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Sustainability in Engineering Management - ELE00157M

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  • Department: Electronic Engineering
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

This module introduces the principles, methods, and processes of sustainability from the engineering management perspective, with special focuses on sustainability concepts and theories; sustainable project management; product life cycles, circular economy and implementing strategies; tools; techniques; and processes for sustainable business improvement.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

Subject content aims:

  • Discuss the connotation and theories regarding sustainability in engineering business management.

  • Critically evaluate social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainability when planning and managing engineering projects, especially in key knowledge areas of stakeholder management, integration management, resource management, cost & value management, and quality management.

  • Apply the project management tools and techniques in solving sustainability problems in engineering project management.

  • Discuss how to address sustainability risks and opportunities from a strategic perspective.

  • Apply a practical guide to frameworks, standards, and guidelines that assist in implementing profitable sustainability strategies

  • Build a robust corporate sustainability strategy that gives a corporate comparative advantage

Graduate skills aims:

  • Capacity for analysis and synthesis representing differing strategic corporate sustainability/CSR practices appropriate to the different business environments.

  • Capability or applying knowledge in practice – demonstrate a capability in implementing the discipline knowledge and theories to strategic planning for corporate sustainability.

  • Project management stills – demonstrate a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the discipline knowledge in sustainable project management and utilize them to make decisions, solve practical problems and address strategic issues in sustainability.

  • Report writing skills.

  • Public speaking skills.

  • Research skills – through formative case study analysis and a summative assignment.

  • Critical evaluation skills – through critically evaluating contemporary debates and literature in sustainability in engineering management.

  • Critical thinking – being able to critically propose and articulate a new strategic approach and write a critical literature review on sustainability in engineering management.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content learning outcomes
At the successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Explain sustainability terminologies in engineering management.
  • Discuss key knowledge areas in sustainable project management.
  • Create the sustainability framework, standards, and guidelines to assist strategic corporate sustainability planning and management.
  • Critically assess and apply sustainable management tools and techniques in solving problems within an organization.


Graduate skills learning outcomes
After successful completion of this module, students will be able to

  • Apply their knowledge of sustainability to real work businesses.
  • Design a robust corporate sustainability strategy that allows for competitive advantages for business.
  • Show improved critical analysis and synthesis skills.
  • Plan and manage their time individually and in teams more effectively.
  • Demonstrate skills in problem-solving and decision making.
  • Undertake research into the aspects of sustainability in project management.
  • Demonstrate critical thinking in generating and evaluating ideas for strategic corporate sustainability

Module content

  • Business imperative for sustainability

  • Theories regarding sustainability

  • Project management

  • Risk management and business opportunities

  • Sustainable project management: Integration management, stakeholder management, resource

  • Cost & Value management

  • Sustainable engineering design

  • Quality management

  • Waste management and recycling

  • Responsibilities of financial reporting and environmental management

  • CSR/Corporate sustainability, organizational performance, and competitiveness

  • Integrating sustainability into business culture, strategy, and marketing

  • Building sustainability tool kit and implementing a sustainability program

  • Frameworks, standards, and guidelines for corporate sustainability practitioners

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 80
Oral presentation/seminar/exam 20

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

There are two parts of the assessment:

  • Individual Report: worth 80% of the module mark
    Students will work on a critical literature review on a self-selected or recommended topic related to sustainability in engineering management. They will also analyse an engineering firm’s sustainability practices and strategies, surrounding the triple-bottom line areas (i.e., economic, environmental, and social areas; focused area or multiple dimensions), and analyse the potential outcomes and related organizational performance.

  • Group presentation/seminar: Students will present a case study analysis on a topic related to sustainability in engineering management.

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

'Feedback’ at a university level can be understood as any part of the learning process which is designed to guide your progress through your degree programme. We aim to help you reflect on your own learning and help you feel more clear about your progress through clarifying what is expected of you in both formative and summative assessments. A comprehensive guide to feedback and to forms of feedback is available in the Guide to Assessment Standards, Marking and Feedback.

This can be found at https://www.york.ac.uk/students/studying/assessment-and-examination/guide-to-assessment/


The School of PET aims to provide some form of feedback on all formative and summative assessments that are carried out during the degree programme. In general, feedback on any written work/assignments undertaken will be sufficient so as to indicate the nature of the changes needed in order to improve the work. The School will endeavour to return all assessment feedback as per the University's Policy on Assessment Feedback Turnaround Time, however, it is possible that exceptional circumstances may delay feedback. The School will endeavour to keep such delays to a minimum. Please note that any marks released are subject to ratification by the Board of Examiners and Senate. Meetings at the start/end of each term provide you with an opportunity to discuss and reflect with your supervisor on your overall performance to date.

Indicative reading

  • Schwab, K. (2016) The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Geneva: World Economic Forum.

  • Allen, D. T. (2012). Sustainable engineering: concepts, design, and case studies.

  • Project Management Institute (2017) A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 6th edition, Pennsylvania: PMI.

  • Turner, J.R. (2014) The handbook of project-based management, 4th ed., London: McGrawHill.

  • Crane, D. & Matten, D. (2010). Business Ethics: Managing corporate Citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalisation, Oxford Univ. Press.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.