This course is designed to develop a practical understanding of project investment analysis beyond the basic undergraduate level. The course involves the financial analysis of prospective alternatives with a focus on decision analysis, including methods of comparison as well as the effects of taxes, inflation, uncertainty, estimated parameters, and multi-attribute factors.

Capital Investment Analysis for Engineering and Management, 3rd Edition; Canada, Sullivan, Kulonda, and White, Prentice-Hall, 2005, ISBN-10: 013143408X, ISBN-13: 9780131434080

Course Description: This course is designed to develop a practical understanding of project investment analysis beyond the basic undergraduate level. The course involves the financial analysis of prospective alternatives with a focus on decision analysis, including methods of comparison as well as the effects of taxes, inflation, uncertainty, estimated parameters, and multi-attribute factors.

Course Requirements:
Homework: Assigned on a daily basis
Examinations:     Take Home (1), Midterm (1), End of the Semester (1)
Project:     Due at the end of the semester
Computer:  Must have access to MicroSoft Word and Excel

Course Outline by Topical Area:
Time Value of Money, Discounted Cash Flow Analysis & Cost Concepts
Economic Measures of Merit and Methods of Alternative Comparison
Engineering Cost Parameter Estimation Techniques
Capital Planning and Budgeting, Math Programming
Risk and Uncertainty, and Sensitivity
Decision Trees, Simulation and Statistical Methods
Activity Based Costing versus Traditional Overhead Cost Allocation
Multi-Attribute Decision Analysis Models

NCSU has recommended minimum specifications for computers used for classes. Depending on your computer needs, we recommend your computer meet or exceed the following minimum specifications below.

PCs must have an Intel-compatible 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB hard drive with 1 GB free space available, 256 Color Display, CD-ROM drive, 1024x768 (min.) video adapter, sound card, and speakers. The operating system should be Windows XP Pro. Real One Player Basic (available free online) and high speed Internet connection such as cable, DSL, T1 or LAN will be required for EOL courses.

MAC users must have a G4 processor with firewire and USB factory built-in, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB with 1GB free space available, 256 Color Display, CD-ROM drive, 1024x768 (min) video adapter, sound card, and speakers. The operating system must be MacOS 10.4 (minimum) along with the above RealOne and Internet specifications above.

For more detailed information on computer specifications and recommendations, please refer to our website at: http://engineeringonline.ncsu.edu/currentstudents/computeraccess.htm

Dr. Jerome P. Lavelle, Interim Associate Dean
Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Page Hall 118D, Box 7904
NCSU Campus
Raleigh, NC 27695

Phone: 919-515-3263
Fax: 919-515-8702
EMail: jerome_lavelle@ncsu.edu