Industrial Project Management

Entry requirements

• To have at least 3 years of experience working in a project environment. To get the best out of this course you need to be able to relate your academic learning and research to the real-life of projects.
• If you are not currently working in a project-related environment, please ensure your personal statement discusses how you will be able to relate your studies to the real life of projects, and how you will network with other project professionals as part of your learning.
• On very rare occasions we will consider applicants with less experience or no current project position, but the applicant will need to make a strong case in their Personal Statement, and at any subsequent interview.
• Your references should be professional rather than academic, coming from someone who has worked with you - ideally in a project environment. We require at least one, ideally two. If you are a non-native English speaker, the reference should (where applicable) refer to how much you worked in English, and how well you did so.
• A good academic standard of education. A good first degree is ideal, though we will consider applicants without a degree where they can demonstrate work experience at a reasonable senior level.
• Applicants without a first degree, or with little work experience will be considered, but will be required to attend a video interview as part of their application process.

The University of Birmingham Masters in Industrial Project Management was originally developed in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline, and is accredited by the UK’s Chartered Association for Project Management (APM).

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

We teach working project leaders the skills to deliver reliable and efficient industrial projects and programmes. Going beyond today’s common practices, they develop the skills to assess and critique new and existing practices, as the foundation for a career in successful project leadership.

The strategic impact of industrial projects

Whether developing new products, expanding manufacturing capacity, or responding to a competitive threat, projects lie at the heart of business strategy in many industries.

Businesses need not only predictable outcomes, but also high levels of overall performance, innovation and creativity. But how do you achieve this? Project management is a complex endeavour. Despite well-defined bodies of knowledge, overall performance of projects is highly variable, suggesting there is more to project management than completing templates and delegating work.

This course uniquely prepares you for this world. Founded upon the core disciplines of project management, it will not only give you a thorough grounding in common practice, you will also develop the insight and skills needed to challenge these practices and critically evaluate new ideas. You will be stretched and challenged to master the art of strategic project delivery.

Course faculty and industry partners

The programme has been developed in collaboration between the University and industry experts. In addition to the University faculty, the programme has contributions from over 20 experienced project practitioners from our industrial partners, and we regularly add new presenters and contemporary content from around the world.

Why Birmingham?

Birmingham has been challenging and developing great minds for more than a century. With over 35,000 students and 7,000 staff, today we are one of the world’s leading universities.

Characterised by a tradition of innovation, research at the University has broken new ground, pushed forward the boundaries of knowledge and make an impact on people’s lives – a tradition that this programme proudly continues.

Programme delivery

The Masters is a three-year, part-time course, combining supported online learning with annual in-person hub workshops. Students study from their current home-base and the University does not support UK visa applications.

It has been designed for those with some project experience to develop and enhance their project management capabilities. The course was created, and is delivered, through a partnership between the University and industry.

Programme aims

The course is industry focused and covers both theory and application of project management principles, practices and tools. Leadership, team building and influencing skills, integral to successful complex project delivery, are also explored.

The key objectives of the course are:

• A systematic understanding of project management knowledge, and critical awareness of current challenges in an industrial context
• A comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to advanced study of project management
• Innovation in the application of project management knowledge, with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret information

Conceptual understanding of project management that enables students to critically evaluate current research and advance scholarship and evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them.

Information for international students

Standard English language requirements apply (IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band).

Fees and funding

Funding opportunities are available.