Course description

The MSc in Commercial Project Management prepares students for a professional role in the management of commercial projects by providing students with an understanding of both the people-related and technical requirements necessary for the successful management of projects, as well as the organisational and strategic aspects; it also stresses the commercial aspects of project management: for example, marketing and sales, financial management, procurement, bidding and contract management.

This MSc is one of four MSc courses within the Management of Projects Group of Programmes. The other MSc courses are: Management of Projects, Construction Project Management and Engineering Project Management.

The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering has a long history of delivering project management related masters courses and the staff who deliver the programme are drawn for a wide variety of backgrounds and industrial experience.

Teaching and learning

The Commercial Project Management MSc is a full time course which is studied over 12 months, starting in September each year. The course comprises eight taught course units, each worth 15 credits, and a research dissertation worth 60 credits. Students on this particular MSc study four core units fundamental to project management, and which are shared by students on the other MSc courses. In addition, students on this course study Contract Management and programme specific unit, Commercial Management, where students work in teams to produce documents related to the buying and selling side of a case study activity. Students must also select two optional units and carry out a Commercial Project Management based dissertation.

Assessment of the taught part of the programme is via a combination of formal written examinations and coursework assignments, which will include group work and oral presentations. Some assessment is based on online material provided by the Association for Project Management (APM) and PRINCE2 (a process-based method for effective project management).

Career opportunities

The MSc Commercial Project Management Programme acquaints students with the basic processes of project management but focuses more specifically on the commercial aspects of project management, the establishment of stable, profitable and low-risk exchange relationships for project procurement or sales and the management of the contracts that represent these relationships in a range of project settings. Practical skills in the buy and side project procurement, contract management and conflict and dispute resolution are developed. Successful graduates of this programme find employment in a wide range of commercial-related roles, from forensic delay analysis to quantity surveying to general project management in companies such as Blackrock, Costain, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Yendall Hunter, PwC.

Accrediting organisations

The MSc in Commercial Project Management is listed by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) as an Approved Further Learning Schemes for Chartered Engineer.