BSc (Hons) Project Management

The rapid growth of project management in every sector of global industry means there are now pan-sector theories and standards in place to achieve innovation, change, and business success. On our APM-accredited BSc (Hons) Project Management course, you’ll learn these tools and techniques directly from our team of experienced project management professionals. 

Project management is used in sectors including engineering, technology, education, healthcare, events management, community and environmental programmes, as well as tourism and many more creative and service industries. This means your degree in project management from Arden will provide you with the skills and knowledge to enter the industry of your choice, with the ability to make an immediate impact on the design, deployment, and success of a wide range of projects. On the course you’ll study contemporary subjects and themes which will demonstrate to employers that you possess broad knowledge in the latest project management concepts. And, as modern projects are becoming increasingly dynamic and challenging, your studies will have a digital-first focus, giving you the knowledge and critical understanding of business solutions to deliver real impact in the workplace.

The hard truth in the project management sector is, only 22% of projects fully meet their original objectives according to a recent Association of Project Management survey. Conversely, in the same study, 87% of businesses rated competent project teams as being critical to success. This means there is an enormous skills gap in the project management sector currently, which your degree studies, guided by our dedicated team at Arden’s School of Project Management, will help you fill. 

This degree is accredited by the Association of Project Management (APM), which tells employers that your knowledge meets latest standards of the project management industry, helping to enhance your future career options.

What makes Arden University special?

• Education for everyone, everywhere-Whether you're constrained by location, cost, time, or other life commitments, we're passionate about giving you access to higher education that fits into your busy, modern life.
• You decide how and where to study-We offer a wide range of flexible undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in both our online and blended study modes.
• Full support both online and on-site-We're also proud to offer non-standard entry, meaning your work experience and previous qualifications are taken into account when assessing your application.
• Strong focus on employability-You will gain in-depth subject knowledge and transferable skills that employers from a huge range of industries will value. Many of our courses at Arden are also accredited by leading professional bodies in the UK.

Course details and modules

• Because of our extensive industry links in project management, including with member organisations of the UK’s NOVUS Trust network, we’re able to present you with real business problems during your degree. This will allow you to develop a thorough and in-depth understanding of the industry and the real-world challenges you’ll face in your future career. Importantly, you’ll find that the course takes a systematic view to developing your knowledge in project management, with each module building on the skills gained in the previous one, and with interconnected content that helps you accumulate new abilities in a logical sequence.

Modules

You have 3-9 years to complete this course, which means you can take up to 3 years to complete each level. Most of our students, however, aim to complete the course within 3 to 6 years.

• Level 4
• Level 5
• Level 6

Assessments

• Unlike on more traditional degree courses, you won’t be sitting any exams on this course. Assessments on our bachelor’s in project management have been designed to help you apply your learning to real-world scenarios. This means you’ll have the opportunity to align your studies to how you’ll help transform your future employer’s project management functions once you have completed the course. 

Industry led assessment

• You’ll have the opportunity to apply knowledge and theories explored in the modules and produce assessments that focus on real business situations, such as implementation of a live case study, a project plan, or building project strategies to demonstrate the high levels of practical, critical, and diagnostic thinking skills. 

Final Project

• The BSc (Hons) Project Management concludes with an independent study assessment which forms your Final Project module. Here you’ll have the opportunity to work on a live topic provided by one of Arden University’s industry network partners – presenting your findings and solutions to a project management scenario to a real-world organisation. This will give you highly advantageous networking opportunities alongside assessment, as you’ll be able to demonstrate your skills and knowledge to potential employers even before you graduate. 

PMQ Qualification and Chartered Project Professional (CHPP) status

• Your degree aligns with the internationally recognised PMQ Qualification, so you'll learn everything needed for this certification and be well-prepared to pursue it independently.
• Additionally, the School of Project Management has achieved APM Recognised Assessments for the Chartered Project Professional (CHPP) status. This means that after passing the CHPP assessments, you'll be eligible to apply for CHPP status. This distinction makes your degree from Arden University unique, as no other university worldwide currently offers this prestigious CHPP alignment within an undergraduate programme.

Other assessment methods

Throughout the course you’ll have the opportunity to apply your learning through additional assessments including:

• Reflective analyses
• Portfolio development
• Work products
• Narrated presentations
• Risk assessments
• Proposals for agile implementation
• Case study reports (which can be based on real company data to examine real world problems that a company is struggling with right now - contextualise your knowledge into the real world).

Career prospects

• Project management expertise is required in nearly every business and in every sector, so your future career opportunities are almost limitless. Accredited by the Association of Project Management (APM), this degree will give you the skills you need to demonstrate project management expertise, greatly enhancing your current and future career options. You'll also be able to create valuable industry networks whilst studying this course, helped by the strong industry connections of our staff members here at Arden's School of Project Management. Wherever you want to take your career next, your project management degree will provide you with the tools to achieve your ambitions to the fullest.

What will the BSc (Hons) Project Management do for me?

• Our undergraduate course in project management has been carefully designed with your employability in mind, and specifically addresses skills gaps in the industry that have been identified by the APM and other leading organisations. You’ll learn the skills required to be an efficient, knowledgeable, and digitally savvy project manager. And, because the course focuses on the practical application of skills in the real world, you’ll graduate with the confidence to demonstrate your value to employers from your first day on the job. 

Some key learning outcomes from your studies will include:

• Gaining project management knowledge as a widespread, pan-sector professional discipline
• Appreciation traditional, iterative (agile), and hybrid approaches to delivering successful projects 
• Acquiring high-level strategy, people, and leadership capabilities 
• Understanding the latest software and big data to become an expert in digital project management skills
• Gaining a critical and detailed analysis of the theory and practice relating to the role of project management within organisations.
• Completing a detailed piece of research relating to a project management issue.  
• Exploring sustainability and business ethics
• Applying knowledge of project management theory and models to complex issues, both systematically and creatively, to improve business and management practice
• Developing a variety of transferable skills suited to an extensive range of project management roles

What can I do after Arden University?

• You’ll find project management employment opportunities within both public and private sectors across industries such as engineering, construction, IT, events management, healthcare, retail, and transport, as well as in the charity sector, government projects, the creative industries, and many more. 
• Today, organisations use project management as a way to improve and change business operations to become more efficient and effective. Successful project management is also about managing interdisciplinary teams within diverse organisational structures and across organisations. Having graduated with a complete view of all the stakeholders in any given project management situation and how success is measured, domestic and global organisations alike will appreciate and value your skills and employability assets. Wherever you want to take your career next, this course gives you the knowledge to achieve your ambitions to the fullest. 

With that in mind, some future roles you might want to consider include: 

• Project assistant or co-ordinator
• Project manager or project leader
• Implementation or change manager
• Project management consultant
• Programme or portfolio manager
• Technical project manager
• Technical project lead
• Business project lead
• Project planner or risk analyst

You can also continue your studies at postgraduate level (e.g. with Arden’s MSc Project Management course), set up your own businesses, or develop into highly lucrative project management consultancy roles.