This is the online section of a course that regularly meets face to face. The video of the lectures will be available normally with the course notes. Please email the instructor before deciding to attend a face to face lecture.

Understanding the scope of work and related cost is perhaps the most fundamental knowledge required to start any activity. This course provides a theoretical framework to define the scope of work, schedule and cost, the student is exposed to the different methods used to identify and measure the cost elements as the first step to build a cost estimate. After the basics of cost estimation are understood, the student learns how to control costs of ongoing projects. Finally, this knowledge is applied in a course project in which the student has the opportunity to prepare a cost estimate, and identify control mechanisms using the concepts learned in class and critique the estimates prepared by other students.

At the end of the course, the student will understand:

• basic concepts of cost estimation,
• different types of costs and their differences,
• methods used to estimate costs,
• how to gather information, compile and use a cost estimate,
• the importance of having a credible, supportable, usable, accurate, achievable, competitive, complete and realistic cost estimate,
• how to work with others, critique an estimate and provide insight on how to prepare one,
• how to control cost during the different project life cycle phases,
• basic project management techniques and their relationship to cost estimation, and
• principles and techniques of budgeting and cost control.

Recommended book, NOT mandatory: Project Management for Engineering and Construction, Garold D. Oberlender, McGrawHill, 2nd Edition, 2000 ISBN: 0-07-039360-5 Click here to buy your textbook online at our FIU Bookstore.

Helpful Books R.S Means Building Construction Cost Data, 2000 or later R.S. Means Assemblies Cost Data, 2000 or later Recommended Software COCOMO - Estimation and planning of software activities Expert Choice - Expert Choice Inc. Decision making software Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office (Excel and PowerPoint) – Microsoft Corp. Scheduling software OpenWorkbench - Free scheduling software by Computer Associates’ Clarity Division, BSO. WBS Pro - Critical Tools. WBS Construction software. Other references used Albright, Christian. Learning Statistics with StatTools. Palisade Corporation 2003. Amos, Scott J., Editor. Skills and Knowledge of Cost Engineering. 5th Edition. AACE International, , 2004 Blanchard, Benjamin S. and Wolter J. Fabrycky, Systems Engineering and Analysis. Third Edition Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1981. Clark, F.D., and Lorenzoni, A.B. Applied Cost Engineering. Third Edition. Marcel Dekker New York, NY, 1997. ISBN 0-8247-9800-7 Dagostino, F.R and Feigenbaum L., Estimating in Building Construction. Sixth Edition w CD ROM, Prentice Hall NJ 2003. DoD. Parametric Estimating Handbook. Second Edition. 1999 DoD. Work Breakdown Structure. MIL-HDBK-881A. 2005 Fuller, S. K. and S. R. Petersen. Life-Cycle Costing Manual for the Federal Energy Management Program, NIST HB 135. 1995 Garvey, Paul R. Probability Methods for Cost Uncertainty Analysis: A Systems Engineering Perspective. Marcel Dekker, Inc. 2000 Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Sixth Edition. The Modern Language Association of America, 2003. Laufer, Alexander. Simultaneous Management; Managing Projects in a Dynamic Environment. AMACON, 1997. Mantel, Samuel J. et al. Project Management in Practice. John Wiley & Sons. Inc. 2001 NASA, Cost Estimating Handbook. 2002 Ostwald, Phillip F, McLaren, Timothy S. Cost Analysis and Estimating for Engineering and Management. Pearson Education, Inc Prentice Hall 2004 Peterson, Steven J. Construction Estimating Using Excel. Pearson Education. 2007 PMI A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge PMBOK Guide. Third Edition PMI 2004 PMI. Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures. ISBN 1-880410-81-8. PMI 2001. Samid, Gideon. Computer – Organized Cost Engineering. Marcel Dekker. 1990 Savage, Sam L. Decision Making with Insight. Brooks / Cole. 2003 Steward, Rodney D. Cost Estimating. Second Edition John Wiley and Sons 1991. Stewart, Rodney L., Richard M. Wyskida, and  James D. Johannes. Cost Estimator’s Reference Manual. Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1995 Winston, Wayne L. Decision Making Under Uncertainty with RISKOptimizer. A Step-by-Step Guide Using Palisade’s RISKOptimizer for Excel. Palisade Corporation. 2000. Winston, Wayne L. Introduction to Probability Models. Operations Research: Volume Two. Fourth Edition. Brooks/Cole. 2004 Winston, Wayne L. Operations Research: Applications and Algorithms. Third Edition.Wadsworth, Inc. 1994

There are no prerequisites for this course.

For more information about prerequisites, click here.

• E-mail: Contact me via my Blackboard email
• Discussion Forum: It will be used for class discussions and other postings of general interest that are directly related to the course. Everyone can read Discussion Forum postings; therefore, do not post private information.
• LiveChat: It will be used during my online office hours.

As a college, we care about and enforce the Policies and Procedures as they are important to the quality of the education we are providing to you. Details on FIU Policies can be found at:

http://online.fiu.edu/wct_files/Policy/Policies_Requirements.html

The FIU library provides a number of services to distance learning students. For example:

• Students can request a chat session in Blackboard for an explanation on how to access library resources.
• Students can request detailed instructions on how to access library resources.
• One-on-One assistance from the Distance Learning Librarian.

Don't struggle through your library research alone! Help is available. For further information, contact Sarah Hammill, Distance Learning Librarian, via email at hammills@fiu.edu or call 305-919-5604.

You can visit the FIU Library at: http://library.fiu.edu

In an effort to provide online/hybrid students with reliable and secure access to the online learning technology resources, FIU Online has standard maintenance periods to perform scheduled maintenance and system upgrades. FIU Online courses will be unavailable during the established maintenance schedule. System maintenance is performed weekly between the hours of 11:59 PM on Friday night through 5:00 AM on Saturday morning. We thank you for your patience and we apologize in advance for any inconvenience that this may cause. 

This is a fully online course, meaning that all course work (100%) will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in fully online courses are the same as for traditional courses; in fact, fully online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills that can make them more demanding for some students.

Fully online courses are not independent study courses. You will be expected to interact online with the professor and your fellow students; to do assignments; to meet deadlines; and in many classes, to work in virtual groups. In some fully online courses, you may be required to come to campus to take midterms and exams, but in most, you will take your tests online.

Tips for Success in your online course, click here.

Online Etiquette, click here.