BSc (Hons) Project Management (Top-up)

The BSc (Hons) Project Management (Top-up) is a one-year programme that consolidates and further develops students’ knowledge, skills and experience of the project, programme and portfolio environment.

As a student on this programme, you will enhance your knowledge of the governance, management and control of projects, exploring topics such as risk and management and project leadership.

Course Overview

• Delivered over one-year full time, the programme will allow you to enhance your knowledge of the project environment and equip you with the skills to become practising project professionals.
• Accredited by the Association of Project Management (APM) and aligned to their 7th Body of Knowledge, you will study the place of projects within the broader context of programmes and portfolios and the governance structures that facilitate project delivery. You will also look at the tools and techniques for managing and controlling projects, exploring the processes for identifying and responding to risks and opportunities, and using models and theories of leadership to create collaborative and high-performing project teams.
• Students will apply their learning to the completion of a dissertation or case study analysis project.

On this course you will...

• Differentiate the role of projects, programmes, portfolios and how they relate to business-as-usual activities.
• Define and model appropriate project governance structures for a project.
• Understand the difference between project management and project leadership and model behaviours applicable to the situation at hand.

What you will learn

• As a student on this course, you will study four 20-credit taught modules and complete a 40-credit dissertation.
• This programme provides an ideal progression route for applicants who have previously completed a Foundation Degree or a Higher National Diploma who now want to gain a full undergraduate award in Project Management.

Year one
Project Management Fundamentals

• Develop your knowledge and understanding of the core principles of project management. This module will provide a solid foundation for the remainder of the programme. The content is aligned with the current version of the Association for Project Management Body of Knowledge.
• Project. Programme and Portfolio Management
• Develop your ability to critically evaluate organisational approaches to the formation, management and control of programs and portfolios and their relationship and interdependencies with projects.
• Management and Control of Projects
• Develop your understanding of different methods for managing activities and measuring and reporting progress on projects. This module also explores various ‘life-cycle’ approaches to setting up and delivering projects.
• People and Projects
• Develop your ability to identify, evaluate and apply leadership styles, taking into account aspects such as teams, project complexity, roles, organisational structure and internal and external stakeholders.
• Dissertation / Project Case Study Analysis
• Initiate, plan, research, sustain and evaluate an extended piece of independent intellectual work.

How you will learn

• This programme has been designed with employers in mind and the majority of students on the course will be working in a project-related role. Students who are not currently working will get the benefit of studying alongside practising project professionals as well as having the flexibility in their weekly calendar to seek employment or to fully dedicate their time to their studies.
• To enable employed people to study the course successfully alongside their jobs, the delivery of lectures and learning material is typically scheduled in a day-release model, with a single day of intensive engagement each week supported with additional learning materials. Delivery is online, part of the study day each week is live with a tutor and part of the day is guided independent study (individual and group work). As the course is delivered online a stable connection to the Internet is required as well as access to a reasonably up to date laptop or computer. Being online means that geography need not be a barrier to studying and as a student you are able to study from anywhere that has a stable connection to the internet, be that home, work, a café or outside via a mobile phone hotspot. This programme uses an extended academic year to enable the taught modules and dissertation to be completed on a 1-day per week study basis, delivery typically begins at the end of September and your final dissertation is submitted at the end of the following July.
• Our online learning sessions are delivered live by our expert tutors, and you are encouraged to contribute your thoughts, knowledge and experience to all the information that is being presented. Interaction continues after the scheduled live sessions with tools embedded into Blackboard, our Virtual learning Environment.  Between taught sessions you can upload your work, observations and critical reflections to an online journal which your tutor can then read and provide feedback on, allowing you to progress at your own pace and pull out and focus on the aspects of learning that are most appropriate for your context and situation.  Additional discussions can also take place with the teaching team utilising online tools such as Blackboard Collaborate or MS Teams. 
• Where possible, students will be able to supplement their learning with scheduled face-to-face sessions on campus using our blended delivery model, maximising opportunities for networking and collaboration. These sessions will be limited in number in order to accommodate and make most effective use of any travel and accommodation requirements. If you are unable to physically attend any such sessions that have been scheduled on campus then you won’t be disadvantaged as all of our learning materials are available via our online platforms.
• As a student on this programme, you will have access to a vast range of informative and interactive online resources as well as full use of the facilities at our University campuses. Our library resources are all accessible online and we have thousands of electronic books that are relevant to your studies as well as access to an incredible range of peer-reviewed journals and professional publications.

How you will be assessed

• The programme uses a variety of assessment methods including written assignments, presentations and examinations. Each module involves one or two pieces of assessment.  Further details can be found in the programme specification.