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Strategic Management of Projects MSc

London, Bloomsbury

For professionals who aspire to lead in the management of projects and programmes, this intensive executive development MSc will enable you to move into leading roles in shaping and delivering corporate and project strategy.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£21,200
£10,600
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£41,500
£20,750
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2023
Applications accepted
All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 31 Mar 2023

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

The normal minimum qualifications are a lower second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Candidates with significant relevant experience and impact in their industry may be exempted from this requirement.

A minimum of two years experience in project-based work or project-based organisation.

Evidence of achievement and/or impact in your industry (e.g. promotion, project scope, professional recognition, etc.)

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The programme helps you develop a critical understanding of the challenges that project executives face in designing and implementing strategy, explores how the Management of Projects approach leads to improved value-creation and effective outcomes, and provides tailored, one-to-one professional advice that focuses on your career development specifically.

  • You will learn how to make difficult decisions. 
  • You will develop lifelong relationships with peers who will move into executive roles in project-based organisations around the world, or start their own business. 
  • You will master the area of strategic and project management through a wide range of readings in the areas of business and organisation studies, political philosophy, sociology and economics. 

Who this course is for

The programme is designed for those who currently design and deliver project-based work and who aspire to develop their own unique competitive approach to the management of projects. The programme will help you transform your career and the way you think about business and projects. 

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The programme brings together distinguished, thoughtful professionals, academics, and policymakers from across sectors and industries who share the ethos and philosophy of the programme and UCL. With their guidance you will explore the key political, strategic and relational challenges that project executives face and develop your own unique competitive approach in strategically managing projects in the context of international geopolitics, climate change, and evolving power relations within and beyond project teams and organisations. 

The class is a space where you will have the opportunity to reflect on your previous experience and discuss with your peers, tutors, alumni and experts, how to manage difficult decisions. 

Studying in London's centre of excellence for the management of projects and our progressive teaching and learning culture will help you create your own unique, professional approach to managing capital investment and strategic change across a wide range of industry sectors.

This is an MSc designed for developing the project and programme leaders of tomorrow. Our alumni influence the corporate world, are involved in social enterprise and frequently become entrepreneurs, or change their careers entirely.   

The programme delivers sessions led by leading academics, practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs and students; a twin focus on strategically managing projects and critical thinking throughout the programme; personal instruction as a result of highly selective, size-limited student enrolment, so that you have the time to engage deeply with experts, academics and fellow classmates; and the SMP Alumni - a community of friends and professionals that will support you in the first steps of your professional development and career following graduation.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Following graduation you will join the Strategic Management of Projects MSc (SMP) Alumni - a community of established, experienced and aspiring project executives where you will find support from wherever you are based in the world. Our graduates have built and lead their own companies, are involved in strategic positions in major multinational organisations across sectors and industries in the world, and have changed industries/careers based on our academic and professional support.

Employability

Recent graduates of the programme have changed their career, industry and/or sector, have started their own companies, are involved in the government, and are changing the way the corporate world thinks and works. 

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of case-based learning, interviews, peer-based learning and lectures and workshops from leading practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs and academics. Students are required to have sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge to challenge and inform others. Assessment is primarily through written coursework and the dissertation.

The Management of Projects and Tomorrow's company are usually delivered as condensed week-long modules. Part-time students will need to make sure that they are available for the duration of these modules (they usually complete 1 in the first year and 1 in the second year).

In terms 1 and 2 full-time students can typically expect between 8 and 15 contact hours per teaching week through lectures, workshops and tutorials. In term 3 students will be completing their own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors.

Outside of lectures full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.

Modules

The MSc SMP comprises six compulsory modules in the following three categories and two optional modules. All modules have to be attended and you are assessed on these 8 modules.

Capstone Modules (1st and 2nd term): These compulsory modules are delivered at the beginning and end of the programme and explore themes that lie at the very heart of MSc SMP: management of projects. 

Project Lifecycle Topics (1st term): These modules deal with management issues that come to the fore at particular stages the development and delivery of a project, for instance, project requirements, design and operational legacy.

Key Knowledge Areas (second term): These modules encompass topics that permeate the management of a project throughout the lifecycle, such as supply chain management, marketing and innovation.

Dissertation: This is a piece of original research that you will carry out.

Finally, you also attend a module on research methods.

Compulsory modules









Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Strategic Management of Projects.

Fieldwork

As part of the 10,000-word dissertation you will conduct primary research and will need to abide by the UCL Research Ethics Committee.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: MSc/MRes Urban Spatial Science Q&A

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Join us for a virtual open day presentation and Q&A for prospective students interested in our MSc/MRes programmes in Urban Spatial Science at the UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis. Programme leaders Dr Andrew Maclachlan and Dr Duncan Smith will introduce the degrees and be on call to answer any questions you may have. A current student will also be present to discuss their experience of CASA and life at UCL.

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: MSc Development Administration & Planning

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This will be an opportunity for prospective DAP students around the world to meet staff, tutors, and alumni, understand the programme, ask questions about the application process (what to look for in an application), discover what the programme offers beyond the curriculum and learn about its future prospects. This event will be crucial for prospective students to make an informed decision about pursuing postgraduate studies at the DPU.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £21,200 £10,600
Tuition fees (2023/24) £41,500 £20,750

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc. on this programme, please get in touch with the Programme Administrator, Ms Maria Vaughan, by e-mailing maria.vaughan@ucl.ac.uk.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

UCL offers a range of financial awards aimed at assisting both prospective and current students with their studies.

Any additional funding available from The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction and the Built Environment Faculty Office are advertised on the respective websites.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we are interested in:

  • the type of project(s) that you have been involved in and your role in their management
  • where you see yourself professionally in 10 years
  • how the MSc in Strategic Management of Projects will help you achieve your goal.

Your personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate how the MSc in Strategic Management in Projects will help you lead tomorrow's projects.

Can you tell us about what led you to consider the MSc Strategic Management of Projects as a programme of study? Tell us about an experience that influenced your intellectual and professional development. What experience and values do you think you can bring to the MSc in Strategic Management of Projects? What are your expectations from studying on the MSc in Strategic Management of Projects, and how will they help your future career development? (600 words)

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2023-2024

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction Department
Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction Department

bartlett.pgtbssc-admissions@ucl.ac.uk

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