assumed background
It is assumed you have completed at least #32 towards your BE(Hons).
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
Students need to have completed 32 units toward the BE(Hons) program.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
ENGG4900 or ENGG4902, ENGG7901, ENGG7902
Restrictions
Restricted to students enrolled in BE(Hons), BE(Hons) dual degrees or BE(Hons)/ME.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Tutor
Mr Andy Cui
Dr Mario Rebosura
Mrs Truc Le
Ms Rasheda Huda
Miss Vijaya Sarmishtha Kaza
Dr John Reuter
Ms Catherine Urquhart
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
It is expected that all students attend or view the weekly online lecture and that all students attend the weekly tutorial.ﾠ Each student must enrol in ONE of the tutorial classes.ﾠ Students will be allocated into teams.ﾠ They will be expected to work in this team every week in the tutorial.
Aims and outcomes
This course introduces engineers to the factors and barriers that influence the delivery of engineering technologies and projects.ﾠ Students will be able to recognise and address technical, economic, regulatory, social and environmental issues and to assess risks and uncertainties that are faced when deploying technologies or implementing projects. Strategies and tools will also be developed to manage trade-offs, uncertainity and risk so as to make better quality business decisions.
It helps prepare students for professional life through exposure to:
- how decisions are made in organisations.
- financial tools used to evaluate projects.
- who and how engineers interact within and outside organisations.
- expectations of professional engineering practice.ﾠ
- developing a pitch for a start-up business.
- sustainability and risk, and how they impact business decision-making.
ﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Develop a business case for a project (start-up), incorporating key aspects that influence critical decision-gates
LO2.
Understand and critique your roles and responsibilities as a professional engineer working in projects
LO3.
Perform a financial analysis of a project proposal
LO4.
Identify, assess and treat strategic business risks
LO5.
Critique the role of sustainability in business decision-making
LO6.
Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team of engineers to create project proposals and evaluate project feasibility.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project |
Assignment 1
|
60% |
Assignment 1a: Start-up Value Proposition (Team) 25/03/2025 1:00 pm Assignment 1b: Financial Analysis & BMC (Team) 16/04/2025 1:00 pm Assignment 1c: SSR Analysis (Team) 14/05/2025 1:00 pm Assignment 1d: Start-up Pitch Presentation (Team) In-Class 29/05/2025 |
| Reflection | Assignment 2: Prof Eng & the Business Environment | 10% |
30/04/2025 1:00 pm |
| Examination |
Exam During Exam Period (Central)
|
30% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Assignment 1
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
Assignment 1a: Start-up Value Proposition (Team) 25/03/2025 1:00 pm
Assignment 1b: Financial Analysis & BMC (Team) 16/04/2025 1:00 pm
Assignment 1c: SSR Analysis (Team) 14/05/2025 1:00 pm
Assignment 1d: Start-up Pitch Presentation (Team) In-Class 29/05/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Assignment 1a: Start-up Value Proposition (Team) Weight: 12% LO 1, 6
Your task is to develop a value proposition for your start-up pitch.
Assignment 1b: Financial Analysis & BMC (Team) Weight: 18% LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
This task continues the development of your start-up pitch report. The aim of this Assignment is to develop a Business Model Canvas (BMC) and a detailed financial analysis for your start-up.
Assignment 1c: SSR Analysis (Team) Weight 15% LO 1, 4, 5, 6
The task is to prepare a report that presents stakeholder, sustainability and risk analyses for your start-up.
Assignment 1d: Start-up Pitch Presentation (Team) Weight: 15% LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
The purpose of the presentation is to convince the investor that your idea is worth investing in. Everything in your presentation should be directed towards achieving this outcome.
Each team must give a 10 minute pitch presentation. Every member of the team must participate in the presentation. 10% of the mark is based on the overall team performance and 5% is for each individual.
The presentations will be made during the Tutorial class in week 13.
These assessment tasks evaluate students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submitted via Blackboard link.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessments must be submitted on or before the due date. Late submissions of assessment items will only be accepted if approval for late submission has been obtained prior to the due date.
Penalties Apply for Late Submission
Refer PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part C (48)
A Student Access Plan (SAP) can only be used for a first extension. Extensions based on an SAP may be granted for up to seven (7) days, or the maximum number of days specified in the Course Instance (CI), if it is less than seven (7) days. Any further extensions will require additional supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Assignment 2: Prof Eng & the Business Environment
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
30/04/2025 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L04
Task description
An individual assignment. You are tasked with reflecting on the meaning of professional engineering practice. What is a professional engineer? When will you be a professional engineer? How does it affect how/what you do?
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submitted via Turnitin link in Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessments must be submitted on or before the due date. Late submissions of assessment items will only be accepted if approval for late submission has been obtained prior to the due date.
Penalties Apply for Late Submission
Refer PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part C (48)
A Student Access Plan (SAP) can only be used for a first extension. Extensions based on an SAP may be granted for up to seven (7) days, or the maximum number of days specified in the Course Instance (CI), if it is less than seven (7) days. Any further extensions will require additional supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Exam During Exam Period (Central)
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
The Final Exam will be scheduled during the examination period. The scope is all course content.
The exam duration will be 1.5 hours. 10 minutes planning time.
It is closed book and will be invigilated. You must have your student identification.
The exam is a hurdle to pass ENGG4901. You must pass the exam.
Format: Multiple-choice.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
The exam is a hurdle to pass ENGG4901. You must pass the exam.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark< 20%. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark at least 20% but less than 45%. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Overall mark at least 45% but less than 50%. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark of at least 50% but less than 65%. You must also achieve a pass mark in the Exam (50%). |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark of at least 65% but less than 75%. You must also achieve a pass mark in the Exam (50%). |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark of at least 75% but less than 85%. You must also achieve a pass mark in the Exam (50%). |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark of at least 85%. You must also achieve a pass mark in the Exam (50%). |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for some items in this course.
Supplementary Examination will generally take the same format as the Final Examination.
Additional assessment information
There is one team project and all tutorials will require working in teams. Students are required to actively participate in their teams - reflecting on lecture content, planning team tasks and reviewing the work of their peers during tutorial sessions. All students must also contribute to the team project. This will be assessed by tutors and the course coordinator using mentor meetings in the tutorial, tutorial participation, documented contributions, and a Peer Assessment Factor (PAF) evaluated using a standard Blackboard tool. The maximum PAF for the team assignment is capped at 1.1. The minimum PAF is zero.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
The ENGG4901 ﾠBlackboard site (www.learn.uq.edu.au) will contain learning resources and other course information, and also direct students to relevant external information in the library and internet.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks |
Lecture |
Lecture Lecture for all students. Covers key concepts for the week ahead and how it relates to upcoming tutorials and assessment. Attendance is expected. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial classes Students will work in teams on tutorial exercises related to assessment tasks. Attendance and participation at tutorial sessions is used as part of determining individual marks for the team project. Attendance is expected and will be recorded. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Additional learning activity information
The lectures are all pre-recorded. The lecture numbers indicate the relevant week to watch the lecture. For example, Lecture 7b should be watched in week 7.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.