Project Management Practice MSc

About the course

Come along to one of our Open Days in either Hertfordshire or London, on one of the following dates:

Hertfordshire

• Monday 30 September 2013
• Tuesday 5 November 2013
• Tuesday 4 February 2014
• Tuesday 8 April 2014

London

• Tuesday 30 July 2013
• Tuesday 1 October 2013
• Tuesday 15 April 2014

Please reigster your attendance for the Hertfordshire dates or London dates

Become a better project manager - improve your skills and gain a deeper understanding of project management and leadership practice.

This innovative, practice-focused programme concentrates on building skills which can immediately be applied in the workplace, and helps you understand and utilise your personal strengths and capabilities.

Suitable for experienced managers who are new to project management, or practitioners who have had some project management experience and are planning to move into a leadership role. The programme is particularly relevant to project managers with professional qualifications which no longer reflect the breadth of their cross-functional project management responsibilities.

The programme develops your project management knowledge, leadership capabilities, and practical skills. You will learn the principles of project management, study the theory and practice of leadership, and gain the skills and competencies required to continue your personal development in increasingly demanding contexts. You will then further develop your individual research skills and capabilities, and complete a final dissertation which has direct relevance to your own project work.

You can study the programme on campus, or in the prestigious surroundings of the London Chamber of Commerce in central London (different fee scales apply).

The related Project Management Practice PgCert, which contains modules 1 and 2 of the MSc, can be studied independently. It is specifically designed for anyone with an interest in how projects are managed and can also be taken as a bridge to further learning at postgraduate level. Graduates of the PgCert may proceed to the full MSc, carrying forward their accumulated credits.

For more information on any aspect of this Project Management Practice programme, please contact the National Centre for Project Management directly on 01707 284855 or ncpm@herts.ac.uk

Why choose this course?

• Designed for working professionals
• Focuses on your working practice
• Integrates theory with practice
• Uses an innovative trans-disciplinary approach
• Identifies and develops individual strengths
• Reflective learning develops individual potential and skills
• Group ethos encourages sharing of learning and experience
• Use of work-based learning – coursework is focused around real-life project work
• Skills and techniques learned can be immediately applied in a work context
• Leading-edge expertise of internationally renowned academics and project management practitioners
• Study on campus or in central London

For more information on any aspect of this programme, please contact the National Centre for Project Management directly on 01707 289399 or ncpm@herts.ac.uk.

Study routes

• Part Time,
• Part Time, 2 Years

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Careers

The programme is designed for practitioners interested in deepening and widening their competence, expertise and professional practice. Students are likely to be undertaking this programme for personal and professional development and as a basis for career progression. Students come from a variety of backgrounds and environments and throughout the course will gain exposure to new perspectives, approaches, frameworks and ideas.

Teaching methods

The Project Management Practice programme combines elements of work-based learning and professional practice,It is designed in block release format combined with additional work and assessment devised to enable students in full-time employment to complete the course. Modules are delivered sequentially. The programmes utilise two days per month classroom-based teaching and group interaction with work-based learning and reflection between sessions. Each module involves three sets of monthly contact days. There are no exams.

Students study five modules in sequence. Each module builds on the learning from the previous one.

Module 1: Managing Projects

The first module consolidates your existing project management skills and gives you an introduction to the core principles of project management, including quality, time, cost, benefits and risks. It also provides an opportunity for reflection upon the dynamics and effectiveness of working in groups. You will define and analyse your individual learning styles and strengths and learn how to utilise these in a business environment.

Topics include:

• Project organisations and structures
• Process and lifecycles
• Planning, monitoring and controlling
• Risk and opportunity management

Module 2: Leading Projects

This module covers the role of effective leadership in delivering successful project outcomes. You will study project leadership within the context of existing theories, and focus on how these theories are applied in actual situations. You will continue to build on your strengths analysis work and learn to correlate theoretical insights with practice and critically analyse your own leadership performance.

Topics include:

• Leadership analysis
• Project leader responsibilities and project lifecycle
• Focusing on people
• Skills: Negotiation, decision-making, motivation, problem-solving, delegation, conflict managment.
• Project teams

Module 3: Managing Professional Development

This module focuses on you as an individual manager and the improvement of your capabilities and skills through continuous professional development and lifelong learning. You will synthesise your strengths, interests and issues into an individual learning plan, and identify a new area for personal development, and the key resources required.

Topics include:

• Success in projects
• Adapability and agile project managment
• Performance measurement
• Improving capability
• Ethics and professionalism
• Lifelong learning

Module 4: Project Enquiry

This module will enable you to develop reflective practitioner skills and explore perspectives, viewpoints, contexts and boundaries, establishing your own learning position and critical stance. The learning activities will help you to refine your own research methods, materials and understanding of perspective, in preparation for your dissertation.

Topics covered:

• Research methods
• The worker-researcher
• Research approaches in project management
• Developing your research proposal

Module 5: Dissertation

In the final module you will produce a substantial dissertation which focuses around an area of interest or a business need within your work practice.

You will:

• Develop individual knowledge and skills in a range of business functions
• Apply knowledge to a practical area at work
• Research a real problem or area of interest in your everyday practice
• Develop solutions to real-life problems

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

• Leading Projects

  • Project Leadership• Project Spirit and Culture• Focusing on People• Project Leadership Skills:o Decision-makingo Negotiationo Managing Conflicto Motivationo Problem-solvingo Delegationo Resistance to Changeo Building Networks and Trust• Project Leader Responsibilities and Project Lifecycle• Projects Teams• Learning to Learn Leadership• Project Implementation Profile (PIP)

• Managing Professional Development

  • Success in projects• Performance measurement• Improving your capability• Agile project management• The art of adaptability• Identifying a contribution• The halo effect• What great projects have in common• Ethics and professionalism• Life long learning and the development of a new areaSessions will include scheduled coaching.Groups will be given discussion tasks to develop ideas and broaden their perspectives.In addition each group will be tasked with relating to the main topics covered by devising a measurement strategy for projects.

• Managing Projects

  o The management of projectso Structuring work & activities into projectso Introducing the project teamo Fundamental PM concepts:o Scopingo Budgeting & Cost Estimatingo Planningo Resourcingo Qualityo Opportunity & Risko Project life cycleo Projects & successful outcomes

Optional

Fees & funding

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

View detailed information about tuition fees

Additional course costs

For delivery at our campus in Hatfield, Hertfordshire:

• PgCert Project Management Practice: £2,240 per person.
• MSc Project Management Practice: £3,350 per person per year*.

For delivery at the central London premises of the London Chamber of Commerce:

• PgCert Project Management Practice: £2,900 per person.
• MSc Project Management Practice: £4,350 per person per year*.

 
For delivery in company please contact us directly on 01707 28 4855 or ncpm@herts.ac.uk

*There may be a slight increase in the second year in line with inflation.

Please see our fees page for more details.

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

How to apply