Project Management

In today's business environment effective project management (PM) is an integral influencer of success. Additionally, PM-associated skills such as planning, risk management, quality management and communication management are essential to control the increasingly complex projects that allow top organisations to remain competitive in the global market. Having a qualification in PM is now a requirement in many organisations, both in the public and the private sector.

Effective PM requires a body of knowledge and a set of tested skills including planning, delegation and monitoring that the Project Management MSc is designed to deliver. The course is suitable for business, computing, engineering or other graduates with an affinity for organising, running or participating in projects.

Westminster Business School is one of just a handful of universities that's eligible to offer accredited PRINCE2 certification. So in addition to this postgraduate qualification, students get an opportunity to also obtain the much sought after PRINCE2 certificates.

This course involves both theoretical and practical content. It offers you the chance to build on your first degree or work experience with a range of knowledge and skills enabling you to successfully manage the increasing number of projects instigated by organisations seeking to improve their value proposition.

In addition to providing you with an opportunity to attain the much sought after PRINCE2 Foundation and PRINCE2 Practitioner certifications, the course will provide you with an understanding and an evaluation of a number of other popular professional qualifications, such as M_o_R*, MSP* and DSDM Atern.

This course covers and critically evaluates the prevailing project management bodies of knowledge.

Core modules

• Project Management Foundations
• Project Management in Practice
• Management of Risk and Scheduling
• Project Finance and Procurement
• Project Management Project
• Strategic and Programme Management

The first two modules follow on from one another. In Foundations we lay the foundations of project management, like planning, monitoring and controlling, focussing on the more technical skills on the profession. In the Practice module we concentrate more on the behavioural aspects of projects, such as leadership and team work. The two modules together provide a critical overview of the project management world.

The other core modules discuss other aspects of project management such as risk management, scheduling, project finance, strategic alignment and procurement. To complete their studies, all students complete a practical or a research project.

Option modules

• Managing International Projects
• Project Management and Sustainable Development
• Project Management of IT

Applicants should normally hold a first degree from a recognised institution (minimum Lower Second Class Honours or international equivalent) and demonstrate interest and motivation in the subject area. Alternative professional qualifications with at least three years' relevant professional experience will also be considered. Directly relevant degree disciplines include business studies, economics, events management, and operations research.
However students with qualifications in other disciplines such as, engineering, IT, environmental sciences, the humanities and languages are also encouraged to apply.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.5, with a minimum score of 6.0 in each element.

There are two ways for international students to apply for a postgraduate programme at Westminster:

• online via apply online via UKPass
• via apply via our overseas representatives

There is no official deadline for postgraduate applications, but we strongly recommend you apply early (by April for September start and October for January start), especially if you are interested in applying for a scholarship.

If you apply via UKPass, please make sure you include scanned copies of all the following documents:

• a copy of your results transcript from your first degree (translated into English)
• a copy of your English language qualification
• your CV/resumé
• two academic references (letters of recommendation)
• a personal statement (statement of purpose/study plan) that explains:
  • why you are interested in the course(s)
  • why you would like to study at the University of Westminster
  • any relevant skills and experience that you have
  • your career plans

If you are applying by post please include photocopies of the above documents with your application form.

The University of Westminster is one of the few universities in the UK to offer full scholarships to postgraduate students and in 2015/16 we awarded scholarships to students from over 50 countries across the world.

Our scholarships are listed below under four categories; full scholarship, full tuition fee, half tuition fee and part tuition fee awards. On your application form, you will need to tell us honestly the two minimum levels of funding that you require and then your application will be assessed for all of the scholarships within that category.

Please note, our full scholarships and full tuition fee scholarships are not available to MBA applicants (who are only eligible to apply for the dedicated MBA Scholarships).

All students on our full-time business Masters courses can apply to undertake the PG/MBA Internship Programme Reflective Practitioner Module. This is an 8 week unpaid accredited internship, which can be taken in addition to option modules and will help students to gain invaluable work experience. The internships, which are with London-based organisations, take place during the summer period. To apply, students must submit a completed application form and a copy of their updated CV to the Business Experience Team; the team then shortlist from the applications and conduct group meetings with the applicants.

Ultimately it is up to our internship employers to decide whether they would like to interview the candidate(s) and offer him/her an internship. We have received very positive feedback from both postgraduate students and employers and expect that the internship programme will continue to remain popular amongst our students.