Project Management (MSc)

The globalisation of the business world, coupled with heightened competition, increasing customer expectations and rapid technological advances, has fuelled the demand for projects of all types across almost every industry.

Organisations are looking for professional project managers with the knowledge, skills and expertise to drive forward new ways of working and implement change successfully.

Address a range of complex project management issuesEquip you to lead projects across different geographical boundariesAims to prepare you to become a successful leader in the field of project management.

Why you should study this course

• Build upon your existing knowledge of business and management to take on more of a project leadership role.We aim to provide you with a solid understanding of the strategic value of project management to businesses, focusing not only on the skills required to manage projects effectively, but also the wider application of how projects deliver strategic change and how they interface with different disciplines in organisations.Holds academic accreditation from the Association for Project Management, the chartered body for the project management profession1.Aligned with the APM Body of Knowledge which is a highly recognised set of project management guidelines used by many companies across UK and Europe.You should obtain the skills and knowledge to achieve a PRINCE2 foundation certificate in project management, subject to passing the required exam, should you wish to take it. (subject to availability and application, and fees apply to undertake PRINCE2 qualifications).

What you'll study

• During the course, through a variety of mandatory modules, we will not only examine the methodologies of project management, but also the impact of contextual and strategic influences on the management of projects, including investment analysis, governance, risk management, culture and ethical matters, and environmental concerns. We will study contemporary practices, such as sustainability and responsible management, with the aim of developing your appreciation of ethical project governance and its role in delivering successful projects in a repeatable way.

Modules

• Business Process Integration - 15 credits
• Project Management in Practice - 15 credits
• Strategic Portfolio and Programme Management - 15 credits
• Project Organisation and Culture - 15 credits
• Risk Management - 15 credits
• International Leadership and Management - 15 credits
• Project Management Methodologies - 15 credits
• Project Governance and Responsible Management - 15 credits
• Professional Management Development – Creativity, Change and Innovation - 10 credits
• Postgraduate Business Project - 50 credits

The teaching on this course uses a wide range of technologies designed to enhance your digital fluency, including Microsoft Project, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, social media, interactive quizzes and databases used to identify and analyse different data sources. Methods can include:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Face-to-face teaching
• Online classes and tutorials
• Case studies
• Field trips and industry visits2 at home or abroad
• Work on projects using real-life business scenarios and simulation

This course can be offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Request further information about part-time study.

Teaching contact hours

• We set out below the typical teaching contact hours that you will receive on this course. In addition to the contact hours below, we offer the opportunity to attend additional optional sessions, such as guest lectures (subject to availability), or to meet with staff during their advice and feedback hours.
• Within your first and second semester, you should have around 13 contact hours of teaching a week. The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.
• A strong emphasis is placed on the Postgraduate Business Project module in your final semester and therefore total teaching contact hours may be reduced.
• In addition, you will be expected to undertake roughly 12 hours of self-directed studying and revising in your own time each week, including some guided study using handouts, online activities etc.
• As an innovative and enterprising institution, the University may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
• Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.

Assessment
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods include:

• Postgraduate Business Project
• Reports
• Presentations
• Formal examinations
• Practical Coursework
• Face tests

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International experience opportunities

• Coventry Business School organises a number of national and international field visits, which have previously included trips to Paris, Brussels, South Korea, India, and New York, to mention but a few, to visit such institutions as UNESCO and other multinational enterprises to tour their facilities and learn about their operations (subject to availability, additional costs, and meeting relevant visa requirements)2.
• You will also have the chance to collaborate with students from other international universities on online international learning projects. We use international case studies and examples throughout the programme; you will have the opportunity to learn direct from international business leaders from across the world, who are invited as guest lecturers on modules to share their knowledge and experience (subject to availability).

Careers and opportunities
On successful completion, you will be able to:

• Understand and critically evaluate the role of project management in different organisations at a strategic level in an evolving global environment.
• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the current concepts, principles and methodologies available in planning and managing a wide variety of projects from a global perspective.
• Critically analyse a range of different issues and challenges in the implementation and management of projects, to include people, processes and culture, developing reasoned recommendations and solutions.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders involved in a variety of international projects to include developing written plans, reports and delivering professional oral presentations.
• Develop transferable professional and practical skills that will demonstrate a responsible, ethical and sustainable approach to managing projects both individually and as part of a team.
• Systematically analyse and critically evaluate sources of data and information to synthesise business research.

The course aims to help prepare you for a variety of project management career options, upon successful completion, by exploring how to be an effective leader in the field of project management, and how to address the complex issues currently facing project managers in a variety of organisational settings, whether in the public, private or voluntary sector. We recognise the importance of preparing students for the working environment and have invested heavily in providing the support and opportunities for our students to help to enhance their graduate employment prospects.