Why choose Lancaster's MSc Project Management?
Sasha-Kay Roberts talks about her time studying for her master's at LUMS.
69th for Business and Economics in the World
Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2023)
70th for Business and Management in the world
QS World University Rankings (2023)
Lancaster University is top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2024
Projects play a key role in many organisations, either because they are organised around projects or because they introduce change through projects. The MSc Project Management programme will enable you to use project management tools and techniques, engage stakeholders, obtain systemic insights into projects and provides the opportunity to gain practical experience of managing projects in any industry.
As one of a small group of international students, our tutors get to know you as individuals through group work and contact time. All our tutors have varied industry experience, which influences the programme’s direction and demonstrates the transferability of project management skills between industries and sectors. You will also benefit from our connections with professional bodies including the Association of Project Management, which ensures the relevance and quality of the programme.
In your first term, you will explore the principles of project management. You will apply tools and techniques through a simulation and get a better understanding of developing relationships with stakeholders. The second term builds on this knowledge and will give you the opportunity to apply your skills in a real project.
We will teach you how to investigate the new and how to navigate it. We will look at managing people from a psychological and sociological perspective, alternative management approaches such as agile, and provide you with systemic insights into the management of projects. We carefully balance academic perspective, experiential learning and practical application to advance your knowledge in the most effective way.
Alongside the eight compulsory modules, you will also need to complete one of the two optional dissertation modules as shown in the Course Summary below.
You can choose a desk-based dissertation or consultancy project with small and medium-sized enterprises. Clients for past projects have ranged from healthcare providers to manufacturing organisations. The focus of the project has varied from consultancy about supplier management, sustainability management practices, implementing lean manufacturing and understanding the customer experience.
Throughout the course, you will work in a dynamic and international environment that will enable you to develop into a workplace-ready and reflective graduate. Our careers advisers will support you in creating a career plan and give you access to various career events throughout the year.
2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in any subject.
We may also consider non-standard applicants, please contact us for information.
If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.
As part of your application please provide details of any relevant work experience.
We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.
We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.
If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.
Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.
In this module, we go beyond the scope of straightforward projects to look at Programmes and Portfolios of projects, some specific techniques such as PRINCE2 and Critical Chain and the nature of Complex projects. Additionally, this module brings together ideas from other modules to show how project management methods can inform a complex situation from a real consultancy project.
The module provides you with an understanding of the relationship between projects and the business. It offers insight into the strategic, business, commercial and financial issues within projects and their relationship to project and organisational performance. You will gain an understanding of how projects are used to underpin and support the organisation and enable the achievement of its mission and strategy. After completing this module you will be able to:
This module is to provide you with the opportunity to obtain practical experience of project management consultancy and the management of intercultural teams, stakeholders and clients/sponsors. The practical experience will be supported by in-depth investigation of relevant tools, techniques and theories as well as the latest research in project management. After completing this module you will be able to:
This module provides you with a theoretical and practical understanding of relevant concepts relating to organisational behaviour and leadership in the contexts of projects, supply chains and (temporary multi) organisations. This incorporates an understanding of self-awareness, teams within and between organisations, leader- and followership, as well as the leadership of change. After completing this module you will be able to:
This module presents the tools and techniques needed to effectively initiate, plan and manage a project through to successful completion. The approach is primarily practical and pragmatic, providing an integrated planning process that supports the production of a holistic and robust project plan. Examples from a broad range of industries are introduced throughout the module. After completing this module you will be able to:
This module provides you with the opportunity to obtain practical experience of project management practices and to understand the interrelationships between decisions, teams and objectives through a simulated project. The practical experience will be supported by in-depth investigation of relevant tools, techniques and theories. After completing this module you will be able to:
This module provides you with the skills to work professionally, think creatively and reflect critically, practice responsibly and to conduct a research project. It enables you to be workplace-ready but at the same time have the foundation to progress your studies to doctoral level, if you so wish. After completing this module you will be able to:
This module encourages holistic thinking approaches and provides you with a portfolio of techniques for a systemic insight into projects. It builds your ability to solve complex problems by identifying, formulating and structuring business problems and enables you to recognise the need for and initiate a systemic process of change. This then leads to practical aspects of managing change in projects. After completing this module you will be able to:
One of the options for the dissertation is to undertake a summer project in a real company that requires a real outcome. The challenge in this module is to create a project that will deliver that outcome, then to plan and manage that project to completion. The dissertation is a critical reflection on your learning about project management from that experience. The project is usually undertaken as group work of two to three students whereas the dissertation is an individual work.
The aim of this module is to provide students with a valuable opportunity to research an area of project management in-depth, linking this to business problems that arise in the real world. This module provides the opportunity to develop into a competent and capable research investigator able to design, develop and implement a research methodology appropriate to the research being undertaken. Throughout the project, students will develop their knowledge and understanding of professional academic engagement both in their interactions with the supervisor and in the reporting of their outputs and discourse on their research.
Location | Full Time (per year) | Part Time (per year) |
---|---|---|
Home | £15,650 | n/a |
International | £31,500 | n/a |
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small College Membership Fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2023 and 2024, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses. Fees for students starting in 2025 have not yet been set.
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
For most taught postgraduate applications there is a non-refundable application fee of £40. We cannot consider applications until this fee has been paid, as advised on our online secure payment system. There is no application fee for postgraduate research applications.
For some of our courses you will need to pay a deposit to accept your offer and secure your place. We will let you know in your offer letter if a deposit is required and you will be given a deadline date when this is due to be paid.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
If you are studying on a programme of more than one year’s duration, the tuition fees for subsequent years of your programme are likely to increase each year. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.
Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.
If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.
Scheme | Based on | Amount |
---|---|---|
Based on {{item.eligibility_basis}} | Amount {{item.amount}} |
We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.
Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.
Join our on-campus open day this February to talk to students and lecturers and find out how and when to apply.
Book my placeThe information on this site relates primarily to 2024/2025 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.
The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.
More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.
We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.