MSc Project Management Programme Specification

Programme Summary

Project management, as a field, develops skills that are extremely transferable between industries. This programme provides an overview of the field, covering key methods and tools of project management across a range of functions operated by project specialists across a range of organisations.

The programme’s unique proposition to students is to use projects to transition and transform organisations, with three key elements: change, sustainability, and the “human” face of project management.

Change in organisations and their environments is unavoidable; the programme content assumes throughout that professional environments in project management will require skills to manage change and uncertainty. Change management is present in skills valued by employers and the key international organisations setting benchmarks: for example, UNESCO’s Competencies of Sustainability Leadership (2017) include change management skills such as the ability to understand and interpret multiple futures, to evaluate one’s actions, and the ability to reflect on one’s role in the local and global communities.

Sustainability is one of the University’s central values, and is present in every course on the programme as both a guiding principle and a practical requirement for students to address through class work, independent work, and assessments. The programme addresses sustainability through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including not only environmental and climate issues within the concept, but also matters such as decent work, innovation and industry, responsible production, and inequalities. The University also notes and embraces UNESCO’s Competencies for Sustainability Leadership (2017), including the ability to analyse complex systems, to assess the consequences of actions, and the ability to question prevailing norms and practices, and such competencies are embedded within all elements of this programme.

The “human” face of project management is connected to the need for human resilience and problem-solving which is explicit within the SDG-led approach. Various courses on the programme address matters such as workforce efficiency and well-being, as well as the trend for global and remote teams and the resulting challenges for managing them. The programme equips students for dealing with uncertainty and volatility and the importance of communication with all stakeholders, ensuring participatory and representative decision-making through robust and transparent project governance mechanisms.

Programme Integration

The programme is highly experiential, using small classes, active learning, and real-life cases for student development.

This field presents the chance to make a significant impact on organisations and society at large. For those passionate about bringing about meaningful change and showcasing skills in organisation and adaptability, a Master’s in Project Management opens a wide range of professional opportunities across a wide range of fields, including construction and engineering, retail, IT and software, and culture and the arts.

The programme addresses this breadth of opportunity in several ways. All courses are Project-specific, meaning that students will hone highly marketable skills and learn the use of specialist tools, methodologies, and practices which are directly marketable to key accrediting organisations in the field. Although courses are thematically organised, they do not operate in silos, and each is thoroughly infused with the core principles outlined above. Students are supported to understand connections between the thematic areas of project management, and encouraged toward interdisciplinary exploration of their own interests where relevant.

Full Time Programme Structure

September start

Semester One

LBUSI7239 Foundations of Project Management (15 credits)

LBUSI7242 Managing Project Scope (15 credits)

LBUSI7243 Project Finance and Procurement (15 credits)

LBUSI7246 Stakeholder Engagement and Communication (15 credits)

Semester Two

LBUSI7245 Project Scheduling and Resourcing (15 credits)

LBUSI7244 Project Risk Management (15 credits)

LBUSI7241 Managing Innovation Projects (15 credits)

LBUSI7240 Leadership for a Global and Dispersed Workforce (15 credits)

Semester Three

LBUSI7247 Final Project (Project Management) (60 credits)

January start

Semester One

LBUSI7239 Foundations of Project Management (15 credits)

LBUSI7241 Managing Innovation Projects (15 credits)

LBUSI7242 Managing Project Scope (15 credits)

LBUSI7240 Leadership for a Global and Dispersed Workforce (15 credits)

Semester Two

LBUSI7244 Project Risk Management (15 credits)

LBUSI7245 Project Scheduling and Resourcing (15 credits)

LBUSI7246 Stakeholder Engagement and Communication (15 credits)

LBUSI7243 Project Finance and Procurement (15 credits)

Semester Three

LBUSI7247 Final Project (Project Management) (60 credits)

Entrance Requirements

Entry requirements – our typical offer for postgraduate study is an upper second-class honours undergraduate degree (or the equivalent) in any academic subject. Each applicant will be assessed on an individual basis, including relevant professional experience where applicable. If English is not an applicant’s native language, they will need to demonstrate proficiency in English in order to study at the University. For a list of equivalencies, please check here.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Where a student wishes to apply for the recognition of prior learning on the basis of certificated or experiential learning, they should follow the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy. 

Aims of the Programme

The overall aims of the programme are to:

• Equip students with comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the tools, concepts, and methodologies of project management, regardless of their previous experience in the area.
• Prepare students to apply their theoretical and methodological knowledge to real-world problems, scenarios, and case studies, to design, plan and implement projects in a realistic environment, including considerations of sustainability (as defined by the Sustainable Development Goals).
• Enable students to manage ambiguous and potentially conflicting requirements from various stakeholders, make decisions and find solutions in complex environments, and communicate their thinking effectively to different audiences.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable, Employability and Professional Skills

For the exit awards see Appendix A.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Features of the teaching and learning environment:

• The University’s campus has state-of-the-art teaching rooms and independent and group study spaces.
• A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for each course with a syllabus and range of additional resources (e.g. readings, question prompts, tasks, assessment briefs, slides or handouts, discussion boards, and sample examination papers and examiners’ reports) to orientate and engage students in their studies.
• Northeastern University’s online library digital resources, and other online academic resources, such as JSTOR and the OED. Students are inducted on their use at the start of the programme, and wider digital literacy is reinforced and developed across their studies.
• Students can also apply for a reader’s card to use the British Library membership and apply for membership of any of the City of London libraries. Students at the University can apply for Senate House Library membership.
• As part of the wider teaching and learning environment, the University hosts a range of academic and social events in which students, faculty, alumni and interlocutors from outside the academy are brought together.

Teaching Methods

• Lectures
• Seminars or small-group classes
• Feedback on formative work
• Student presentations
• Online discussion forums
• Individual project supervisions (which support both written and oral communication skills)
• Independent study and research

At the University, we are committed to providing individual attention and guidance. Seminars include student interaction and dialogue. Faculty also hold regular ‘Office Hours’, which are opportunities for students to explore ideas, raise questions, or seek targeted guidance or verbal feedback on a one-to-one basis.

Assessment, as indicated below, is in a variety of modes: examinations (both open-book/in-tray style and closed-book), written assignments (reports) involving a range of required elements, oral presentations, and a final project with a viva-style presentation.

Learning Opportunities

The optional regular research seminars offer a lively and varied menu of talks and discussions involving both internal and invited speakers. Project Management students are invited and encouraged to attend these in all three semesters.

Students will also be encouraged to attend the broader programme of academic events and talks at the University.

Inclusive Teaching and Learning

The Business and Project Management faculty are deeply committed to widening participation in the field, both through outreach activities and through a teaching environment that is inclusive towards a variety of backgrounds and learning styles. Members of the faculty are engaged in the public dissemination of their discipline, working with schools and professional environments, engaging with the media, and publishing in accessible formats.

Faculty create inclusive learning environments in different ways, both within the classroom and through study materials. In Project Management, particularly the inclusion of different geographic locations and cultural practices is important, and faculty use a wide range of case studies from different locations and types of organisations. The assessments on this programme are varied, giving students with different learning styles and preferences the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in different ways.

The student body at the University is especially important to the faculty’s ability to give individualised attention to students, and thus to be inclusive towards a variety of backgrounds and learning styles.

The University is able to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities. Student Support and Development (SSD) are able to put into place individual Learning Support Plans, which set out what additional support and reasonable adjustments can be provided based on an assessment a disabled student’s needs. Applicants with a disability are encouraged to contact SSD as early as possible to discuss their support needs and the adjustments and support available at the University.

The University provides mandatory training in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for all staff and students. This is an important part of our support for a diverse and inclusive experience for all members of our organisation across teaching, research and all of our University processes, procedures and life.

Research-Led Practice-Driven Teaching

All members of the Business and Project Management faculty have been chosen on the basis of their scholarly activity, as well as their talents in teaching, and are encouraged to remain active in their field and given an individual annual scholarship budget. The teaching has been developed and allocated on the basis of professional and research interests and expertise. The faculty is committed to supporting a lively, open, and interactive teaching environment, in which scholarship and teaching are mutually complementary.

Experiential Learning

The University is a global, experiential, research university built on a tradition of engagement with the wider world. Experiential learning is integral to our teaching and learning. The University offers a wide range of experiential learning opportunities. Some are integrated into the classroom (curricular), some are designed to complement classroom learning (co-curricular), and some are independent of any course (extra-curricular). Because it is grounded in real-world experience, experiential learning can also take place outside of the university.

Building on the Start-up Hub at the University, students would be encouraged to get involved by joining relevant societies. The University utilises the thriving start-up ecosystem across London bringing together corporates, high profile guest speakers and insights from successful founders.

Furthermore, the Business and Project Management faculty integrate impact challenges into teaching and learning. They allow students to develop a creative, evidence-informed, solution to a complex real-world challenge, typically over multiple weeks. The challenges allow students to engage with a problem that matters to them, that speaks to their interests and values, and that also develops their knowledge and skills in a real-world context. Regular reflective assignments and faculty, practitioner, or peer feedback will help support students throughout the challenge.

Assessment

Assessment Methods

• Examination (both open-book / in-tray style, and closed-book)
• Written Assignment (reports)
• Portfolio
• Project / dissertation
• Presentation / viva voce

Appendix C is the programme structure and assessment summary.

Assessment Regulations

The University’s Assessment Regulations can be found here.

Student Support

Students are strongly encouraged to inform the University of any medical conditions, disabilities, specific learning difficulties (SpLD) or neurological differences as soon as is practical. Students will be asked to submit supporting documentation from a doctor, clinical or educational psychologist detailing the nature of their disability and the impact it is likely to have on their studies in order to help us put in place appropriate support and accommodations. More information can be found in the Student Disability Policy here. This data is managed and securely stored by Student Support and Development (SSD).

During Welcome Week, a number of talks and events are held which are designed to support and inform students with regard to mental health, disabilities, safety and learning support.

SSD meet with students as soon as possible, and preferably before the start of the academic year, to discuss their needs and draft a Learning Support Plan (LSP) which outlines the support to be provided both within the University (if appropriate) and externally. If requested by the student, the SDD will then arrange to inform relevant faculty of the student’s needs and any reasonable adjustments required.

If a student is undiagnosed but believes they may have a SpLDS (e.g. Dyslexia) the SDD will help them to access diagnostic services.  If the assessment confirms a SpLDS, the SDD will work the student in preparing a LSP and will provide advice about accessing additional funding and support through the Disabled Students Allowance, where a student may be eligible.

For more information, please click here.

Employability Skills

• Project Management teaching uses real or realistic scenarios in teaching throughout, to ensure that students become familiar with a wide array of potential situations, similar to those they are likely to encounter in a professional setting.
• The programme places a priority on including both change management and the promotion of sustainability in a range of courses, preparing students for environments where these attitudes and skills are in demand.
• Project Management, by definition, involves the careful reconciliation of various constraints, in fast-moving environments and with limited resources. In classes and on assignments, students learn to manage situations where the options all have advantages and disadvantages, and become confident in making justified decisions.
• The programme places clear communication at the forefront of the learning aims, emphasising the diversity of the audiences involved in either making decisions or being impacted at various stages of projects.

Careers Education, Information and Guidance

Masters students will have access to the University’s Careers Advisory Service. TThis includes our electronic Careers Centre, containing features and functionality for careers guidance, interview advice and job searching.

In addition, Careers Advisers, supplemented with support from tutors, offer advice, often one-to-one, on securing a professional future tailored to students’ skills and ambitions.

Quality Evaluation and Enhancement

Award Standards

Every programme of study is developed by the Faculties, utilising their subject specialists and approved by the University’s Academic Board.

Review and Evaluation Mechanisms

• The University has robust procedures, as described in AQF4 Programme and Course Approval and Modifications and AQF5 Annual Monitoring and Reporting, in place to assure the quality of the programme development, delivery, management, systematic monitoring and ongoing review and enhancement of all University programmes. Enhancements are made as necessary to ensure that systems remain effective and rigorous.
• The University utilises constructive feedback from a variety of sources, internal and external, to inform its decision-making process to enhance the programme and student experiences. These feedback sources are listed below:
• Annual Course Reviews, written by the Course Leader, are prepared to enable the Course Leader to reflect on the course, using a variety of data and student/faculty feedback to enhance the course and support the Head of Discipline in writing the Annual Programme Review.
• Annual programme reviews, written by the Programme Director, are prepared in order to enhance individual programmes and to plan ahead.
• Annual Discipline Examiner Reports are prepared by independent External Examiners, as appointed by the University, to confirm that a programme has been assessed in accordance with the approved documentation and that the student performance meets the appropriate academic standards.
• Formal student feedback mechanisms consist of course questionnaires and Committee meetings at least once each semester, as well as annual student satisfaction surveys.
• Informal student feedback is also valued by the University and this can take the form of students talking or corresponding with faculty or professional staff.

Version History

Disclaimer

The University has checked the information provided in this Programme Specification and will aim to deliver this programme in keeping with this Programme Specification. However, changes to the programme may sometimes be required arising from annual monitoring, student feedback, and the review and update of courses and programmes. Where this activity leads to significant changes to courses and programmes there will be prior consultation with students and others, wherever possible, and the University will take all reasonable steps to minimise disruption to students. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a course or programme for reasons outside of its control, for example, due to the absence of a member of staff or low student registration numbers. Where this is the case, the University will aim to inform applicants and students as soon as possible, and where appropriate, will facilitate the transfer of affected students to another suitable programme.

Copyright

The contents of this Programme Specification are the copyright of the University and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, such as electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without the prior consent of the University.

Appendix A – Exit Awards

Postgraduate Certificate

3 x 20 credit Level 7 courses = 60 credits

Complete Foundations of Project Management (Semester 1) and any 45 credits from the following:

LBUSI7242 Managing Project Scope (15 credits)

LBUSI7243 Project Finance and Procurement (15 credits)

LBUSI7246 Stakeholder Engagement and Communication (15 credits)

LBUSI7245 Project Scheduling and Resourcing (15 credits)

LBUSI7244 Project Risk Management (15 credits)

LBUSI7241 Managing Innovation Projects (15 credits)

LBUSI7240 Leadership for a Global and Dispersed Workforce (15 credits)

Postgraduate Diploma

6 x 20 credit level 7 courses = 120 credits

Complete the following compulsory courses:

Semester One

LBUSI7239 Foundations of Project Management (15 credits)

Semester Two

LBUSI7240 Leadership for a Global and Dispersed Workforce (15 credits)

LBUSI7241 Managing Innovation Projects (15 credits)

Any Semester

LBUSI7242 Managing Project Scope (15 credits)

LBUSI7243 Project Finance and Procurement (15 credits)

LBUSI7246 Stakeholder Engagement and Communication (15 credits)

LBUSI7245 Project Scheduling and Resourcing (15 credits)

LBUSI7244 Project Risk Management (15 credits)

Appendix B – Map of Courses to Learning Outcomes

Appendix C – Programme Structure and Assessment Summary

Course Type:   C = Compulsory; O = Option.   

Course Mode:   CD = Campus Delivery; BK = Block Delivery; BL = Blended Learning; DL = Distance Learning and Self-Directed Learning; EL = E-Learning; EX = Experiential; PL = Placement; WB = Work Based Learning,

Assessment Weighting: AE1 = Assessment Element 1; AE2 = Assessment Element 2; AE3 = Assessment Element 3;

AE4 = Assessment Element 4

Assessment Activity Type                                        Code  

Written assignment                                                     WA

Exam                                                                          Exam

Presentation                                                               Pres

Role play                                                                    RP

Portfolio                                                                      P

Set exercise                                                                Set

Practical                                                                     Pract