Construction Project Management - MSc
- Level: Postgraduate Taught
- Starting: September 2020, January 2021
- Study mode: MSc - Full Time, Part Time
- Location: City Centre
The Construction Project Management MSc prepares you for complex construction projects in a constantly changing globalised industry. Such an industry calls for skilled professionals who can deal with the challenges ahead.
What's covered in the course?
Accredited by RICS and CIOB, this course gives you a broad yet rigorous grounding in the fundamentals of organising and managing construction projects, and provides you with the knowledge and skills needed as a project manager. Our Construction Project Management postgraduates are highly sought-after and have secured positions with companies such as Turner & Townsend, Miller Construction and Acivico.
The MSc Construction Project Management course will enable graduates with degrees in surveying, construction, architecture, civil engineering and real estate to enter the construction management profession. Practitioners with extensive construction work experience but without a first degree will also be considered, subject to entrance exam and interview.
The course gives you a broad knowledge of the challenges of a changing construction industry. You’ll cover law and contract, sustainability, business management, project management and innovation. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is embedded in the course for integrated project delivery.
Professional staff with industry experience will offer support and guidance. We are constantly reviewing and researching the most up-to-date construction developments to be able to pass on the latest industry knowledge. This is supported by guest speakers such as Andrew Hornby, one of our graduates, who now works for Arcadis. We also have excellent links with companies in the region, including Willmott Dixon, Galliford Try and Birmingham City Council.
The Masters in construction project management course is taught in the prestigious £114m Millennium Point building – part of our City Centre Campus – with technology and facilities that reflect advanced professional practice. Our City Centre Campus location is an inspirational place to learn. Birmingham’s Big City Plan, regenerating and developing the city, means there are plenty of opportunities within the built environment. And you’ll have the added advantage of being based near construction sites, including our new Conservatoire development and the new high speed rail track, HS2, giving you invaluable insight into the construction industry.
Tailor your degree
The Professional Placement version of the course is optional and is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course. This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.
Why Choose Us?
- Accredited Course - This course is fully accredited by both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
- Preparation for industry - Successful completion of the course enables you to pursue professional membership of both CIOB and RICS after the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).
- High graduate employability rate - 96% of our graduates find work or further study within six months (DLHE 2016/17). Our graduates have secured positions with companies such as Miller Construction, Parkwood Consultancy, HS2 and Turner & Townsend Project Management.
- Professional placement option – Gain desirable employability skills with the option of a professional placement.
- Strong industry links - Our links with companies such as Wilmott Dixon and Galliford Try help you make vital contacts and gain practical experience to back up theory.
- Multi-Professional learning - Develop understanding of all aspects of this industry in workshops with students from other built environment post-graduate courses.
- Travel Scholarships – You'll have opportunities to secure funding to gain experience overseas. Read about travel scholarships here.
This course is open to International students
I have enjoyed the course and because of the experience, I really see my future in project management. Shane Madzima
My experience in this course is more than I expected, and is good for life. It makes me more mature and more confident. May Zaw Maung Maung
Where our students go
Our students have gone on to work with companies such as:
- Miller Construction
- Parkwood Consultancy Services
And in jobs such as:
- Assistant Design Manager
- Assistant Project Manager
Course Accreditations
Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)
Entry Requirements
Essential Requirements
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A good UK honours degree at 2:2 or above/equivalent in surveying, construction, civil engineering, real estate or any other construction subject. |
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In exceptional circumstances, students who have relevant professional experience maybe invited to an interview and take a test, at which you will be required to demonstrate the necessary knowledge and understanding for entry onto the course. |
Additional information for EU/International students
| Essential |
|---|
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An equivalent overseas qualification in surveying, construction, civil engineering, real estate or any other construction subject. |
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Non-EU students need to demonstrate a good command of English. IELTS 6.0 or equivalent is needed before you can enrol in this programme. |
International Students
Don't meet our entry requirements? You could apply for courses at our International College.
- UK/EU students
- International students
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2020
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 12 months
- £6,400 per year
- Part Time
- 24 months
- £3,200 per year
Award: MSc
Starting: Jan 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 15 months
- £6,400 per year
Award: MSc
Starting: Jan 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 23 months with Professional Placement*
- £7,100 per year
Award: MSc
Starting: Jan 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 28 Months
- £3,200 per year
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2020
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 12 months
- £12,800 per year
Award: MSc
Starting: Jan 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 15 months
- £12,800 per year
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
Course duration
Please note, there are no taught classes over the summer months (June to August) for postgraduate courses, so the total time spent in University for this course is:
- September start (full-time) 12 months
- September start (part-time) 20 months
- January start (full-time) 15 months
- January start (part-time) 20 months
Professional Placement option*
The Professional Placement option will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.
Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace. You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study.
You will also benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+ as well as advice and guidance from your School. Placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course. All students who do not find a suitable placement or do not pass the competitive selection process will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.
Personal statement
Students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.
Your postgraduate personal statement is going to shine a light on your personal experience, academic success, personal skills and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Your passion and motivations
Studying a postgraduate course usually means you want to specialise in something. So what’s driving you?
Why this course?
Show that you’ve researched the course offering. What is it about this particular course that appeals to you? Is it the lecturers? The modules? Etc.
What makes you a good postgraduate candidate?
Tutors want to know that you can handle postgraduate study, so show them how your undergraduate experiences or work life has equipped you for a more advanced level of study. Key areas to address are research and group work but this can vary depending on your chosen course.
Relevant academic or work experience
Add anything relevant that relates back to your chosen course and shows how your skills will contribute towards your learning. What extra-curricular activities have you taken part in? What awards have you won? What employment or voluntary experience do you have that has helped you develop transferable skills? How do these specifically relate to the course you are applying for?
You should also mention your future plans and how a postgraduate qualification fits in. Try to look beyond your postgraduate study – do you plan to jump straight into a specific career or follow your studies with a research degree? Lastly, use plain, professional English and, where possible, utilise the language of your chosen industry.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
Additional costs
Specialist costs
£60
Students often choose to buy a laptop or tablet for use on campus (approx. £800), however there are PCs on campus and students can also borrow laptops. Students may need a smart phone or wireless device to participate in interactive class quizzes, etc. A list of all personal protection equipment (PPE) for labs and a basic toolkit, is provided by the School. Laboratory and workshop consumables are provided. All reports, etc. for assessment are submitted as electronic files except some of the Level 6 and 7 Project Reports for which printing and binding costs (up to 50 pages) will be borne by the students.
Placement costs
Students may have to contribute to the cost of optional social trips organised by Student Societies. The costs of compulsory industrial visits (if any) are paid by the School or by sponsorship secured from the Professional bodies (PSRBs). Students are expected to cover the costs of attending placement interviews and any additional travel/accommodation costs incurred to take up optional short term or sandwich placements.
Other costs
Costs for student-led projects will be paid by the School subject to approved business cases submitted by the students under the supervision of academic staff. Artefacts built for projects normally remain the property of the Department, but students may be offered the opportunity to purchase them for the cost of the materials used.
Financial Support
We offer further information on possible postgraduate financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.
Did you know that you will soon be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £10,906 for some courses and options?
Master's
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits): |
The overall teaching, learning and assessment strategy of this course is that you are at the centre of learning and teaching, which has a particular focus on the reflective learner and the development of professional skills and applied research. To achieve this and to ensure that you are exposed to a wide range of learning and teaching methods, we use lectures, seminars, workshops, action learning sets, group work, problem based activities, guest speakers, on-line learning via Moodle, site visits and discussion forums.
Our teaching is very interactive, and you are encouraged to share your experience and opinions with your peers. Critical thinking is vital in Master’s study, and you are required to develop your own ideas and come up with solutions to problems based on solid evidence and logical analysis. You’ll also be expected to complete reading and assignments outside of class hours.
Although this programme is module based, each module forms part of one of the programme themes. This ensures that module design and associated teaching and assessments link together in progressive subject development. Our part-time students attend lectures on day-release basis, and share the modules with our full-time students.
Various assessment will be used in this course:
| Module | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Construction Law and Contract | Essay |
| Sustainable Construction | Portfolio |
| Project Management Methods | Portfolio |
| Innovation in Construction | Essay + Individual presentation |
| Business Management | Essay + Group presentation |
| Integrated Project Delivery | Essay |
| Dissertation | Research proposal + Dissertation |
Professional Placement option*
The Professional Placement option will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.
Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace. You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study.
You will also benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+ as well as advice and guidance from your School. Placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course. All students who do not find a suitable placement or do not pass the competitive selection process will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.
This course is accredited by:
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
The course is fully accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Successful completion of the course will lead to Professional Membership after the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
The Chartered Institute of Building is at the heart of a management career in construction. Its focus is on those entering and already in a management career in construction, by delivering qualifications and certifications that meet the needs of a changing industry. It works with members, employers, academia and governments across the globe to drive forward the science, practice and importance of management in construction.
Further Study
Funded PhD research opportunities are available in the school.
Enhancing your employability skills
This course is fully accredited by both The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). All their required competences / learning outcomes are covered in this course.
We have a very close working relationship with our accreditation professional bodies RICS and CIOB. We have annual partnership meetings with them to steer the development of our course. You can participate in regional events such as seminars and site visits as a student member to not only get updated industry knowledge but also network with the practitioners.
We also work very closely with our industrial partners such as Willmott Dixon, Galliford Try and Birmingham City Council. They are not only actively involved in our course development, teaching and assessment but also contribute in various ways as guest speakers, as well as offering site visits, summer placements, research projects and employment.
OpportUNIty
Students from this course have worked with lecturers on two SAP (Student Academic Partnership) projects. They have used audio and video recordings to capture alumni’s learning experience and have engaged overseas alumni in the internationalisation of the curriculum through the collection of project case studies.
There is also an e-mentoring system in place: we can assign a previous student who has successfully completed this course with a similar background to mentor another student electronically (by email, telephone and social media).
Graduate jobs
Nearly all our graduates go straight into well-paid and challenging jobs. You may start as an Assistant Project Manager and then progress to Project Manager, Construction Manager and/or Design Manager, up to more senior positions such as Company Director. You could be employed in professional practice in consultancy, contracting and subcontracting organisations, commercial organisations, local authority and central government, insurance companies and utility companies.
Part-time student Ricki Goode graduated with Commendation in 2010, and is now the Head and Director of Building and Property Services (BPS) Limited, a nationwide building and property services company.
Part-time student Tim Noble graduated with Distinction in 2013, and is now working for HS2 as an Enabling Works Project Manager.
Full-time student Sandeep Tura graduated with Commendation in 2013, and is now working in Turner & Townsend Project Management as an Assistant Project Manager responsible for contract administration.
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here.
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies.
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country.
- Learn where to find financial support for your studies.
Each year, over half of our students are international students. They come from countries such as India, China, Nigeria, Thailand, Russia, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Pakistan, Myanmar, Spain, Sweden, Jordan, Lebanon and Sudan. Our students are from different disciplines within the construction industry such as civil engineering, architecture, quantity surveying, building surveying and construction management, and many of them have rich construction working experience. The diversity of our students means that you can work with people from different cultural backgrounds, share your experience and understand construction project management from different perspectives. You are encouraged to investigate your own home country’s construction practices for your assessment and dissertation research so you can be better prepared for employment and career development after your study.
Student stories
Indian graduate Sahib Nazir believes the course helped him gain his career success. He took an entrance examination for the government of Jammu and Kashmir (roads and buildings works). Almost 8,000 students applied and Sahib was one of 300 engineers accepted.
He said course leader Dr Hong Xiao had a major role to play in the encouragement and support of each and every student.
Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC)
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.
BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
Our Facilities
This course will be taught at Millennium Point at the City Centre Campus. We offer a wide range of technology to help you with your studies.
We have an ongoing strategy to upgrade and further develop our well-equipped laboratories. These plans are supported by global technology providers such as PTC and Technosoft. These two companies alone have recently donated more than £11 million worth of computer aided design, product lifecycle management and knowledge-based engineering software.
In addition, more than £750,000 worth of capital investment has been made in upgrading our engine emissions test facilities, environmental laboratory and thermodynamics equipment.
Test Cell Facilities
The key features of our test cell include:
- 340 kW fully transient dynamometer
- Full exhaust gas analysis both pre and post after treatment system
- Ammonia slip analyser, EGR CO2, THC and non-methane HC
Exhaust Analysis
The key features of our exhaust analysis facilities include:
- Signal Group Analysers in 3 racks with heated sample systems
- Sierra BG-3 particulate mini-tunnel
- AVL 415S smoke meter
Environmental Lab
The environmental lab is part of the Centre for Low Carbon Research (CLCR) and is home of the bioenergy and bioprocessing research group at the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.
The suite is divided into three main areas a wet lab/pilot facility a fully equipped analytical suite and a microbiological lab. This newly refurbished facility offers state of the art analysis and testing of environmental samples as well as scientific evaluation of lab scale and pilot scale technologies and processes.
Our staff
Our academics have worked alongside small, medium and large companies and bring to the table expertise from within the automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, ICT, environmental and health sectors.
Professor David Boyd
Director of the Centre for Environment and Society Research
David Boyd is Professor of Construction and Director of the Centre for Environment and Society Research, based at the School of Engineering and the Built Environment. He teaches on the MSc Construction Project Management course.
David has a background in engineering, but is better known for his management insights of the industry. He has researched and designed solar heating schemes for housing estates, as well as developing a model of projects in the industry as complex adaptive sociotechnical systems. He has completed research on construction clients, which was then published as a book and adopted by the Construction Clients’ Group.
Dr Beck Collins
Senior Lecturer
Dr Beck Collins currently teaches across all undergraduate courses in the School of the Built Environment, as well as MSc Construction Project Management and MA Planning Built Environments.
Beck was awarded her PhD in “Local Projects for Sustainable Energy – Exploring the Nature of Success” in 2014, and is interested in local approaches to installing sustainable energy. This could be as social housing refurbishment projects, community renewable energy projects and so on. Beck is particularly interested in questions of governance, systems intervention, behaviour change and projects for change, that sustainable energy throws up.
Beck explores this both in her research and in practice – Beck has worked on local authority energy efficiency programmes and is also a volunteer Director of a Community Energy Company which is looking to install renewable energy in Birmingham.
Beck also brings all these research and practice based insights into the classroom, where she lectures on sustainability and research methods topics.
Dr Hong Xiao
Senior Lecturer
Hong obtained his BEng in Industrial and Civil Buildings in 1985, and MSc in Construction Management in 1988 from Hunan University, China. He lectured there until 1998. He came to Britain in 1998 as an academic visitor sponsored by the Chinese Government, and then began his PhD study at the University of Wolverhampton. His PhD research project was ‘A Comparative Study of Contractor Performance Based on Japanese, UK and US Construction Practice’, and he obtained his PhD in 2002.
On June 2003, Hong joined the Birmingham City University as a Research Assistant to conduct a DTI sponsored research project, ‘An approach to knowledge management for SMEs’. Upon the successful completion of the research project, he moved to a lecturing post and has been teaching and researching since.