MSc Engineering Project Management

Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £17,400
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £36,800

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We offer a number of postgraduate taught scholarships and awards to outstanding UK and international students each year.

The University of Manchester is committed to widening participation in master's study, and allocates £300,000 in funding each year. Our Manchester Master's Bursaries are aimed at widening access to master's courses by removing barriers to postgraduate education for students from underrepresented groups.

We also welcome the best and brightest international students each year and reward excellence with a number of merit-based scholarships. See our range of master’s scholarships for international students .

And, if you have completed an undergraduate degree at The University of Manchester, or are currently in your final year of an undergraduate degree with us, you may be eligible for a discount of 10% on tuition fees if you choose to study on a taught postgraduate course here. Find out if you're eligible and how to apply .

For more information on master's tuition fees and studying costs, visit the University of Manchester funding for master's courses website to help you plan your finances.

This course unit is delivered throughout semester 1 and 2. A colleague from the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) delivers approximately half the content, working with students to improve their academic practice and academic writing skills. The other half is delivered by colleagues within the Engineering Management discipline, where the focus is more on research methods relevant to project management - this is particularly important for preparing for the dissertation. The class discuss different research methodologies and develop skills in analysing published research. As well as discussing literature review techniques, quantitative and qualitative data collection and data analysis approaches are also covered. 

The aim of this unit is to prepare students for the dissertation part of their degree through an introduction of the process of research in the field of project studies and develop their skills and competencies in conducting and evaluating research.  

Research, evaluate and review academic literature and other sources of data; Think critically, cite appropriate sources and communicate clearly in written English; and Conduct research related to project management and, more specifically, to carry out the written coursework and the dissertation component of the MSc programme successfully. 

On successful completion of this unit, a student will be able to:

ILO 1 - Apply their knowledge and understanding of research philosophies, approaches and methodological traditions to critically review data collection and analysis methods used in research, and evaluate empirical research.

ILO 2 - Critically evaluate the suitability of different qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques for project management-related research.

ILO 3 - Search and identify related literature from different information sources. Be aware of academic tools for information retrieval and know how to develop a methodology for retrieving and evaluating relevant information.

ILO 4 - Demonstrate high-level cognitive skills of critical thinking, analysis and synthesis of relevant literature.

ILO 5 - Critically apply project management theory and practice to their selected dissertation topic area.

ILO 6 - Describe the reasons for a high level of professional and ethical conduct in research activities.  

ILO 7 - Use generative AI in ethical and responsible ways.

The unit introduces the principles of research design and illustrates the application of alternative research methods to research problems related to project management.
Key aspects of carrying out a literature review are covered, including: searching for and selecting relevant literature; summarising findings and how such findings are evidenced; writing a coherent and well-structured review; critically engaging with others' work; synthesising findings from the review and applying these to one's own project.

2 pieces of coursework:

• Literature review (40%)
• Reflective portfolio (60%)

Students receive feedback on their written report through Canvas. In addition to individual comments and a mark for each section, a qualitative rubric classification is given for each section (allowing comparison of different levels of performance).Students receive feedback on their written report through Canvas. In addition to individual comments and a mark for each section, a qualitative rubric classification is given for each section (allowing comparison of different levels of performance).

1. Research methods for business students by Saunders, M. N. K. Pearson, 2023. 
2. Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers by Bell, Judith. Graw-Hill Education, 2018. 
3. Asking the right questions: a guide to critical thinking by Browne, M. Neil. Pearson Education, 2014.
4. Doing a literature review: releasing the research imagination by Hart, Chris. SAGE Publications, 2018.
5. Designs, methods and practices for research of project management by Pasian, Beverly,; Algeo, Chivonne. Gower, 2015.
6. Critical thinking skills: effective analysis, argument and reflection ny Cottrell, Stella. Palgrave, 2017.
7. Qualitative research design: an interactive approach by Maxwell, Joseph Alex. SAGE, 2012.
8. Critical thinking for students: learn the skills of analysing, evaluating and producing arguments by Brink-Budgen, Roy van den. How To Books, 2010.
9. Study skills for Chinese students by Courtney, Michael. SAGE, 2015. 
10. Research Methods for Business and Management: a guide to writing your dissertation by D O'Gorman, Kevin.  Goodfellow Publishers Ltd, 2014.