Overview
Top reasons to study with us
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9
9th for Business and Management in the UK
QS World University Rankings (2024)
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72
72nd for Business and Management in the world
QS World University Rankings (2024)
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Lancaster University is top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2025
Introduction
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.
Course outline
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.
Dissertation
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.
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
2:2 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in any subject.
Marks should be consistently at 2:2 level throughout your undergraduate studies.
We may also consider non-standard applicants. Please contact us for information.
If you have studied outside of the UK, we advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.
Additional requirements
As part of your application please provide details of any relevant work experience.
English Language requirements
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
Course structure
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.
Core
core modules accordion
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:
- Contextualise project management issues within broader business and strategic situations.
- Identify and recognise how business and commercial performance affect and are affected by the development of projects and how project management activities and processes interface with business issues.
- Apply and utilise appropriate strategic frameworks, undertake strategic analysis and construct an appropriate response to inform the development of business and project planning and to determine a suitable management approach.
- Identify, construct and explain the content of a business plan or business case and how such documents contribute to organisational strategy and the purpose and development of a project.
- Explain the procurement and supplier management processes and recognise how they relate to project management, organisational strategy and the development of a project.
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:
- Employ consultancy skills including teamwork, communication, creativity and innovation, problem-solving, flexibility, commercial awareness, understanding of business environments and the ability to cope with pressure and challenges,
- Evaluate and employ advanced project management tools, techniques and theories, as appropriate to the project lifecycle
- Apply interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills to successfully lead, manage and/or participate in a physical and virtual team
- Examine and apply methods for stakeholder management, engagement and communication during the project
- Assess and demonstrate professional project management and consultancy behaviours and skills
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:
- Interpret your own self-awareness as well as your own self-management
- Demonstrate social awareness, including empathy and relationship management and team membership
- Examine the development, composition and performance of teams and, in particular, of cross-functional teams
- Evaluate and apply team leadership in terms of leading with and without authority in different organisational structural contexts
- Appraise and lead change in organisations
- Demonstrate the ability to think clearly and apply critical thinking skills, including critical analysis, for example, to reading academic journals or your own academic writing
- Show how the role of critical reflection applies to personal learning and development
- Demonstrate and apply standards of academic practice to assignments, specifically with regard to referencing, plagiarism, structuring, signposting and development of a reasoned, justified and cohesive argument.
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:
- Explain and critically evaluate the purpose, importance and relevance of project management and its role in delivering successful projects
- Explain and critically evaluate the core knowledge of project management processes and methods within practical applications
- Explain and critically evaluate how the use of processes and methods links with the development of positive attitudes and behaviours appropriate to successful project completion
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:
- Evaluate and employ project management tools, techniques and theories, as appropriate to the project lifecycle
- Apply interpersonal and communication skills to successfully lead, manage and/or participate in a team
- Explain how information is identified, developed and utilised during decision making throughout the project lifecycle
- Demonstrate professional project management behaviours and skills
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:
- Critically engage with other people’s work, sources of information, digital information systems and problems in practice
- Formulate valid and reliable research questions, hypotheses or conclusions through critical analysis and interpretation of information
- Appreciate the connection between research philosophy, approach and design as well as data collection and analysis techniques
- Develop a research design that is suitable and justifiable to address a particular research question, considering the relative strengths and weaknesses of different research methods
- Demonstrate the adoption of ethical standards in research and /or professional environments including the appraisal of ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in a business environment
- Evaluate and develop responsible practice in terms of economic, legal, ethical, social, environmental and philanthropic aspects for self-regulation in a business environment
- Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of key theories of critical reflection and development towards becoming a reflective practitioner
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:
- Apply a systems perspective to projects within organisations
- Appreciate the nature of change on and in organisational life
- Integrate a change management perspective into the deployment of projects
- Apply a variety of methods and concepts to frame complex problem situations as systems
- Understand and analyse the perspective and inputs of multiple stakeholders
- Describe and explain theories, frameworks, concepts and models that help to inform, analyse and explain change processes
- Appreciate the skills of a successful change agent in building and maintaining stakeholder engagement
Optional
optional modules accordion
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.
Undertaking this dissertation option offers you a valuable opportunity to research an area of project management in-depth, linking this to business problems that arise in the real world. You will have the opportunity to develop into a competent and capable research investigator who is able to design, develop, and implement a research methodology appropriate to the research being undertaken. Throughout the project, you will develop your knowledge and understanding of professional academic engagement both in your interactions with the supervisor and in the reporting of your outputs and discourse on your research.
Fees and funding
Location | Full Time (per year) | Part Time (per year) |
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Home | £15,650 | n/a |
International | £31,500 | n/a |
Additional fees and funding information accordion
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.
College fees
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 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.
Computer equipment and internet access
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, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
Scholarships and bursaries
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 |
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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.
Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.
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Management and Business
- Business Administration MBA
- Business Administration (Executive) MBA
- Business Analytics MSc
- Cyber Security Executive MBA MBA
- Digital Business, Innovation and Management MSc
- Human Resource Management MSc
- Human Resources and Consulting MA
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc
- Innovation and Improvement Science MSc
- Innovation and Improvement Science PgCert
- Innovation and Improvement Science PgDip
- International Business and Strategy MSc
- International Masters Program for Managers No Qual (PGT)
- Leadership and Management PgCert
- Leadership and Management (Health Care) PgCert
- Leadership Practice MSc
- Leadership Practice PgDip
- Leadership Practice (Apprenticeship Pathway) PgDip
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management MSc
- Management MSc
- Management (Entrepreneurship and Strategy) PhD
- Management (Organisation, Work and Technology) PhD
- Management Science MRes
- Management Science PhD
- Management Science PhD (Integrated)
- Medical Leadership MSc
- Medical Leadership PgDip
- Medical Leadership PgCert
- Organisation, Work and Technology MRes
- Politics, Philosophy and Management MSc
- Professional Development PGCert
- Professional Practice MA
- Professional Practice MSc
- Professional Practice PgCert
- Professional Practice PgDip
- Theory and Practice of Management PhD
- Theory and Practice of Management (IDPM) PhD
Important Information
The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 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.
Our Students’ Charter
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.