Course Options:

Business & Commerce module: The challenges of global competition, rapidly changing technology, new customer needs and shifting demographics, have necessitated the development of new skills acquisitions to ensure businesses are able to manage the functional and operations aspects of the business to ensure longevity. Businesses today are embracing the conceptual notion of project management as a way of managing the allocation of tangible and intangible resources that make up a business. Success will be determined by the ability to perceive and understand an array of variables that impact on businesses today such as marketing and sales, the punitive business case, project financing and funding, contractual agreements implemented through procurement and an understanding of the legalities that govern businesses today.

Dissertation Preparation module: This unit provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their capacity to work independently on a major dissertation and to utilise and build on skills and subject expertise developed in the promotion of their professional and personal skills. It provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate the capacity for independent learning, the analysis of problems and the application of appropriate professional and self-developmental skills. Students will work with their tutor to research, develop and present their study for assessment following the agreed formats prescribed by the University.

The implementation of the dissertation preparation process will be achieved in two phases. This module is to provide initial guidance, counselling and preparation, an intensive series of Dissertation Workshops will be held. These will be organised by the Module Leader and will address issues concerned with topic selection; research design, methodology and implementation; the role of the dissertation; assessment criteria and processes; and the student-supervisor relationship. The purpose of this phase will be to provide appropriate preparation to enable the student to undertake a coherent and systematic study at honours level.

Dissertation module: The dissertation will normally be an empirical investigation incorporating secondary sources. The dissertation module will enable students to demonstrate the application of those analytical, investigative and evaluative skills developed during earlier and /or concurrent components of the course. The dissertation will allow students to pursue issues in depth and undertake their own research with limited supervision. The topic chosen will normally be based on one of the major areas of study within the degree structure or will integrate two or more of these areas. The topic cannot be replicated from the second year research module Dissertations will normally be a maximum of 8,000 words in length.

Leadership and Teamwork module: This module looks at the development of practical leadership skills at a non-strategic level, within the rapidly changing working environment. The unit provides an opportunity for learners to explore in depth the attributes and skills of successful leaders. Learners will also be able to consider how some of the leadership theories and models can be applied to specific situations and to learn how leadership skills can be developed. The intended outcomes will enhance the ability of the student to motivate individuals and maximise the contributions that teams can make within a Project management work place. The module draws on a selection of established principles and on more recent work. It seeks to consider their relevance to specific working situations.

Project Control Management module: The module will investigate the application of project control management systems within an organisational context. The learners will critically evaluate the effectiveness of project control tools and techniques and explore the barriers to successful implementation. This module will encourage learners to develop an awareness of the links between project management processes such as earned value management and risk management and break down the notions of separate entities.
The learners will be required to investigate the cost of applying project control systems and assess the benefits and implications of using the systems. This module will also explore what impact human factors have on the success of applying project planning and control techniques. Learner will develop the skills to construct suitable evaluation strategies.

Strategic Planning module: This module will explore the construct of project portfolio management (PPM) as a method for analyzing and collectively managing a group of current or proposed projects based on numerous key characteristics. The fundamental objective of the PPM process is to determine the optimal mix and sequencing of proposed projects to best achieve the organization's overall goals - typically expressed in terms of hard economic measures, business strategy goals, or technical strategy goals - while honoring constraints imposed by management or external real-world factors.
The learner will critically evaluate the focus on project sponsors as the key stakeholder representative for the project and their ability to influence high level management decisions for the project. The module will also challenge the paradoxical view of Value Management as a style of management particularly dedicated to motivating people, developing skills and promoting synergies and innovation, with the aim of maximizing the overall performance of an organization.
Learners will also explore strategic management element reviews and evaluate appropriate risk management techniques with a view to influencing implementation at a strategic level also considering elements of environmental management which examines how businesses integrate environmental issues on sustainability into their activities, with an understanding of the eco management and audit schemes and ISO 14001.

Project Life Cycle Management module: This module will explore the impact of change within an organisation and explore how project management life cycles have the ability to lead an organisation to positively responding and implementing the change from strategic to operational level. This module will develop the learner's awareness of the implications of driving change in an organisation such as resistance and how the right choice of life cycles acts as a strategy for reducing the impact.

The learner will critically evaluate methodologies to see the fit of meeting the needs of the organisation. This module will allow students to investigate the concept of different paradigms from the traditional hard methodologies to the emerging softer techniques that are becoming more evident in contemporary organisations. Learners will explore how the focus on stakeholder involvement and the softer issues in project management can aid the acceptance of change that is driven by the project.