Overview

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Course description

Expansive yet meticulous, this course is designed to provide you with the skills needed to streamline and advance commercial organisations.

People and organisations, contract management, risk management, conflict management - equipped with these skills you are able to make businesses more efficient in both time and costs. Not only that, but your commercial background will enable you to enhance marketing and sales, financial management, procurement, bidding and contract management.

This is just one of four MSc courses within our Management of Projects Group of Programmes. The other courses are: Management of Projects, Commercial Project Management and Construction Project Management.

Here at The University of Manchester, we have a long history of delivering project management Master's courses and as a student of this course you will be taught by experts drawn from across a wide variety of specialisms and industry backgrounds.

A study experience that makes a difference

We place social responsibility at the heart of your learning which means you can take advantage of unique ways to make a difference while studying with us, through your course or through extra-curricular activities.

  • Complete our Ethical Grand Challenges to learn how you can create a better world and become more socially responsible.
  • Work with an external organisation to tackle real-world sustainability problems through our University Living Lab.
  • Discover subjects that broaden your horizon with our interdisciplinary learning opportunities.

Explore how you'll make your mark

Every course at Manchester contributes towards the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, so no matter what you're studying you'll be playing an active role in the protection of people and planet.

You will explore the following goals in your course:

  • Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy

Open days

We're delighted to hear you're interested in studying with us for your master's.

Take a look at our Meet Us page to find out when our next information sessions are taking place, and when you can next join us at a study fair near you.

For any further questions, we encourage you to get in touch - we're happy to help.

Contact details

Department
Department of Civil Engineering and Management
Contact name
Postgraduate Admissions Team
Telephone
+44 (0)161 275 5300
Email
Website
https://www.manchester.ac.uk/cem/
School/Faculty overview

The School of Engineering creates a world of possibilities for students pursuing skills and understanding. Through dynamic research and teaching we develop engineering solutions that make a difference to society in an ethical and sustainable way.  Science-based engineering is at the heart of what we do, and through collaboration we support the engineers and scientists of tomorrow to become technically strong, analytically innovative and creative. Find out more about Science and Engineering at Manchester .

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

The minimumacademic entry requirement for this Master's course isan Upper Second Class (2:1)UK honours degree or international equivalent in a relevant subject, such as relevant engineering, science, business, economics and management disciplines.

English language

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is:

• IELTS: overall score of 7.0 with no sub-test below 6.5.

• TOEFL iBT: at least 100 overall with no sub-test less than 22. We do not accept 'MyBestScore'. We do not accept TOEFL iBT Home Edition.

• Pearson PTE: at least 76 overall with no sub-test below 70.

• Pre-sessional English run by the University Centre for Academic English

• An acceptable equivalent English Language qualification.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Fees and funding

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2026, the tuition fees are as follows:

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

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Policy on additional costs

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).

Scholarships/sponsorships

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.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply online

As there is high demand for this course we operate a  staged admissions process  with selection deadlines throughout the year. Please find more information in our  Application and Selection section .

If you are made an offer, in order to confirm your place you will be required to make a deposit payment of £1,000 on or before the deadline date stated in your offer letter.

Please note, refunds are only given for a limited number of reasons, see our page on  Acceptance deposits  for more information.

Staged admissions

Applications to this course are considered through a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year. Due to the competition for places and high quality of applications that we receive, we give preference to students from high-ranking institutions and with grades above our minimum entry requirements.

Applications for 2026 entry:
Stage 1: Application received by 24 October 2025; Decision by 19 December 2025.
Stage 2: Application received by 12 December 2025; Decision by 13 February 2026.
Stage 3: Application received by 20 Feb 2026; Decision by 10 April 2026.
Stage 4: Application received by 29 May 2026; Decision by 19 June 2026.

Applications received after Stage 4 will be considered depending on course availability.

Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date. If this is the case, we will let you know after the deadline date.

Please note: All places are subject to availability and if you apply at one of the later stages, some courses may already be reaching capacity or be closed to further applications. We, therefore, recommend that you apply early in the cycle to avoid disappointment.

If we make you an offer, you will be given a deadline by which to accept. This is typically 4-6 weeks but may be shorter. Offers that are not accepted by the deadline will be withdrawn.

Applicants who are made a conditional offer of a place must provide evidence that they have met all the conditions of their offer by 31 July 2026.

Advice to applicants

We require the following documents before we can consider your application:

  • Official Bachelor degree transcripts, including official translations and original language copies if study not undertaken in English. 2+2 and 3+1 applicants must provide official transcripts and certificates from both institutions.
  • An official document from your university verifying your current weighted average mark (not arithmetic average) if this information is not included in your transcript of study. Please note: University of Manchester students applying for postgraduate study do not need to provide this information.
  • If still studying, please provide an official list of all the modules you are taking in your final year.
  • A CV if you graduated more than three years ago.
  • A copy of your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) if you have studied in the UK.

References and personal statements are not required for your application for this programme.

If English is not your first language, we also require proof of your English language ability. If you have already taken an English language qualification, please include your certificate with your application. We may be willing to consider your application without this document, but if we choose to make you an offer, the conditions will include IELTS (or equivalent qualification).

You must submit all these supporting documents with your application. If any of the above information is missing, we will not be able to consider your application and it will be rolled forward to the next stage or withdrawn.

Please only apply for one of the following courses: MSc Construction Project Management, MSc Engineering Project Management, MSc Management of Projects, MSc Commercial Project Management. If you wish to transfer your application or offer we can review this, please check the suitable backgrounds and entry requirements for each course as we will not automatically consider you for another stream in the Management of Projects suite of courses.

How your application is considered

We consider your full academic history including which course units you have taken and the marks obtained. Even if you have met our minimum entry requirements, we will take into account your marks in relevant course units in our final decision making.

If you graduated more than three years ago, we will also consider the information contained on your CV and any relevant work experience you have to assess if you are still able to fulfil the entry criteria.

Interview requirements

No interview is required for this course.

Overseas (non-UK) applicants

CAS information

Please upload a copy of your current valid passport with your application showing the photograph page with your application. For CAS purposes, this must show your full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and the date the passport is valid until, which must be later than the date of your planned arrival in the UK, and the start date of your course.

If you have previously studied in the UK on a Tier 4 visa as an undergraduate or postgraduate student, please send a copy of your previous CAS statement to us as it will assist with the issue of your new CAS statement. This includes study in the UK on study abroad programmes and any study that you did not complete.

You cannot use your CAS to apply for a visa more than three months before the start date of your course. The Admissions Team will contact you at the appropriate time.

Your CAS number is only valid for one Tier 4 application.

Deferrals

Applications for deferred entry are not accepted for this course. If you receive an offer and wish to be considered for the following year of entry, you will need to place a new application. Please be aware there is no guarantee of receiving another offer, and offer conditions are subject to change in line with entry requirements.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved.  We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Course details

Course description

Expansive yet meticulous, this course is designed to provide you with the skills needed to streamline and advance commercial organisations.

People and organisations, contract management, risk management, conflict management - equipped with these skills you are able to make businesses more efficient in both time and costs. Not only that, but your commercial background will enable you to enhance marketing and sales, financial management, procurement, bidding and contract management.

This is just one of four MSc courses within our Management of Projects Group of Programmes. The other courses are: Management of Projects, Commercial Project Management and Construction Project Management.

Here at The University of Manchester, we have a long history of delivering project management Master's courses and as a student of this course you will be taught by experts drawn from across a wide variety of specialisms and industry backgrounds.

Special features

  • Gain the highly coveted skill of making business more efficient with Commercial Project Management
  • The first English university to offer an engineering degree, we've pioneered the way since 1824 with decades spent at the cutting-edge of the Management of Projects field on a global scale
  • Named one of the targeted universities by top graduate employers (The Graduate Market, 2024)
  • Recognised as 2nd in the UK for Research Power in Engineering (REF, 2021)
  • This course is listed by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) as an Approved Further Learning Scheme for Chartered Engineers
  • Learn in our world-class £400m Home of Engineering and Materials , plus facilities including wind tunnels and laser laboratories

Teaching and learning

The Commercial Project Management MSc is a full time course which is studied over 12 months, starting in September each year. The course comprises eight taught course units, each worth 15 credits, and a research dissertation worth 60 credits. Students on this particular MSc study four core units fundamental to project management, and which are shared by students on the other MSc courses. In addition, students on this course study Contract Management and programme specific unit, Commercial Management, where students work in teams to produce documents related to the buying and selling side of a case study activity. Students must also select two optional units and carry out a Commercial Project Management based dissertation.

Assessment of the taught part of the programme is via a combination of formal written examinations and coursework assignments, which will include group work and oral presentations. Some assessment is based on online material provided by the Association for Project Management (APM) and PRINCE2 (a process-based method for effective project management).

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
ENGM60011 15 Mandatory
ENGM60050 15 Mandatory
ENGM60061 15 Mandatory
ENGM62012 15 Mandatory
ENGM63000 60 Mandatory
ENGM63012 15 Mandatory
ENGM66062 15 Mandatory
ENGM60022 15 Optional
ENGM60032 15 Optional
ENGM64011 15 Optional
ENGM66061 15 Optional
ENGM67061 15 Optional
Displaying 10 of 12 course units
Display all course units

Facilities

When it comes to learning facilities, the Home of Engineering and Materials at The University of Manchester is unmatched.


Purpose-built and ready to take to take on some of the world’s most pressing issues, you can enjoy over 1200 informal study spaces, high-spec teaching and research labs, and not to mention lecture theatres equipped with high-density Wi-Fi and power to every seat.

In the words of Senior Lecturer, Dr Tim Craft: “This space smooths the journey to industry in many enriching ways, enabling cross-discipline collaborations to take flight much akin to those experienced within a rewarding engineering career.”

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

Consistently named one of the most sought-after universities by top UK employers, as you graduate this highly regarded course from The University of Manchester, you can apply your skills across a broad sector of commercial applications (The Graduate Market, 2024).

As a graduate of this course, you will not only learn the basic processes of project management, but focus more specifically on the commercial aspects of project management. That encompasses the establishment of stable, profitable and low-risk exchange relationships for project procurement or sales. We also develop your skills when it comes to managing the contracts which represent these relationships in a range of project settings.

After completing your time with us at Manchester, you will have developed buy and side project procurement, contract management, and - a student favourite - conflict and dispute resolution. Successful graduates of this programme find employment in a wide range of commercial-related roles - from forensic delay analysis, to quantity surveying and general project management.

Where do our graduates work?

  • Blackrock
  • Costain
  • Manchester City Council
  • National Highways
  • Parsons Brinckerhoff
  • PwC
  • WSP
  • Yendall Hunter

What do our graduates do?

  • Commercial Business Manager
  • Commercial Director
  • Consultant
  • Operations Manager
  • Programme Management Officer
  • Project Management Officer
  • Project Manager
  • Strategy and Business Manager

Accrediting organisations

This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) comprising of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the academic requirement for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). To hold accredited qualifications for CEng registration, candidates must also hold a Bachelor (Hons) degree that has been accredited as partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.

* It should be noted that candidates completing the MSc who hold an underpinning accredited Bachelor degree accredited for IEng only or a non-accredited bachelor degree will need to apply for an academic assessment to determine whether they will meet the educational base for CEng registration.

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.