This course is open for applications
If you would like to study this course from January 2025 please see the 2024/25 course page.
Page last updated 2 October 2024
This course is ideal if you wish to develop your understanding and skills in managing projects for construction professionals in either practice or client organisations.
In today's ever-changing market, construction professionals need the knowledge and skills available through postgraduate study more than ever. Successful project managers need to be able to think, lead and act in an uncertain and dynamic business environment, have access to the latest information, understand the appropriate techniques and systems, and have the expertise to apply these to market needs and business opportunities.
The MSc Construction Project Management is designed specifically to enhance your understanding of managing projects, and to support construction professionals in practice and client organisations. It is aimed at architects, surveyors, services engineers, civil engineers, construction managers, and existing project managers who wish to formalise their training on the client and supply side.
This course is accredited by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). A RICS-accredited course assures employers you hold a high-quality, industry-relevant qualification. It's also the first step to becoming a chartered surveyor.
The course is also accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
The course's strengths lie in teaching and learning that meets the practising professional's needs, and with such a diverse range of applicants, it is ideal for peer learning. Module content reflects the current diversity and ongoing change in the construction industry in particular, building information modelling (BIM) as well as sustainability and health and safety. To help you gain the most benefit from the course, we also offer advanced study skills.
You'll also enjoy plenty of opportunities to network with people working at the leading edge of research and practice whose insights feed directly into the course modules and help us shape research opportunities for your dissertation. Our staff include active researchers and consultants, through the Department's Centre for Architecture and Built Environment Research (CABER).
We enjoy excellent links with, and support from, a group of employers who contribute towards teaching resources and offer sponsorship and placements to students. These employers see graduates of this programme as highly employable within their own businesses and organisations.
If you're one of our many international students, you'll have opportunities to incorporate material and examples from your home country into your studies, especially in the dissertation. We also visit construction project sites in the UK, so you can compare practices here with those in your home country. This enriches your overall learning, and ours.
The course is structured to support you as you explore the nature of projects in relation to organisations, and their commercial and public environment. This includes managing teams that analyse client value and risk associated with environmental issues, and the forms of procurement and contract available.
You'll consider the use of information technology in managing projects, together with organisational change and innovation, and study the planning and control of projects in relation to the organisations that contribute to and manage the process.
We review modules regularly to ensure they're relevant to the latest trends and events, but the overall aims and content themes remain the same. The following core modules are indicative of the course structure:
This is a major part of the course, where you plan and carry out a research project. You'll have expert supervision from a member of staff. The module also provides a critique of research methods.
This structure is for full-time students only. Part-time students study the same modules but the delivery pattern will be different.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we'll inform you.
Teaching usually takes place on two whole days a week, with lectures, seminars and other supporting activities. Each module (excluding the dissertation) has a full day of contact, with morning and afternoon sessions, and five teaching days so you engage with each module usually once a fortnight. This allows you to prepare for each module and apply yourself to the activities to consolidate your learning.
Some of your learning will be through using BIM software in computer labs, applying it to real-world scenarios and briefs.
Each module has a flexible reading programme with essential text and suggested reading lists, and some modules provide interactive learning materials. The library has a wide range of e-materials, especially e-journals and other resources you can access remotely. The course demands you develop an advanced knowledge and use of independent materials.
See our glossary of teaching and learning terms.
Full-time (including dissertation): Teaching is in 40 teaching days. You should spend a minimum of 28 hours a week studying.
Part-time (including dissertation): Teaching is in 30 teaching days in the first year, and 10 teaching days in the second year. You should spend a minimum of 14 hours a week studying.
Part-time students will study the same modules but the delivery pattern will be different.
Studying part-time allows you to combine study with work, although being in work is not a requirement of the programme. Our full-time version is an intensive, yet cost-effective way, of accelerating your studies. If you opt to study with us full-time, any accompanying job that you hold should not exceed 16 hours per week to allow you sufficient study time.
We provide tutorial support between teaching blocks.
Assessment avoids major exams. We assess your work through a variety of coursework assignments, including reports, and presentations. Many modules have mini projects that require applied research relevant to the syllabus but applied to construction project management in practice.
See our full glossary of assessment terms.
This course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
UWE Bristol also holds Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Accredited Centre Status during the period 2022-2027 and this course is CIOB Accredited during the period 2022-2027, having been judged to meet the CIOB Education Framework. Prospective members holding these qualifications have full academic exemption and once they have gained three to five years' relevant work experience may enter CIOB membership as an applicant to progress towards Chartered Membership without the requirement for an Individual Assessment.
The course incorporates visits to project sites. These are led by senior site professionals, and include presentation as well as site tours.
We aim to foster an active graduate community for students on taught and research degrees. Graduate students have a dedicated space on the main campus, with teaching rooms and informal areas. Each course has a student adviser who provides pastoral support and general advice.
We have invested heavily in computer-based resources to support the modules. You will have access to a vast number of journals and databases online through the UWE Bristol library. Our computer labs support software for day-to-day data processing, and specialist software for teaching and learning. Some of the department's computer labs are available 24/7, and we have a 'Project Room' with a wide range of facilities and equipment, including space to work collaboratively and complete assessment work.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
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Clients, consultants and contractors value project managers' role highly when it comes to optimising projects' budgets, timescales and quality. Project management roles vary, depending on the nature of the project and working environment, but it is a generic function that many organisations' clients will specify.
Our award-winning careers service helps you develop your employment potential through career coaching, a vacancy service for internships, placements, jobs, global opportunities, volunteering and community activity plus support for entrepreneurial activity, and access to employer events.
During your study we will provide you with support in finding employment through close industrial contacts and career events and recruitment fairs.
See our funding pages for more information.
We normally require an honours degree of 2:2 or above.
If you do not meet the above grade requirements but have at least 12 months relevant professional experience and/ or equivalent qualifications, we will consider you on an individual basis.
UWE Bristol's relationship with the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, means you could gain direct entry into the second semester of this course after you have successfully completed a construction project management short course at the University of Ibadan. Further information about this can be obtained by contacting UWE Bristol's international team via Jennifer.Azuka-Okacha@uwe.ac.uk or 08091697000.
International students who do not meet the academic or English language requirements to study this course can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.
If you meet the academic requirements but require additional support to take your language skills to the required level, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Students who successfully complete the pre-sessional course can progress onto their chosen degree course without retaking an IELTS or equivalent.
Read more about our Pre-sessional English Programme.
You are required to complete a personal statement for this course. Please read the personal statement guidance carefully and make sure that you answer the questions on the postgraduate application form within the personal statement tabs, keeping to the advised word count.
We are not able to offer deferrals for this course. However, we appreciate there may be extenuating circumstances to consider and therefore we will consider requests on a case by case basis.
International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The University accepts a large number of UK and international qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit English language requirements.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.