Overview
Project management is one of the most transferable skills in the global economy. Durham University's MSc covers the full project lifecycle — initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure — using both predictive and agile frameworks. You will earn practical experience with MS Project, Jira, and risk registers while studying stakeholder management, procurement, and programme governance. The capstone requires you to rescue or optimise a real project scenario presented by industry partners.
MSc Project Management is taught as one award, not a list of unrelated modules. The published length is 18 months, and the credit total is 36. Students move from Principles of Project Management through Principles of Project Management; Project Planning & Scheduling; Cost & Resource Management; Stakeholder & Communication Management; Agile & Scrum Frameworks; Risk & Quality Management, and finish on Project Management Capstone.
Each course has a question, a method, and a submission. In this field, students diagnose one organisation and carry a decision through to a recommendation. Reading is a case, a short financial extract, and a stakeholder note. The artefact a marker expects is a consulting brief a manager could use.
The award is built so that a graduate can do the following in practice: Develop comprehensive project charters, WBS, and Gantt schedules Apply Agile, Scrum, and Kanban in software and non-IT contexts Manage project budgets, procurement, and contract negotiations
Teaching assumes the student can read a source, attempt a problem before the seminar, and revise after feedback. Attendance at live seminars is part of the design. The capstone or final course must use the methods of the earlier courses; a project that ignores them does not pass.
The pages for each course name the topics that are examined. Those topics are the syllabus. A brochure line is not a substitute for them.
You will master MS Project, Jira, and risk registers through live scenarios — not slide decks alone. Electives cover construction, IT, and humanitarian contexts. The capstone rescues a failing project brief from an industry partner.
Who This Programme Is For
- ✦Engineers and analysts becoming project or programme managers
- ✦Scrum masters seeking formal PM credentials
- ✦Public-sector officers delivering infrastructure or digital programmes
Faculty spotlight
PMP-certified Professor Daniel Osei teaches agile at scale; Dr. Priya Sharma specialises in humanitarian logistics projects.
Programme Structure & Delivery
Coursework
Interactive modules, weekly readings, recorded and live seminars, and collaborative discussions with peers worldwide.
Assessment
Module assignments, proctored examinations, and capstone projects designed to demonstrate mastery of the field.
Learning Outcomes
- ✦Develop comprehensive project charters, WBS, and Gantt schedules
- ✦Apply Agile, Scrum, and Kanban in software and non-IT contexts
- ✦Manage project budgets, procurement, and contract negotiations
- ✦Identify and mitigate risks using qualitative and quantitative techniques
- ✦Lead project teams through conflict, scope creep, and executive pressure
- ✦Build earned-value reports and executive dashboards for sponsors
- ✦Negotiate scope changes without destroying team trust
Career Pathways
- ✦Project Manager (PMI PMP pathway)
- ✦Programme Manager
- ✦Agile Coach / Scrum Master
- ✦Construction or Infrastructure PM
- ✦PMO (Project Management Office) Lead
Assessment
Modules are assessed through a published mix of coursework, applied projects, and examinations. Exam windows are announced in advance so students in other time zones are not forced into overnight sittings. Alternative arrangements are available where documented.
Curriculum
Term 1 — Foundations
PM501Principles of Project Management- PM501-M1 · Position, rivals, and the choice in front of the organisation — Principles of Project Management
- PM501-M2 · A financial result and the operational cause — Principles of Project Management
- PM501-M3 · The decision, the team, resistance, and the plan — Principles of Project Management
- PM501-M4 · Stakeholders and what they can block — Principles of Project Management
- PM501-M5 · Ethics and the limit of the recommendation — Principles of Project Management
- PM501-M6 · A consulting brief: problem, evidence, recommendation, defence — Principles of Project Management
3 creditsPM502Project Planning & Scheduling- PM502-M1 · Position, rivals, and the choice in front of the organisation — Project Planning & Scheduling
- PM502-M2 · A financial result and the operational cause — Project Planning & Scheduling
- PM502-M3 · The decision, the team, resistance, and the plan — Project Planning & Scheduling
- PM502-M4 · Stakeholders and what they can block — Project Planning & Scheduling
- PM502-M5 · Ethics and the limit of the recommendation — Project Planning & Scheduling
- PM502-M6 · A consulting brief: problem, evidence, recommendation, defence — Project Planning & Scheduling
3 creditsPM503Cost & Resource Management- PM503-M1 · Position, rivals, and the choice in front of the organisation — Cost & Resource Management
- PM503-M2 · A financial result and the operational cause — Cost & Resource Management
- PM503-M3 · The decision, the team, resistance, and the plan — Cost & Resource Management
- PM503-M4 · Stakeholders and what they can block — Cost & Resource Management
- PM503-M5 · Ethics and the limit of the recommendation — Cost & Resource Management
- PM503-M6 · A consulting brief: problem, evidence, recommendation, defence — Cost & Resource Management
3 creditsPM504Stakeholder & Communication Management- PM504-M1 · Audience, offer, and the evidence for both — Stakeholder & Communication Management
- PM504-M2 · Channel choice and what the channel cannot do — Stakeholder & Communication Management
- PM504-M3 · Message, proof, and a measure of response — Stakeholder & Communication Management
- PM504-M4 · Ethics of persuasion and claims that must not be made — Stakeholder & Communication Management
- PM504-M5 · A campaign or content decision with a budget line — Stakeholder & Communication Management
- PM504-M6 · A recommendation a client could act on — Stakeholder & Communication Management
3 creditsTerm 2 — Methods
PM505Agile & Scrum Frameworks- PM505-M1 · Position, rivals, and the choice in front of the organisation — Agile & Scrum Frameworks
- PM505-M2 · A financial result and the operational cause — Agile & Scrum Frameworks
- PM505-M3 · The decision, the team, resistance, and the plan — Agile & Scrum Frameworks
- PM505-M4 · Stakeholders and what they can block — Agile & Scrum Frameworks
- PM505-M5 · Ethics and the limit of the recommendation — Agile & Scrum Frameworks
- PM505-M6 · A consulting brief: problem, evidence, recommendation, defence — Agile & Scrum Frameworks
3 creditsPM506Risk & Quality Management- PM506-M1 · Position, rivals, and the choice in front of the organisation — Risk & Quality Management
- PM506-M2 · A financial result and the operational cause — Risk & Quality Management
- PM506-M3 · The decision, the team, resistance, and the plan — Risk & Quality Management
- PM506-M4 · Stakeholders and what they can block — Risk & Quality Management
- PM506-M5 · Ethics and the limit of the recommendation — Risk & Quality Management
- PM506-M6 · A consulting brief: problem, evidence, recommendation, defence — Risk & Quality Management
3 creditsPM507Procurement & Contract Management- PM507-M1 · Position, rivals, and the choice in front of the organisation — Procurement & Contract Management
- PM507-M2 · A financial result and the operational cause — Procurement & Contract Management
- PM507-M3 · The decision, the team, resistance, and the plan — Procurement & Contract Management
- PM507-M4 · Stakeholders and what they can block — Procurement & Contract Management
- PM507-M5 · Ethics and the limit of the recommendation — Procurement & Contract Management
- PM507-M6 · A consulting brief: problem, evidence, recommendation, defence — Procurement & Contract Management
3 creditsPM508Programme & Portfolio Management- PM508-M1 · Position, rivals, and the choice in front of the organisation — Programme & Portfolio Management
- PM508-M2 · A financial result and the operational cause — Programme & Portfolio Management
- PM508-M3 · The decision, the team, resistance, and the plan — Programme & Portfolio Management
- PM508-M4 · Stakeholders and what they can block — Programme & Portfolio Management
- PM508-M5 · Ethics and the limit of the recommendation — Programme & Portfolio Management
- PM508-M6 · A consulting brief: problem, evidence, recommendation, defence — Programme & Portfolio Management
3 creditsTerm 3 — Capstone
PM601Leadership in Project Environments- PM601-M1 · System boundary, constraint, and actors — Leadership in Project Environments
- PM601-M2 · Indicators, sources of error, and a better measure — Leadership in Project Environments
- PM601-M3 · Two options on cost, time, and downside — Leadership in Project Environments
- PM601-M4 · Safety, environmental limit, and who bears the risk — Leadership in Project Environments
- PM601-M5 · A site, grid, or product decision — Leadership in Project Environments
- PM601-M6 · A recommendation with evidence and residual risk — Leadership in Project Environments
3 creditsPM602Strategic Project Governance & PMO- PM602-M1 · Forum, rule, and parties — Strategic Project Governance & PMO
- PM602-M2 · Claim, counterclaim, and the facts that would change the result — Strategic Project Governance & PMO
- PM602-M3 · A clause, briefing, or policy note for a named audience — Strategic Project Governance & PMO
- PM602-M4 · Sources, revision, and the strength of the authority — Strategic Project Governance & PMO
- PM602-M5 · Institutions and the limit of the award — Strategic Project Governance & PMO
- PM602-M6 · A supervised paper: question, sources, argument, and defence — Strategic Project Governance & PMO
3 creditsPM603Project Management Capstone- PM603-M1 · Position, rivals, and the choice in front of the organisation — Project Management Capstone
- PM603-M2 · A financial result and the operational cause — Project Management Capstone
- PM603-M3 · The decision, the team, resistance, and the plan — Project Management Capstone
- PM603-M4 · Stakeholders and what they can block — Project Management Capstone
- PM603-M5 · Ethics and the limit of the recommendation — Project Management Capstone
- PM603-M6 · A consulting brief: problem, evidence, recommendation, defence — Project Management Capstone
6 creditsAdmission requirements
Academic entry
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution (minimum 2:2 or GPA 2.5/4.0)
English language
- English proficiency: IELTS 5.5, TOEFL 46, or equivalent (waived for prior English-medium study)
Documents
- Statement of Purpose (500 words minimum) outlining your goals and fit for the programme
- Two academic or professional references with contact details
- CV or résumé documenting relevant education and professional experience
Programme questions
How long is the MSc Project Management?+
The published duration is 18 months. Teaching language: English. Actual time-to-complete depends on mode and any recognised prior learning.
Can I study this from my country?+
This is a fully online award. You study from your country. No student visa and no campus relocation are required.
What does it cost?+
Degree tuition for this award is published as £0 / tuition-free on the online pathway. Examination or administrative fees may apply at checkout — never an annual tuition invoice. Check the Fees page for any extras.
What are the entry requirements?+
Requirements are grouped on this page (academic, English, documents). Equivalent qualifications are considered. English may be waived after prior English-medium study.
How is the programme assessed?+
Assessment is typically a mix of coursework, projects, and examinations. Doctoral awards include a thesis or dissertation and an oral examination. Details sit in the programme specification and module outlines.
Will this award be recognised where I live?+
Recognition of the award for local employment, professional licence, or ministry attestation is decided by your employer or regulator. Durham University publishes verification pages for certificates. We do not claim automatic equivalence in every country.
How do I apply?+
Start an application on this website. Progress is saved from the first step. Admissions: admissions@durhm.co.uk.
