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Strategic Management of Projects MSc

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.

Covid-19 programme updates

Due to COVID-19, there may have been updates to this programme for the 2020 academic year. Where there has been an update, these are indicated with a red alert and a link which will provide further information.

Key information

Programme starts

September 2020

Modes and duration

Full time: 1 year
Part time: 2 years
Flexible: up to 5 years

Full-time students study for 37.5 hours per week during term time. Flexible mode students normally attend half this amount.

Application dates

Full-time
Open: 1 November 2019
Close: 11 August 2020
Flexible/Modular
Close: 11 August 2020
Notification
Due to the large number of applications received, this programme is no longer accepting applications for 2020/21 entry. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Applications for 2021/22 entry will open later in the year.

Tuition fees (2020/21)

UK/EU:
£17,850 (FT)
£8,940 (PT)
Overseas:
£32,870 (FT)
£16,280 (PT)


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

Location: London, Bloomsbury

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.)

English language requirements

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: Standard

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

International students

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.

Select your country:

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. 

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of six compulsory modules (90 credits) and two optional modules (30 credits) plus a dissertation (60 credits). 

Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a MSc in Strategic Management of Projects.

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.

Compulsory modules

  • The Management of Projects (15 credits)
  • Tomorrow's Company (15 credits
  • Supply Chain Management (15 credits)
  • Managing Innovation and Technology (15 credits)
  • Management of Design (15 credits)
  • Governance and Control (15 credits)

Optional modules

  • Economics and Finance (15 credits)
  • Relationships and Marketing (15 credits)
  • Exploring Project Requirements (15 credits)
  • The Project Operational Legacy (15 credits)
Covid-19 module updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be updates to the modules for your chosen programme of study this year. Some modules may not be available or may need to be moved to a later term or year of study. These updates are relevant for 2020-21 academic year only.  The full list of modules will be available in the module catalogue from late August.  From the first week of September, you will be invited to complete module selection from Portico, our student record system. There may need to be additional updates or changes to modules during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available.

Dissertation/report

Students submit a 10,000-word dissertation (60 credits) on a topic related to the main themes of the programme. The topic should help enhance your career development.

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.


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 research report.

Student work of the highest calibre is published in the SMP Journal - a collection of student thoughts and ideas developed throughout their studies on the MSc in Strategic Management of Projects. The SMPJournal is an ISSN publication and is listed in the relevant libraries at Cambridge and Oxford Universities and the British Library. This will increase your credibility as a professional in the strategic management of projects. 

Covid-19 contact hours on campus
In Term One, while campus will be open, all the learning activity for the core content of your modules will take place online – including lectures, tutorials, seminars and assessments. By “core content” we mean everything you need to learn to complete the module successfully. In addition to these online contact hours, we will be offering some face-to-face educational activities for students on campus, and we will provide alternative online activities for those students unable to join us on campus. These activities, which will include contact with academic staff, will be relevant to your programme of study may include seminars, academic and employability skills workshops, small-group or individual tutorials, lab and practice-based teaching. UK Government safety guidelines will limit the amount of ‘in person’ activity we can offer and while it will vary from programme to programme, is likely to be no more than 1-2 hours per week. This will vary across departments, particularly if your programme includes laboratory/practical/studio/workshop sessions. You will be updated with more specific details as they are available and your timetable will indicate which sessions will be on campus and which will be available online.
Covid-19 assessment updates
There may be changes to the format of assessments for modules in this programme due to COVID-19. These will be summarised for each module on the module catalogue from 17 August 2020.   If any changes to assessments need to be made during the academic year due to updates in government guidance, these will be communicated to you as soon as possible from your department.    
Communicating further Covid-19 mitigation plans
We are continuing to follow UK Government guidance, as well as the expertise of our researchers, including specialists in health, education, human behaviour and infection prevention, to make sure UCL is as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. If it becomes necessary to make further changes to your programme as a result of new guidance/regulations, UCL and your department will communicate these as soon as this becomes clear. We will keep you up-to-date with our plans throughout term one, so you have the information you need to be able to take decisions that are right for your circumstances. Please ensure that you keep in touch with your department by regularly checking your UCL emails, Moodle courses, the Coronavirus FAQs for Students page and any UCL online groups or social media you follow.

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 Ruhana Begum, by e-mailing ruhana.begum@ucl.ac.uk or telephoning +44 (0)20 3108 7374.

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

Accessibility

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

Funding

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 Construction and Project Management and the Built Environment Faculty Office are advertised on the respective websites.

Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed below.

Brown Family Bursary

Note:
This scheme is now closed for 2020/21
Value:
£15,000 (1 year)
Eligibility:
UK
Criteria:
Based on both academic merit and financial need

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

Careers

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. 

Employability

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.

Why study this degree at UCL?

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; 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.

Department: Bartlett School of Construction & Project Management

Application and next steps

Applications

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 £80 for online applications and £105 for paper applications. Further information can be found at: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught/application.

Who can apply?

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. 

Application deadlines

Full-time
11 August 2020
Flexible/Modular
11 August 2020

For more information see our Applications page.

Apply now

What are we looking for?

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.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.

Page last modified on 13 August 2020