MSc
Construction Project Management
Become an effective project manager for large-scale building developments
Course Overview
Why take this course?
This course defines the concepts and the processes associated with being a project manager within the construction industry.
It will enable you to manage every aspect of the project lifecycle from inception to completion. You will also master the technical, organisational, commercial, legal and financial issues involved in achieving a project’s successful execution.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Visit sites and study locally based case studies that will introduce you to the professional markets and environments
- Apply your skills to real-life practical problems as part of our partnership schemes with local and global organisations
- Attend lectures and seminars given by practitioners from client, contracting and consulting organisations
What opportunities might it lead to?
This course is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators' (JBM) UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC), which encompasses the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), and the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE). It satisfies further learning for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status if you already hold a CEng accredited bachelor degree.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- construction companies
- commercial companies
- consultancy
- project management
Doing a Master’s is a good opportunity to refresh my knowledge and experience and also to learn new skills and update my old skills to match today’s requirements.
John Cookson, civil engineering student 2012
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1 year full time, 2 years part time
- Entry
A good honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject, or equivalent industrial and work experience in construction management or other related field.
English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £5,000, part-time students: £2,500 p/a* (2 years)
International full-time students: £11,900, part-time students: £5,950 p/a* (2 years)
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- technology.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 2555 - Department
- School of Civil Engineering and Surveying
Structure & Teaching
The course is divided into three stages, the first two stages are generally taught through formal tuition, with stage three covering independent research in an academic or industrial setting.
You will build upon established fundamental construction engineering and project management principles in order to confidently apply them to a range of complex construction projects. You will gain a deep understanding of the social, economic and environmental issues that can affect such projects along with the expertise to tackle them.
Here are the units you will study:
- Projects Economics and Law: In this unit you will study the legal context within which construction projects are undertaken. You will also cover techniques for economic appraisal of construction projects and alternatives for financing major construction projects.
- Project Management and Software: This unit introduces you to the Project Management Institute’s model, known as the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK), and industry-standard project management software.
- Project Management Tools, Techniques and Processes: You will gain project management tools, techniques and processes in the construction industry.
- Strategic and General Management: In this unit you will cover management in the construction industry, and the development of organisational and project strategic direction, taking into account internal and external environments.
- Independent Research Project: This covers the generic research framework within which new knowledge is discovered, and involves the practical application of research skills and techniques to a chosen system within the construction industry.
Teaching and Assessment
Teaching on this course will focus on small lectures, seminars and discussion groups. It will also centre on supporting your independent learning strategies, which tutorials will help to develop.
How are you assessed?
Assessment can take many forms and is geared towards the subject matter in a way that encourages a deeper understanding and allows you to develop your skills. It includes:
- examinations
- coursework
- projects
- a dissertation
Facilities & Features
Project Office
The Project Office gives you access to real clients and live projects
Maths Café
Maths Café - drop in any time and get one-to-one help
University Library
Our library offers a wealth of information
Project Office
Offering a range of consultancy services to clients, the Project Office gives you access to real clients and live projects. This is a great means to gain real hands-on experience in order to support your design development and professional capacity. In the past we have overseen or managed major building or design works in the city including the Hilsea Lido, the Isle of Wight Zoo, the University’s own 3rd Space and the Bursledon Brickworks.
Maths Café
Drop in any time and get one-to-one help with that tricky maths or stats problem. With handouts on key topics to take away and computer-aided learning packages, we can get the problem solved and help you improve your numeracy skills.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
A construction project manager is the individual responsible for ensuring that teams meet their objectives, the project meets its requirements and the execution of the project is kept as succinct as possible.
This course will therefore equip you to manage construction projects in client (private and public) construction and consulting organisations, engage in construction and other business, or alternatively, pursue further studies or research in academic and research institutions.
Previous graduates have gone on to work for client, contracting and consulting organisations in the construction industry in a variety of roles.
Career planning
One of the benefits of studying at Portsmouth is the support that we provide to our Master's and Research Degrees students in career planning. Our careers and recruitment service – Purple Door – can assist you in career research and finding employment opportunities. Help is also available if you wish to find a part-time job while studying your degree. We offer our postgraduate students and alumni one-to-one appointments with a careers adviser, or an online service for those not able to travel back to the University. Our alumni can call on our career services for five years after graduation.
In addition, regular employability events offer you the chance to meet employers, find out about different career sectors and improve your applications or CV. The Graduate Summer Programme provides a range of guidance and employability seminars and workshops.