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Master’s in Planning Engineering, Cost Control and Contract Management

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in planning, cost control and contract management engineering. 12 modules covering project controls systems, advanced planning, cost estimation, cost control, integrated risk analysis, changes, contract management, FIDIC and NEC contracts, claims and delays, dispute resolution and digital controls, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Design integrated project controls systems.

02

Develop and audit schedules in line with best practice.

03

Estimate costs by AACE class with the appropriate contingency.

04

Control cost and schedule through earned value.

05

Quantify integrated cost and schedule risks.

06

Manage FIDIC and NEC4 contracts and their changes.

07

Analyse delays and prepare well-founded claims.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Project planners and schedulers.
  • Cost controllers.
  • Project controls managers.
  • Contract managers.
  • Claims specialists.
  • Construction experts and expert witnesses.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to move into infrastructure.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • ISO 21508:2018 (earned value management in project and programme management)
  • ISO 21511:2018 (work breakdown structures for project and programme management)
  • ISO 21502:2020 (guidance on project management)
  • AACE 18R-97 (cost estimate classification system)
  • AACE 29R-03 (forensic schedule analysis)
  • SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol (2017) (Society of Construction Law guidance on delay and disruption)
  • FIDIC Red Book 2017 (conditions of contract for construction)
  • NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract (collaborative engineering and construction contract)
  • Primavera P6
  • Safran Risk
  • Microsoft Power BI
  • Oracle Aconex
  • Hexagon EcoSys
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1The project controls function in the organisation
  2. 1.2Integration of scope, schedule and cost
  3. 1.3WBS, OBS and CBS structures
  4. 1.4Control account codes
  5. 1.5Integrated project baseline
  6. 1.6Monthly reporting cycle
  7. 1.7AACE TCM framework
  8. 1.8Roles of the planner and cost controller
  9. 1.9Tools in the controls ecosystem
  10. 1.10Case study: designing a controls system
  1. 2.1Schedule levels 1 to 5
  2. 2.2Network logic and relationship types
  3. 2.3Calendars, constraints and float
  4. 2.4Resource-loaded schedules
  5. 2.5DCMA 14-point best practices
  6. 2.6Review of contractors' schedules
  7. 2.7Planning of outages and shutdowns
  8. 2.8Railway planning in possession windows
  9. 2.9Periodic schedule updates
  10. 2.10Lab: DCMA audit of a schedule in P6
  1. 3.1Parametric and analogous estimating
  2. 3.2Detailed resource-based estimates
  3. 3.3AACE estimate classification
  4. 3.4Historical cost databases
  5. 3.5Location factors and escalation
  6. 3.6Indirect costs and overheads
  7. 3.7Deterministic and probabilistic contingency
  8. 3.8Independent estimate review
  9. 3.9Basis of estimate document
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: Class 3 estimate for a wastewater treatment plant
  1. 4.1Control budget by phase
  2. 4.2Commitments and incurred costs
  3. 4.3Earned value under ISO 21508
  4. 4.4CPI and SPI performance indices
  5. 4.5Estimate at completion (EAC)
  6. 4.6Cost trend analysis
  7. 4.7Management and release of contingencies
  8. 4.8Cash flow and invoicing
  9. 4.9Cost reporting to senior management
  10. 4.10Workshop: EVM analysis of a railway project
  1. 5.1Integrated cost and schedule risk
  2. 5.2Monte Carlo simulation in Safran Risk
  3. 5.3Distributions and correlations
  4. 5.4Discrete risks and uncertainty
  5. 5.5Tornado sensitivity analysis
  6. 5.6P50, P80 and P90 confidence levels
  7. 5.7Schedule contingency and its placement
  8. 5.8Price escalation risk
  9. 5.9Communicating risk results
  10. 5.10Lab: integrated cost and schedule analysis
  1. 6.1Formal change control procedure
  2. 6.2Variation orders and contract modifications
  3. 6.3Valuation of changes
  4. 6.4Early trend detection
  5. 6.5Change register and tracking
  6. 6.6Schedule impact of changes
  7. 6.7Change approval levels
  8. 6.8Hidden scope changes
  9. 6.9Cumulative effect of changes
  10. 6.10Case study: change register for a hospital
  1. 7.1Life cycle of contract management
  2. 7.2Interpretation of clauses and order of precedence of documents
  3. 7.3Contractual notices
  4. 7.4Time bars and conditions precedent
  5. 7.5Guarantees and retentions
  6. 7.6Payment and certification procedures
  7. 7.7Penalties and liquidated damages
  8. 7.8Suspension and termination of the contract
  9. 7.9Contractual obligations matrix
  10. 7.10Practical exercise: obligations matrix for a FIDIC contract
  1. 8.1FIDIC Red, Yellow and Silver Books
  2. 8.2Claims under FIDIC Clause 20
  3. 8.3Dispute avoidance/adjudication boards (DAAB)
  4. 8.4The role of the Engineer in FIDIC
  5. 8.5Main options of the NEC4 ECC
  6. 8.6Early warnings in NEC4
  7. 8.7Compensation events in NEC4
  8. 8.8The accepted programme and its revision
  9. 8.9Comparison between FIDIC and NEC4
  10. 8.10Workshop: compensation event in NEC4
  1. 9.1Types of construction claims
  2. 9.2Records and supporting documentation
  3. 9.3SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol
  4. 9.4Delay analysis methods
  5. 9.5Time impact analysis
  6. 9.6Windows analysis
  7. 9.7Concurrent delay and its apportionment
  8. 9.8Loss of productivity and disruption
  9. 9.9Quantum of claims
  10. 9.10Lab: time impact analysis in P6
  1. 10.1Structured negotiation of claims
  2. 10.2Mediation in construction
  3. 10.3Dispute resolution boards
  4. 10.4ICC international arbitration
  5. 10.5Litigation and court proceedings
  6. 10.6The role of the independent expert
  7. 10.7Drafting expert reports
  8. 10.8Costs and dispute strategy
  9. 10.9Dispute prevention through contract design
  10. 10.10Case study: expert report on a delay
  1. 11.1Integrated project controls platforms
  2. 11.2Dashboards with Power BI
  3. 11.3Integration of ERP and P6 data
  4. 11.4AI in cost and schedule forecasting
  5. 11.5Automation of monthly reports
  6. 11.6Cost control with 5D BIM
  7. 11.7Benchmarking of completed projects
  8. 11.8Project data governance
  9. 11.9Security of contractual information
  10. 11.10Practical exercise: controls dashboard in Power BI
  1. 12.1Selection of the project to be controlled
  2. 12.2Design of the controls system
  3. 12.3Audited level 3 schedule
  4. 12.4Estimate and control budget
  5. 12.5Integrated risk analysis
  6. 12.6Earned value monitoring
  7. 12.7Contract and change management
  8. 12.8Analysis of a claim
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. You work with Primavera P6, Safran Risk, Microsoft Power BI, Oracle Aconex and Hexagon EcoSys, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: schedule audits of real projects, earned value analysis with site data and forensic delay analysis. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: ISO 21508:2018, ISO 21511:2018, ISO 21502:2020, AACE 18R-97, AACE 29R-03, SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol (2017), FIDIC Red Book 2017, NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of ISO 21508, ISO 21511, AACE recommended practices and the SCL Protocol applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:Primavera P6, Safran Risk, Microsoft Power BI, Oracle Aconex and Hexagon EcoSys, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:A complete project controls system for a real project, from an audited level 3 schedule and control budget to integrated risk analysis, earned value and claim analysis, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Controls system design
Select the project and design its integrated project controls system.
Audited schedule
Build a level 3 schedule in Primavera P6 and audit it against DCMA criteria.
Estimate and risk
Prepare the estimate and control budget and run an integrated cost and schedule risk analysis.
Earned value and contracts
Monitor progress with earned value and manage changes under the contract.
Master's Thesis
Analyse a claim and integrate all controls deliverables into a final report, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Project plannerCost controllerProject controls managerContract managerClaims specialistConstruction expert witness
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with Primavera P6, Safran Risk, Microsoft Power BI, Oracle Aconex and Hexagon EcoSys, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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