MScProject Management
Contact admissions
- 1 year full-time (January start)
- 1 year full-time (May start)
- 1 year full-time
Why study a project management master's degree at Solent University
Aligned to the Association for Project Management, this professional course will help you take your career to the next level, by studying methodologies, techniques and processes of project management.
- 0thin the sector for graduate start-ups (HESA 2023)
- 0thUK uni for sustained employment (Longitudinal Educational Outcomes, 2022)
- £0minvested in our campus estate and facilities in the last five years
- The course is tailored to the Association of Project Management's Body of Knowledge, which explores finance, organisational behaviour, human resource management, leadership, quality assurance, and more.
- You'll be studying within an award-winning business school. Solent Business School was awarded Outstanding Higher Education Provider at the 2022 CMI Awards, recognising our positive impact supporting and developing students to be future leaders and managers.
- You'll benefit from a guest speaker programme that has welcomed speakers from organisations such as Gleeds, Meggitt and the Association for Project Management.
- Students studying this course can gain free membership to the Association of Project Management and have the opportunity to take their exams.
- You'll learn from an experienced course team with a broad range of industry knowledge and experience.
- This course offers a range of highly transferable, in-demand skills, including communication, leadership, presentation, research and analysis, teamwork, and networking - essential for any industry or employer.
- Free management career consultation for life. Our careers advice service, Solent Futures is available to all Solent students and graduates for life, helping you to progress in your current career or discuss options for a change in career.
- This course is eligible for the Postgraduate Master's student loan. This loan is from Student Finance England and can be used to cover costs (ie, accommodation, tuition fees) associated with postgraduate studies (it was up to £12,167 for 2023 entry).
Course overview
Managing projects is fundamental to all businesses; large or small, local or international and the ability to manage people, finance, and deadlines is key. This course is designed in line with the requirements of project management professional bodies and explores the interrelated areas of people, strategy and processes, topics including risk, funding, understanding intercultural competencies and successfully delivering projects.
As well as helping to equip students with specialised project management skills, the course also encourages the development of leadership abilities, financial acumen and people management techniques. Students will gain a general understanding of governance, and develop management accounting skills.
You will also examine the structures and processes necessary for any organisation to deliver projects effectively, explore the theories that have created advances in the fields of organisational behaviour, human resource management and leadership.
Course features
Apply direct
You can apply direct to Solent University for this course
January start available
This course has an option to start in January
May start available
This course has an option to start in May.
This course is for
This course is suitable for project management professionals who wish to enable the enhancement of their career in project management or events management with a higher-level qualification.
What this course leads to
To put you in an excellent position to start, or further, a career in project management across many industry sectors and in roles such as:
- Project manager
- Programme manager
- Portfolio manager
- Associate project manager
- Assistant project manager
- Project planner
- PMO manager
- Project leader
Meet the team
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Facilities
Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces.
Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our £28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.
Year one
Core modules
Academic Skills and Career Development
This module will allow you to build a strong foundation of academic, personal and professional development skills that will ensure success in the workplace. Throughout the module you'll develop a stronger reflective awareness of what your skills are, how they can be put into action to ensure your professional success, and where improvements can be made through a clear plan of action. You'll also develop a confident grasp of the study skills you need to succeed at master's level. This is a must-pass module.
Developing the Project Professional
The module will develop you as a reflective practitioner and cover topics such as finance, investment appraisal, leadership, teamwork and the interpersonal skills needed to deliver projects successfully.
Fundamentals of Project Management
This module will introduce you to the fundamentals required to deliver projects and programmes in order to successfully create value for your organisations.
Research Methods and Final Major Project
The module consists of two parts: Research Methods and Final Major Project. Learners will produce a research proposal and a final major project using the research skills developed. The final major project must be on a topic relevant to project management.
Optional modules
Enterprise and Innovation
In this module, you'll learn about the concepts of entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, business development, and the role of SMEs in economy - all with the aim of developing your confidence with being immersed in an ever-changing business environment and recognising opportunities, as well as equipping you with the skills and knowledge to start your own business. You'll gain theoretical knowledge of key areas in digital innovation and business transformation, as well as the ability to understand new innovations to offer opportunities within businesses.
Professional Practice
This module equips you with an in-depth knowledge of your chosen industry, giving you the insight to plan your long-term career. You'll be required to secure a work placement or freelance assignments equivalent to 100 hours in order to strengthen your knowledge of your chosen industry and to refine your skills.
Learning resources
At Solent, our aim is to deliver innovative, inclusive and intellectually stimulating teaching to develop self-confident and highly employable graduates. All our courses are designed with employability in mind, which makes industry-based learning a priority.
Assessment formats include presentations, written assignments, exams, reports, projects, vivas, and dissertations.
Learn transferable skills
You will develop a range of transferable skills, encompassing group working, presentation, research and analysis, working to deadlines, and applying knowledge to real-world scenarios.
Why choose a career in project management?
According to the Association for Project Management, in 2024, the profession employs approximately 2.32 million full-time equivalents (FTEs), contributing £186.8 billion annually to the UK economy. This represents an 8% increase in FTEs and a 19% increase in annual project management GVA compared to the 2019 baseline.
Professional and business services emerge as the largest contributors to project management GVA, followed by sectors like construction and IT, which have experienced substantial growth. The profession remains optimistic about future growth, with a majority of surveyed businesses predicting increased project-based activity and higher average project budgets over the next three years.
Project management is growing in importance across the world with an expected 88 million people employed in a project role by 2027. Increasingly organisations are appointing chief project officers to the c-suite.
To put you in an excellent position to start, or further, a career in project management across many industry sectors and in roles such as project manager, programme manager, portfolio manager, associate project manager, assistant project manager, project planner, PMO manager and project leader.
Solent Careers
The Solent Careers team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
If you're in your final year, we also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
6th
UK uni for sustained employment
Longitudinal Educational Outcomes, 2022
Alumni network
As part of our global alumni community, you can take advantage of a range of benefits.
Whether it's been days or decades since you left us, or you're soon to don your cap and gown, things are constantly changing at Solent. We're always innovating, but we're also immensely proud of our heritage. And that means you.
Research and knowledge exchange
Research doesn't just live in publications and journals - the effects of groundbreaking research can be found everywhere you look. That's why research at Solent has always been firmly rooted in industry needs and real-world application.
Solent University prides itself on carrying out not only pioneering research, but also research that addresses real world problems. We offer opportunities to study for a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in a number of areas.
At Solent, we want to help you achieve your best and discover new insights. Whether you're thinking about applying for a PhD, or already underway with your research studies, you'll find useful guidance and information in our research pages.
Research at SolentTuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2024/25 academic year are:
- UK and Channel Island full-time fees: £9,675 per year
- International full-time fees: £17,065 per year
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Alumni discount
Solent alumni are eligible for a 20% reduction of tuition fees if returning to study a postgraduate course.
Find out moreBursaries, scholarships and financial support
Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
Cost of living support
At Solent, we understand that the cost of living crisis may be of some concern. To help, we've put together some detailed information to show what support is available and how to make your money go further.
Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £15. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
Student finance videos
Discover Solent University Video transcript, with a description of visuals available.Find out what Southampton has to offer Video transcript, with a description of visuals available.
Entry requirements
Please select an option below:
Key entry requirements
An honours degree at 2:2 or higher in any related discipline, or significant and relevant work experience in this area
Potential applicants who have significant and relevant work experience and do not have a degree may be considered - please contact the University.
It is essential that applicants demonstrate a clear passion and interest for business, management and/or enterprise. Work experience is desirable.
Key entry requirements
An honours degree at 2:2 or higher
If you do not have these qualifications or are unsure of your eligibility please contact the University.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about UK, EU and international qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
An honours degree at 2:2 or higher
If you do not have these qualifications or are unsure of your eligibility please contact the University.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about UK, EU and international qualifications, please contact admissions.
Note to all international students requiring a visa
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at our 2023 course entry statement document.
An honours degree at2:2 or higher
Your application checklist
Applications for postgraduate courses can be made at any time prior to the start of the course. However, we strongly recommend you apply at your earliest convenience.
Please ensure you upload the following mandatory documents with your application:
- Two academic references.
- Certified transcripts of qualifications, including English language proficiency if non-UK student.
- Copy of passport.
- Copy of current visa (if applicable).
- A personal statement.
- Employer sponsor form, where appropriate.
Language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
- IELTS minimum 6.5 overall with minimum of 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in reading, listening and speaking.
- TOEFL IBT 92 with a minimum of 22 in writing and a minimum of 20 in reading, listening and speaking
- Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 100 in each component
or equivalent.
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
Study options
Make your application
- 1 year full-time (January start)
- 1 year full-time (May start)
- 1 year full-time
