---
title: "Defining your project scope"
course: "PMGT 170 · Get projects done on time"
unit: "Planning the work"
lesson: 8 of 38
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/get-projects-done-on-time/defining-your-project-scope
publisher: Maestro College
---

# Defining your project scope

Lesson 8 of 38 in **Get projects done on time** (PMGT 170), unit "Planning the work". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Distinguish in-scope from out-of-scope items for a given project, justifying each exclusion with a stakeholder need or project constraint
- Distinguish between scope (what the project produces) and requirements (what each deliverable must include to be considered complete)
- Produce a one-page scope statement with exactly 3 in-scope deliverables (each with 2 acceptance criteria defining 'done'), 2–3 explicit out-of-scope items, and 2–3 assumptions or constraints

## Teaching notes
Ask the student to open a new Canvas titled 'Scope Statement.' Cap the artifact at one page. The student writes a scope statement with exactly: 3 In-Scope Deliverables (each with exactly 2 acceptance criteria that define 'done'), 2–3 Out-of-Scope Items, and 2–3 Assumptions or Constraints. Require the student to justify each out-of-scope item with a stakeholder need or project constraint, referring back to the stakeholder register from Unit 1. Use the onboarding journey deliverable as the worked example for writing acceptance criteria, then have the student complete the remaining two on their own. Stop once all three deliverables are covered — do not keep adding items or padding sections.

Use the CrossTown Fitness scenario here - new member churn issue. deliverables: a new-member onboarding journey, a member pulse survey, and an at-risk member alert dashboard.

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 8 complete: Defining your project scope."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Breaking work into a WBS" (lesson 9 of 38), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/get-projects-done-on-time/breaking-work-into-a-wbs.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: Writing a project charter
Next lesson: Breaking work into a WBS