Project Management MSc

Core modules

• Management Theory

  This module is designed to facilitate each student's development of their own individual knowledge base and approach to management. Its aim is to get students to develop their own particular approach to management by establishing a solid foundation of management knowledge and integrating this with their own values, experiences and goals, to provide the basis for a life-long development of their management skills. It is based on a thorough understanding of the theories and practice of management, reinforced by examples of best practice drawn from a wide range of organisations, together with an appreciation of the context and constraints that influence organisations and management. The module will consider the main activities of management from an integrating perspective, together with identifying and developing the qualities required for a successful manager, including leadership. Organisations form the focus of management, consequently the module will develop a sound understanding of the functions, forms, operation and behaviour of organisations in a variety of contexts and situations, together with an appreciation of how all aspects of management are integrated in the management of organisations. Students will examine and critically evaluate examples of good management and bad management, with regard to developing workable solutions that can be applied to management situations and to facilitate the application of management principles and practice to their own field of work.

• Management Practice

  This module recognises the importance of people to the success of organisations and that organisational performance is largely dependent on the performance of its human resources, which in turn is determined by the quality and effectiveness of their management. This module is designed to enable each student to develop their own individual knowledge base and approach to effectively manage human resources, by establishing a solid foundation of human resource management knowledge and integrating this with your own values, experiences and goals to provide the basis for the life-long development of management skills. It is based on a thorough understanding of the theories, principles and practice of human resource management together with critical evaluation of examples of human resource management from a wide variety of situations. The module emphasises the development of the personal skills and traits required to successfully manage human resources, together with effective knowledge management to maximise their success in a knowledge-based economy.

• Project Management Context

  This module provides a sound understanding of the context for project management and how projects relate to organisations and the larger organisational environment. It enables you to develop an appreciation of the history and development of project management, together with a critical consideration of contemporary project management from examples of its application in a wide range of organisations and industries. You will address the definition of a project, critically analyses the advantages and disadvantages of project management, together with an examination of examples of project application to a variety of situations. Your understanding of the structure of projects through the project life cycle will be developed, together with an analysis of the constituent activities that are undertaken during project performance.

• Project Planning and Control

  This module is designed to enable you to develop a systematic understanding of the principles, practices and systems used to plan and control projects. It is designed to provide a critical insight into the use of integrated planning and programming software programs when used together with Project Management Information Systems (PMIS) to provide effective management of all aspects of a project, including resources, time and cost. We will encourage you to develop a proactive approach to the planning and management of projects, with the integrated project management programme providing the key management tool and source of useable management information.

• Project Management Systems

  This module establishes the framework for the management of projects and develops a comprehensive understanding of the role and functions of the project manager throughout the project life-cycle, from inception to completion, together with the diverse range of resources and activities that the project manager must plan, co-ordinate and control to achieve a successful project.

• Cost and Financial Management

  Develop an understanding of the financial, commercial and cost aspects of project management. We will explore the business and commercial environment in which projects exist, critically evaluating the factors that influence the strategic and financial rationale for them. You will gain an understanding of how the business case for projects is developed, established and evaluated, together with the processes involved, supported by an understanding of financial and accounting protocols and practices. You will also develop an appreciation of various sources of funding and financial arrangements for projects and project portfolios.

• Project Management Techniques

  You will develop a systematic understanding of a range of operations management techniques that are applicable to projects, enabling you to critically evaluate the project needs and to select and apply appropriate techniques to address these. With the demand for continuous improvement, production systems such as lean and agile will be considered alongside a range of other work study and other performance improvement techniques. You will develop a thorough understanding of the concepts of risk and risk management to identify and manage project risks throughout the project life cycle. Teaching will enable you to critically analyse and evaluate risks and determine their influence on the evolution, design, technology, management and financial aspects of a project.

• Research Design and Methods

  Gain an in-depth understanding of the theories and methods of research and research design and develop a theoretical and practical foundation in research for your major project/dissertation. You will get an understanding of a range of approaches to research, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, together with an understanding of a number of specific research methods. You will develop your knowledge of research design in order to critically consider the design for your research project, including preparing your proposal and considering ethics and ethical issues. You will develop a theoretical and practical foundation from which to develop your Masters Level Major Project/Dissertation.

• Masters Project

  You'll chose an independent research topic from an area of expertise within our department (subject to availability of suitable supervision) and will conduct a significant research project in that area which may involve a literature review, data collection, analysis and a write-up. The final piece of work should be equivalent to a maximum of 12,000 words.