executive msc strategic project management · 2011-05-20 · programme quality teaching and...

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Executive MScStrategic Project Management

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Heriot-Watt is one of the UK’s leading universities, with an international reputation for outstanding teaching and research in our specialist areas of science, engineering, business management, languages and textile design. We have highly developed networks with major organisations around the world, which are fundamental to our distinctive brand of education and reflect our commitment to providing a high quality learning experience for our students.

About Heriot-Watt



As one of the oldest higher education institutions in the UK, Heriot-Watt’s origins date back to Edinburgh’s School of Art in 1821. Since these auspicious beginnings, we have gone on to develop an impressive reach and range, with six academic schools and two postgraduate institutes offering taught programmes and research opportunities in science and engineering, business, languages and design at our Scottish and Dubai campuses.

We offer a superb environment for postgraduate study and world class business-relevant research. Heriot-Watt’s prestigious collaborative Masters programmes are offered in conjunction with higher education institutions across Europe and beyond.

Our diverse community of postgraduate students is made up of bright, highly imaginative and self-motivated individuals who are guided by our world-leading academic staff to develop knowledge and skills that enhance their abilities to influence, shape and lead the world of tomorrow.

One of eight academic schools and institutes at Heriot-Watt University, the School of Management & Languages is a leading provider of business and languages education and research.

About the School of Management & Languages

Our priorities are to offer a rounded portfolio of vibrant and relevant teaching programmes, to promote excellence in research and to provide first class advice to practitioners and policy makers across our four programme areas – Accountancy & Finance, Business Management, Economics, and Languages.

The School offers undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes at our Edinburgh and Scottish Borders campuses in Scotland as well as our Dubai campus in UAE. We also have an internationally renowned undergraduate distance learning programme, a successful PhD programme as well as a range of English language courses.

We are internationally renowned in Finance, Retailing, Logistics and Strategic Project Management, all of which offer specialised postgraduate programmes. With a strong international focus in both our teaching and research we maintain close links with industry and commerce as well as leading business and language schools all over the world. Our academics are involved in a range of research and consultancy work funded by international agencies such as the European Union and the World Bank, as well as industry, commerce and government.

The Executive MSc. Strategic Project Management forms part of our highly successful portfolio in Strategic Project Management education. Our MSc Strategic Project Management is offered at both the Edinburgh and Dubai campuses. Our Masters in Strategic Project Management (European) is a collaborative programme between Heriot Watt University; Politecnico di Milano in Italy and Umea Business School in Sweden. This Erasmus Mundas programme is sponsored by the European Union and is one the leading masters programmes in Europe.

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Our Executive MSc programmes are specifically designed for managers and executives who already have substantial professional experience, but wish to enhance their career through a postgraduate degree whilst remaining in full-time employment.

Why an Executive MSc?

The distinctive applied focus of our Executive MSc programmes enables participants to develop specialist knowledge whilst advancing their careers and achieving personal goals. The programmes successfully balance theoretical knowledge with practical applications and current industry relevance. Through the Executive MSc participants will make significant organisational and industry contribution through innovation, problem solving and creative solutions. More significantly participants are introduced to emerging and future practices thus providing both themselves and their organisation with an important competitive advantage and the capability to initiate

competitive strategies whilst implementing strategic options through projects and portfolios. Participants also enhance their critical managerial competencies of presentation, team-building and leadership, particularly of multiple project teams.

By offering participants the flexibility to combine postgraduate study with their career progression and personal commitments, our Executive MSc will prepare them for the next step in their careers by enhancing capacity to address the challenges both the individual and the organisation face in the increasingly competitive and globalised business world of today.

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Our Executive MSc Strategic Project Management responds to the strong and consistent international growth in demand for project management skills that can help deliver core business activities and realise competitive strategies in public, private and voluntary sector organisations.

Executive MSc Strategic Project Management

The ability to combine vision, strategy and its implementation by using a robust, flexible and responsive project methodology is essential. Central to this perspective is the concept of strategic alignment, which ensures projects accurately reflect an organisation’s long-term investment and aspirations articulated in their organisational strategies.

The Executive MSc Strategic Project Management differentiates itself from other project management offerings by providing greater emphasis on the strategic and leadership requirement to manage a portfolio of programmes and projects designed to deliver organisational goals. In this way, the Executive MSc encompasses both ‘project management’ as a process to deliver complex change and ‘strategic management’ as a process of formulating and implementing organisational strategy.

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Year Autumn Spring

Year One Project Management

Quality and Performance Management

Leadership in Contemporary Projects

Project Procurement and Contact Management

Year Two Competitive Strategy

Strategic Change Strategic Project Management

Project Economics and Evaluation

Year Three Business Research Project

Understand how modern project management practices contribute to the functional department, strategic business unit and the corporate level within a complex business environment.

Further develop competencies in project management and emerging disciplines of programme management and portfolio management.

Develop analytical skills to examine, evaluate and critically reflect upon different perspectives and techniques used in the areas of project management in order to create and interpret knowledge.

Programme Objectives Executive MSc Strategic Project Management

The Executive MSc Strategic Project Management is offered on a part-time basis over three years.

During years one and two there there are four residential sessions each year – two in the autumn and two in the spring. Each residential session runs from the Thursday through until the Sunday. Examinations take place in December and April.

In Year Three there is one residential session in early autumn, which covers business research methods. The remainder of the year is then spent undertaking the Business Research Project which is submitted by the following August. The project involves in-depth analysis of a live issue within your organisation and to develop your findings into recommendations for implementation. Participants have the full support and guidance of an academic advisor throughout the project.

Programme Structure

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Programme QualityTeaching and Assessment The Executive MSc Strategic Project Management is delivered by a dedicated team of academics with industry experience, specialist knowledge and international publications in their respective subject areas.

During each 4-day residential session participants will be encouraged during taught sessions to develop critical thinking, participate in debate and challenge the status quo in order to evaluate various business models and assess their applicability to particular business environments and situations.

Taught sessions are further complemented with activities such as business simulation, team exercises, live case studies, and presentations.

Participants will be assessed through a combination of examinations and work-based assignments which involve applying lessons learnt from the programme within their own organisations.

All learning materials for the programme are uploaded onto an iPad for each participant. This is included in the programme fee. Participants will have access to Heriot-Watt’s virtual learning environment, Vision, which includes an online forum for debate and the exchange of ideas which is exclusive to the Executive MSc Strategic Project Management. In addition participants also have access to Heriot-Watt’s library facilities which include extensive online journal access and resources.

Professional Recognition Heriot-Watt University has strong links with the Association of Project Management (APM) Scotland Branch and the programme aligns with the APM Body of Knowledge as well as the PMI Guide Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). In addition participants have the opportunity to undertake professional training such as PRINCE2™ and MSP® at substantial discount.

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Entry Requirements

5 Good Reasons to study the Executive MSc Strategic Project Management

Academic Requirements Applicants should hold a good (first or second class) Honours degree or its non-UK equivalent in a related subject from a recognised British or overseas university. A minimum of 3 years relevant industry experience is also required. If you are unsure of whether or not you would be eligible to apply, please contact us for an assessment of your qualifications and suitability for entry.

Fees Tuition fees for all postgraduate programmes are available online at www.hw.ac.uk/fees For details of cohort discounts please contact us.

How to Apply Applications should be made online at www.postgraduate.hw.ac.uk/apply Alternatively you can request a paper copy of the application form to complete and then post back to us.

1. Allows participants to combine a successful career with enhancing project management knowledge and skills through drawing on both their own and peer experience.

2. Internationally acknowledged project management research undertaken by our academic staff feeds into our teaching ensuring content is up-to-the minute.

3. Alignment of programme content with major industry standards and bodies of knowledge in project and programme management.

4. Close links with business, industry and professional bodies such as the Association of Project Management.

5. Specifically designed for the executive market - taught in residential blocks and with an emphasis on real life application of knowledge and skills acquired as part of the programme.

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Email: [email protected]

executive msc strategic project management · 2011-05-20 · programme quality teaching and...

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