Course overview
Whether you are managing a complex project, bringing a new product to market or managing an organisational change, this online course gives you the tools to plan, implement, control and deliver your projects strategically and operationally. This course develops these competencies required by project managers in the modern engineering, IT, computing, digital, manufacturing, construction, telecom, process, oil and gas industries.
You gain significant analytical, interpersonal and practical competencies that cover advance planning and visualisation, risk management, procurement and contract strategy, health and safety, managing operations and finance, and change management. You also undertake a major research project that allows you to specialise in a field of interest. The transferrable knowledge, skills and competencies you develop and the industry-standard project management software you use, equips you to work in sectors including engineering, business, IT and computing.
Top reasons to study this course with us:
- Learn anywhere, through a customised virtual learning environment.
- Learn flexibly, through real-time and recorded lectures.
- Get real-world experience using project management tools and techniques to examine case studies.
- Pay your fees in instalments.
Course details
Course structure
Core modules
You integrate your learning and development, and knowledge and understanding of both the theory and practice in a final major project related to project management. You are supported throughout the process by a supervising tutor who monitors your progress, ensuring that you are assessed on your ongoing performance.
Optional modules - semester one
Big Data and Business Intelligence
You develop your ability to design and implement database, big data and analytics applications to meet business needs. A case study is used to follow the system development lifecycle. You develop a plausible application from inception to implementation for a real-world scenario.
You investigate the issues and technologies associated with implementing and supporting large scale databases and the services that are needed to maintain and access a repository of data. Investigations are undertaken in a number of areas including big data, data warehouses, integrating legacy data, data management and approaches that support the modelling and visualisation of data for a range of use views.
Procurement and Contract Strategies
This module aims at developing your knowledge and critical understanding of the types of procurement arrangements and contract strategies that are commonly used in the engineering sector, including construction, oil and gas, heavy civil engineering and production. It also provides an introduction to Contract Law to allow you to better understand the legal framework in which engineering companies and projects are managed.
This module develops your critical understanding of change management and the role of the change manager.
Key and relevant concepts, thinking and theories are integrated along with how managers manage in the context of change.
We also address the emergence of managers as leaders of change.
Optional modules - semester two
Advanced Project Planning and Visualisation
In this module you explore engineering project planning problems and solutions and learn to develop knowledge in emerging technologies used in advanced project planning. You develop planning skills and knowledge of the key concepts and tools used in traditional and advanced project planning. In particular, you familiarise with: principles of project planning, multi-constraints project planning techniques, and advanced 4D visualisation techniques.
Digital transformation is a change process that allows businesses and society to achieve goals such as improving accessibility and quality of digital services, increasing income generation, implementing innovative and generating a collaborative culture through the use of technology. The adoption of emerging technologies is important to businesses and can be fundamental to their survival. But digital transformation is not all about technology.
You gain an in-depth understanding of the context of digital transformation, its challenges and possible future as well as its leadership and management. You gain the skills to develop a digital transformation strategy for an organisation, by engaging in critical assessment of cutting-edge research findings to inform your solution.
Project Management Philosophies and Tools
Contemporary project management is an evolving and extensive discipline that has grown substantially to meet the needs of modern project management demands. This module cultivates detailed and critical awareness of this domain and its expanding range of philosophies, tools and frameworks.
The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the expanding discipline of project management and familiarise them with modern and contemporary project management modalities and the importance of effective project management to organisational functioning, enterprise growth and development.
Optional modules - semester three
Logistics and Global Supply Chain Management
You develop awareness and understanding of operational research and systems dynamics methods applicable to the analysis of logistics and global supply chain management operations within both the private and public sector. Further, the module will introduce spreadsheet-based simulation methods and will afford the student opportunity to develop theoretical and applied knowledge in logistics and supply chain management.
Managing Projects with PRINCE2®
This module explores in detail an established and widely recognised governance standard method called PRINCE2®. Students will work on simulated project brief in order to build their understanding and critically review the governance methodology.
The module will focus on the structure, processes, documentation, terminology but also tailoring of the governance method in order to plan for a particular project.
The students will be assessed by two in-course assessment elements (60% and 40%) requiring them to work as part of a team.
PRINCE2® is a registered trademark of AXELOS limited
We provide you with an advanced level of study in risk management in projects. You explore a range of tools and techniques used in risk identification, qualitative and quantitative risk analysis, risk-planning responses, PERT and risk monitoring. You learn about financial risk, project-appraisal methods and the application of a decision tree within a project.
You gain awareness of probability theory that represents the corner stone of risk management. Invited speakers from the industry give an overview of risk management in different projects; for example IT, finance, construction, and oil and gas. You work in groups on project case studies which apply risk management theory. In addition, you gain hands-on experience in applying the @RISK© tool to a variety of scenarios of risk factors. You develop a deep understanding of the systematic process of risk management and application of @RISK© software.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
You learn using online live and pre-recorded lectures, and you attend interactive discussion forums once a week, allowing you to explore aspects of the subject in more depth.
Lectures deliver substantial elements of the subject content, introduce core themes and explanations of concepts, and set the scene for you to undertake independent learning. You use interactive computer-based tools to develop skills in information retrieval, problem-solving, numeracy, and communication.
How you are assessed
You are assessed on your subject-specific knowledge, cognitive and intellectual skills, and transferable workplace skills. Some assessments may include individual or group essays/reports, presentation skills and report writing. You are assessed through online assignments, tests, case studies, presentations, research proposal and literature review, and a dissertation.
Entry requirements
A UK 2.2 honours degree (or equivalent) in science, technology, engineering, maths, business, management, computing or IT. We also welcome applications from individuals who do not have a bachelor’s degree but have gained relevant workplace knowledge and experience.
Students with a degree awarded outside the UK must also meet the University's minimum English language requirements.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
Employability
Career opportunities
Organisations continuously initiate projects to increase revenue, minimise cost, and boost efficiency. This course can be a first step on an rewarding career path, or a means for practising project managers to refresh and learn new knowledge and skills to enhance their performance.
Learning platform
Our virtual learning environment (VLE) is the platform you use to access your online course
Teesside University online learning courses are delivered through the Brightspace Learning Environment.
Here are some of the benefits.
- You can use it on your smartphone, tablet and computer.
- And you can use it anytime, so that you can plan your learning to fit your own schedule.
- It's easy to use and navigate.
- Modules are set out by topics and themes. You can use the progress bar to understand where you are in your modules, and appreciate your achievements.
- We support you to become familiar with your VLE, helping you to start learning quickly.
- You get feedback, help and guidance from tutors throughout your course through the VLE, and you can ask questions at any time.
- Our tutors use a live activity feed to keep you updated about your course.
- You can create a student profile, collaborate with other students and take part in online discussion forums.