Project Management (Masters)

Program Overview

The MSc Project Management program at the University of Bedfordshire equips you with multidisciplinary project management skills, encompassing planning, resource management, and leadership. Through practical application and case studies, you'll develop the expertise to manage challenging projects in various industries, including engineering, construction, healthcare, and finance. The program is accredited by the Association for Project Management (APM) and offers flexible entry points throughout the year.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Effective project management is crucial for organizational success across all sectors. This flexible program equips you with a multidisciplinary professional skill set, encompassing planning and resource management, while enhancing your transferable skills in communication, teamwork, and leadership. The program provides a platform for you to develop advanced theoretical and practical skills necessary for successful performance at a senior management level. You will delve into the management of challenging projects, including those for global companies spanning international boundaries. The curriculum is developed in collaboration with professional bodies and leading specialists, ensuring your learning reflects current best practices.

Outline:

Modules:

• Project Management Practice: This unit delves into the practical aspects of project management, drawing upon research-based knowledge and scholarship from diverse project management practices.
It provides real-life experience through managing a real project, allowing you to critically assess various project management methodologies, theories, tools, and techniques. The unit aims to:
• Develop a systematic understanding of project management and its diverse applications across various contexts.
• Equip you with the necessary skills to bring projects to successful conclusions.
• Provide an understanding of the dilemmas and issues inherent in managing client projects.
• Address other contemporary project management issues.
• Risk and Procurement Management: This unit explores the theory and principles of Risk and Procurement Management, along with quality issues within Engineering and Project Management contexts.
The focus is on managing risks, procurement, and quality issues encountered within projects or operations, addressing the challenges of delivering projects and programs within agreed objectives. The unit aims to:
• Enable you to understand and analyze Risk and Quality Management using necessary tools and techniques to ensure successful engineering or project management.
• Enable you to understand and evaluate the distinct features of negotiation within contract and procurement management across various organizational settings.
• Performance Achievement Planning: This short course is designed to enhance employability and professional development for postgraduate students in the University of Bedfordshire Business School.
It aims to:
• Enhance students' professional, personal development, and communication skills.
• Support students in demonstrating how their masters-level experience has contributed to their professional profile.
• Support students in developing the necessary academic skills for successful completion of postgraduate research.
• Leading People in Creative Teams: This unit provides a rigorous framework for understanding people management and leadership, with a strong focus on the link between people management practices and organizational/project outcomes.
It highlights major contemporary issues in people management, encouraging engagement with key developments in theory and practice. The unit aims to:
• Develop vital skills to become an effective leader of people.
• Manage others fairly and effectively.
• Increase levels of engagement, commitment, motivation, and performance.
• Business Dissertation: This unit aims to:
• Integrate theory and practice to formulate a topic of interest, whether research-oriented or clinically relevant to the context of business.
• Conduct research on a chosen topic relevant to your field of study.
• Stimulate critical reflection on issues and identify aspects requiring further research.
• Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of other people's research to formulate your own study.
• Enhance skills in time management, research management, project organization, and decision-making.
• Apply and reflect on the practicalities of research, including access to sources and ethical considerations.
• Project and Operations Management: This unit explores the theory and principles of project management for a wide range of project types, considering the appropriate application of project management tools and techniques.
It also provides a fundamental understanding of operations management and how organizations should be managed in a global context. The unit aims to:
• Evaluate the principles and techniques associated with Project and Operations Management in both manufacturing and service industries within the private and public sectors.
• Evaluate the implications of taking a global perspective on project/operations management.
• Consider the significance of project management and the role of a project manager in modern businesses.
• Select and use appropriate project management tools and techniques to plan a project.

Assessment:

The program's assessment strategy includes:

• Individual Written Reports or Essays: These assess the ability to perform literature-informed research, review and evaluate relevant sources, and utilize appropriate methodologies to analyze and evaluate concepts.
They also foster academic integrity.
• Case Study Examination: Students apply their knowledge in the context of specific cases.
• Oral Presentation: Develops transferable skills.
• Reflective Report: Evaluates own work and that of peers.
• Dissertation/Professional Practice/Business Live Project: This capstone experience allows students to explore a research problem through three distinct approaches:
• Business Dissertation:
Focuses on research methodology and requires identifying a research question or problem, reviewing relevant literature, developing a sound methodology, analyzing findings, and making recommendations.
• Professional Practice: Emphasizes practical application and requires students to undertake a project in a professional setting, documenting their experience and reflecting on their learning.
• Business Live Project: Involves working on a real-world project with a client, applying project management principles and techniques to deliver a tangible outcome.

Teaching:

The program utilizes a variety of teaching methods, including:

• Lectures: Provide a foundation of knowledge and theoretical frameworks.
• Workshops: Offer practical application of concepts and skills development.
• Case Studies: Allow students to analyze real-world scenarios and apply their knowledge.
• Group Work: Encourages collaboration, teamwork, and communication skills.
• Guest Speakers: Provide insights from industry professionals and experts.

Careers:

Upon completion of this MSc program, you will possess the skills necessary for career opportunities in various industries and areas, including:

• Media
• Sport and Leisure
• Government
• Financial Services
• Construction
• Hospitality
• Engineering
• Electronics
• IT
• Telecoms
• Health Services

Other:

• The program is accredited by the Association for Project Management (APM) and aligns with the knowledge areas specified by the Project Management Institute.
• The program offers six entry points throughout the year, allowing students to start when it best suits them.
• Each taught unit is delivered in a six-week block.
• Students have access to valuable PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation and Practitioner training.
• The program emphasizes teamwork and collaboration, enhancing interpersonal and leadership skills.
• It explores international approaches to project management practice, including the Project Management Body of Knowledge developed by the Project Management Institute.
• The program incorporates sustainable business solutions into project management practices.
• Students can participate in APM events and guest lectures.
• The final project allows students to choose between a business dissertation or a business live project.