Programme and Project Management (with optional Placement/Project year) MSc
Accreditations
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Course Summary
We have designed our course to produce ‘hands-on’ professionals who have access to a broad range of career possibilities in project management, either as project managers in their own right or as members of a Programme, Portfolio or Project Office.
For people new to project management, this course will give you a thorough grounding in the discipline, enabling you to start in this field with confidence. For existing Project Managers, we can develop and enhance your core skills, as well as provide you with the opportunity to learn new, related techniques.
If you wish to pursue further research into programme and project management issues, you will be encouraged to do so, while being supported by our expert tutor team.
The University of Chester is an Accredited Training Organisation for PRINCE2®. The optional PRINCE2® 6th Edition training and exam involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees.
There is an option to choose a Project/Placement year for this course, at an additional cost.
Optional 2-year master's to suit your needs
Choosing a Professional Placement MSc is a win-win for your career, giving you the chance to get real experience, apply your cutting-edge skills in the workplace and stand out to future employers.
In the first year you will have help from the University to find a placement, whilst developing your expertise. You will then spend your second year out in industry on placement, getting the chance to work with industry professionals and grow your network of industry contacts. Bringing your university-acquired knowledge and insights to industry, you will get to make a difference to the workplace and make lasting links with your employer.
Students need to find and secure their own placement, supported by the University. A preparation module will also help you to get ready for your placement.
Innovative Up-to-date Teaching
Expert Course Team
Outstanding Opportunities and Career Growth
What you’llStudy
You will gain practical skills and undertake research tasks, while being supported by our expert tutor team. Critical thinking, analysis and reflection, as well as research and academic writing, are developed throughout the entire course. Modules are based upon methodologies and modern techniques for programme and project management.
If you choose a placement or project year, the Research Dissertation module will be replaced by a placement or project module.
Module content:
Projects which will involve the application of methods and equipment introduced in taught modules, will be based on subjects agreed, in principle with the module leader and potential supervisors.
Module aims:
To afford students the opportunity to experience the complete life-cycle of a successful and significant research-based project.
To provide real-world experience of meeting the requirements of academic and professional standards, including high-level writing and referencing skills.
To demonstrate to peers and to current and potential employers the student’s ability to carry out original research work in a particular area of research relevant to their programme of study.
Module content:
To include:
- Time management, library skills and literature search
- Evaluation of information sources
- Critical analysis of information
- Ethical issues when undertaking research (including intellectual property and plagiarism)
- Writing for research: styles and rules for presentation (including referencing standards)
- Choosing a research area and evaluating source material
- Hypothesis formation
- Research approaches and methodologies
- Design and application of questionnaires & interviews
- Quantitative and statistical tools for researchers
- Qualitative research
Module aims:
- To clarify the distinctions between undergraduate and postgraduate level work and expectations
- To increase students' experience in order to conduct a professional study and to use sampling procedures and analysing techniques
- To improve students' appreciation of time management and how to conduct a literature search
- To reinforce students' research skills
- To consolidate students' appreciation of professional issues such as copyright and ethics
Module content:
Introduction to PRINCE2.
PRINCE2 Principles and critical analysis of them.
PRINCE2 Themes and critical analysis of them.
PRINCE2 Processes and critical analysis of them.
PRINCE2 for types of projects and categories of organisations and critical analysis of them.
Embedding and tailoring PRINCE2.
Analysis of various case studies.
Module aims:
Managing a project in a real-world environment can be daunting for a freshly qualified manager. This module aims to give confidence to such personnel by supporting and guiding them through the various stages in a project's lifespan using PRINCE2 methodology. It will enable students to apply their theoretical PRINCE2 skills gained during the module to an organisation (perhaps their own) or case studies as well as giving them the option to sit the PRINCE2 foundation examination.
Module content:
Applying a Risk Management methodology to an organisation (or case-study).
Benefits & pitfalls of standardised, documented risk management approaches.
Organisation environment and Organisational psychology - what is the 'usual' attitude to risk; how will this help or hinder risk management in this case? What can / should be done about problems?
Who is responsible? Do they know? Do they accept responsibility? Are procedures / resources sufficient?
Disaster recovery plans.
Risk documentation. Use of techniques such as fishbone diagram, probability tree
etc as listed in M_o_R manual
Risk documentation. Use of techniques such as fishbone diagram, probability tree
etc as listed in M_o_R manual
Mathematical techniques.
Show effective and appropriate use of templates, check-lists and IT tools
Mitigation / removal of risk.
"Positive risk" - dealing with opportunities
How will approach to risk management need to change during lifetime of project / BAU period under consideration?
Module aims:
This module will enable a student to take their theoretical skills, gained during the Risk Management module (such as the OGC Management of Risk), and apply them to an organisation or a case study.
The real-world approach to Risk is never straightforward; all manner of personal and company perspectives seek to obfuscate what seems fine in theory. Tutor and mentor support will guide the student through the problems of implementing a risk management strategy in the organisation or case of choice.
Module content:
- Sustainable development in an industrial project context – concept and measurement
- The life-cycle approach and Life Cycle Assessment
- A selection of project case studies from a range of industrial sectors
Module aims:
The primary aims of this module are:
- to become familiar with the general concept of sustainable development as applied to an industrial project.
- to become familiar with the main metrics and methodologies used to evaluate it.
- recognising that the practical implementation of sustainable development to an industrial project is highly context-specific, to gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities for and challenges presented by sustainable development by exploring a series of case studies drawn from a range of industrial sectors.
Module content:
This L7 module is designed for the MSc in Project Management programme. Due consideration has been given to those students that may not have a sufficient Artificial Intelligence (AI) background from their undergraduate study. The course is structured in such a way that all the essential pre-requisites will be covered on an ‘learn-when-you-need’ basis.
The overall module will be roughly divided into the following sub-modules:
Data Analytics for Business
- Data in the Real-World
- Data exploration and data dimensionality reduction
- Analytical Tools
- Ethical and Social Issues: Data Governance, Data Privacy, and Data Quality
Predictive Modelling and Analytics
- Data Analysis and Visualizations
- Linear and Logistic Regression
- Advanced Predictive Models
Business Analytics for Decision Making
- Risk and Uncertainty Analysis
- Optimisation
- Decision Analytics
Real-World Use-Case Capstone Project
- Example: Financial dataset (Open-Source)
- Tasks: TBD
Module aims:
The introduction of this module stems from the realisation that while AI skills are in demand in almost all employment sectors, many businesses and/or project management graduates do not have sufficient skills to leverage AI in real-life applications. This module therefore assumes no prior knowledge of artificial intelligence.
The module will cover:
- Data Analytics
- Complex Event Processing
- Performance Estimation
- Predictive Analytics
- Prescriptive Analytics
- Business Decision Making
Module content:
To include:-
- Project and Programme Initiation
- The Project Manager
- The Business Case, Budgets, People, Responsibilities.
- Project and Programme Organisation
- Project and Programme Planning
- Scheduling PERT/CPM
- Network Diagrams and Gantt Chart
- Project Management Methodologies
- Budgeting and Cost Estimation
- Project and Programme Execution
- Closing a Project/Programme
- Project Management Software
Module aims:
This module aims to develop a critical understanding of programme and project management to enable students to recognise the importance of the discipline in a variety of organisational and functional contexts. Students should develop a critical understanding of the concepts employed in programme and project management at strategic, systems and operational levels, and an appreciation of the knowledge and skills required for successful programme and project management. Theory is constantly grounded in examples and case study exercises. By utilising examples and case studies, both from their own backgrounds and from the literature, the student is guided to an understanding of the benefits, and power, of well-run projects and programmes.
Dr Sufian Fannoun
Programme Leader for MSc Programme and Project Management
Prof Julieanna Powell-Turner
Associate Dean of Research and Innovation
Dr Mohammad Samar Ansari
Programme Leader for MSc Management of Information Systems and Digital Innovation
Dr Oladele Owodunni
Programme for MSc Mechanical Engineering
Dr Charles Ryder
Visiting Lecturer
Lectures and workshops are delivered in a hybrid form; each module leader adapts their methods to suit the topic being addressed on a given occasion.
Guided independent study and literature review form important aspects of our research methods and dissertation modules as well as being incorporated into the independent study component of our subject-specific delivery.
Coursework assignments are used throughout the curriculum. The exact form of assignment reflects the subject matter. Portfolios are used where the attainment of a subject-specific practical skill is relevant. Essays, literature reviews and technical reports are used to develop a critical appreciation of the wider subject area and to encourage core research and dissemination skills. Coursework may constitute the only or the major form of assessment in some modules and can be conducted on an individual or group basis.
Formative assessments will take the form of diagnostic tests, in-class tests and on-line tests during lectures. They do not contribute to the final marks achieved for each module but provide an opportunity for students to monitor their own academic progress and for lecturers to provide feedback and help improve the students’ learning experience.
Dissertation work with individual supervision is a vital aspect of our programme.
Entry Requirements
2:2 honours degree
Applicants will normally be expected to have a first degree (2:2 honours minimum).
2:2 honours degree
Applicants will normally be expected to have a first degree (2:2 honours minimum).
English Language Requirements
For more information on our English Language requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.
The location
Modern learning resources and library
Student Services
Fitness facilities
Chapel, chaplaincy and multi-faith spaces
Accommodation
Catering
Fees and Funding
Guides to the fees for students who wish to commence postgraduate courses are available to view on our Postgraduate Taught Programmes Fees page. Here you will also find information about part-time fees and project/placement year fees.
The full-time course fee for Home Students is £8,775 (2025/26). The professional placement/project year will cost an additional £2,750 (due at the start of the second year of the course), totalling £11,525 for the full course fee 2025/26.
The tuition fees for international students studying Postgraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £15,000.
The professional placement/project year will cost an additional £2,750 (due at the start of the second year of the course), totalling £17,500 for the full course fee 2025/26.
The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships for postgraduate study, providing a significant reduction to the published headline tuition fee. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when your application is reviewed, and any award given will be stated on your offer letter.
For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.
Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.
Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees.
The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships.
Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees and Finance section of our website.
Your future Career
Job prospects
Project Management is a key skill that has been witnessing growing demand due to the increasing scale and complexity of projects being undertaken across all industries. Demand over the next 10 years for project managers is growing faster than demand for workers in other occupations. Organisations, however, face risks from this talent gap.
The latest PMI-commissioned talent gap analysis by Anderson Economic Group (AEG) points to outstanding opportunities in jobs and career growth for project managers within the 11 countries studied. Through 2027, the project management-oriented labour force in seven project-oriented sectors is expected to grow by 33%, or nearly 22 million new jobs.
By 2027, employers will need nearly 88 million individuals in project management-oriented roles. Talent shortages in the profession can potentially create risks of nearly US$208 billion in GDP over the 10-year period in the 11 countries examined.
Careers service
The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.
Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.
We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs .