Project Management (with 12-month placement opportunity)

Entry requirements

An honours degree at 2:2 level or above in any subject (or International students holding a qualification recognised as equivalent by the University).

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

This postgraduate course is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to give you a competitive advantage in Project Management.

You will develop your expertise in areas such as entrepreneurship, project management, risk management, leadership and human resource management, all of which are important tools for a successful project manager. You will have the opportunity to work as a member of a project management team and be involved in developing a project plan that is presented to real clients for feedback and, potentially, deliver the plan for them as a live project.

You will be taught by senior academics who have wealth of professional experience and excellent links with industry. Their teaching is informed by insights from industry and the course content is both practical and relevant to real business life. You will also be offered an internship option to provide you with a flavour of the actual world of business.

Certificate in Strategic Management (a Chartered Management Institute qualification) optionally awarded upon successful completion of the programme, which will greatly impact your long term career aspirations. You will also have access to Associate Membership of the CMI.

Key features

• Scholarships and Discounts for international students, based on their grades
• Work-related curriculum that enhances the ability to adapt to complex situations
• Modules based on contemporary research, scholarship and cutting-edge thinking
• Opportunities to work with senior academics who have extensive experience in Project Management
• Cross-learning amongst students of diverse backgrounds and business practices from around the world
• The opportunity to gain access to local and national employers through the internship

The placement

You will have the opportunity to go on a work placement for 6 or 12 months. You are supported in finding placements and can apply for a vacancy as you would a job. There are dedicated sessions to support you in CV writing, interview skills and job applications as well as access to 1:1 tutorials. Most placements start on completion of the taught modules.

The placement will allow you to gain first-hand experience within a real business environment to enhance your future employability and are usually paid. Some students choose to base their research project on a business-related issue arising during the placement. This would give you access to research participants and primary data, and allow you to apply the theories and principles discussed on the programme to a real organisation.

While on placement, you will be supported by a dedicated placements team able to respond to any problems you may be having, an individual tutor who visits you twice while you are on placement and you will retain access to all the University facilities including e-resources. At the end of the placement, you are required to submit a placement portfolio containing your learning contract, a satisfactory employer appraisal, a case study and an end of placement presentation.

Teaching

You are taught through a combination of interactive workshops, lectures and seminars. Interactive workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures.

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least four occasions during the academic year. You will be allocated a supervisor for your dissertation who will assist you with the selection and planning of a suitable and manageable research topic.

An optional internship (up to 6 months in duration) is available to all students, taking place on completion of the taught modules. This internship will not be credit-rated but will allow the student to gain first-hand experience within a real business environment to enhance their future employability. Students may also choose to make use of this opportunity to base their Research Project on a business-related issue arising during the internship. There may be possibilities, with the employer’s permission, to gain access to research participants and primary data, and to apply their understanding of theories and principles discussed within their programme to a live organisational setting.

Careers

This course has been designed in a way that allows you to develop high-level knowledge and skills to pursue a career in Project Management. This is a growing area of interest and many people are becoming specialists in this field due to its importance in today’s globalised world and business landscape. The content of this course has been developed with reference to Association of Project Management (APM) in order to reflect current and best project management practices.

Project management (PM) skills are sought after in today’s job market. Fierce competition is driving companies towards innovative products and services, and successful project management is key for survival and growth. This course introduces you to various sources of information and methods of analysis for the purpose of business decision making in successfully managing projects. Furthermore, the course develops the critical thinking skills which are essential for boosting your employability prospects. In addition, the international nature of the candidates, the diversity of expertise and backgrounds together with the University's commitment to the sustainability agenda will all have a profound impact on your employability

Links with employers

The Business School works closely with a number of professional organisations including the Chartered Institute of Management, Institute of Commercial Management, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Institute of Financial Accountants, Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals, and British Computer Society.

Information for international students

Students whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate proficiency to a minimum level of 6.5 IELTS (and minimum of 5.5 in each element) or equivalent