Drive impact and advance your career through leadership and strategy.
Looking to move up, take the lead, or transition into project leadership? This MSc can help you get there.
Our MSc Strategic Project Management equips you with the tools and mindset to lead complex projects that create lasting impact. Designed for early to mid-career professionals, it blends essential theory with practical learning focused on real-world business challenges.
You’ll develop skills in stakeholder engagement, time and resource management, project management, risk management and strategic alignment - and apply your learning through a summer consultancy project for a real organisation.
Taught face-to-face by experienced academics and industry professionals, and enriched with guest lectures and case studies, this course gives you the confidence and credibility to lead projects and teams across any sector.
When you study at Kent Business School, accredited by AMBA, EQUIS, and AACSB, you receive a world-class education recognised globally. As one of the top 1% of business schools, our graduates are highly sought after by employers who value our rigorous standards. You'll be well-equipped to excel in your career and make a positive impact on business and society.
The following modules are what students will typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.
You take all compulsory modules and in your final term, you will choose one of our capstone modules, either 'Strategic Project Management Challenge' or the 'Professional Placement/Internship'.
The Professional Placement/Internship module will give you the chance to work in a business as part of your degree, getting real world experience alongside your learning. Whereas the Strategic Project Management Challenge is the perfect module for you to prepare for a career as a consultant. You'll pitch solutions to real organisational problems and create a consultancy report, demonstrating your skills and knowledge.
Whichever option you choose, you will be engaging with real problems in real businesses, giving you crucial experience and expanding your network. So you can make rapid progress in your career.
Compulsory modules currently include the following
Develop key business consultancy skills by working on a real client project! This module will introduce you to the concept and process of client-centric management consultancy, combining theory with tried-and-tested consulting techniques to guide you through providing your own well-researched consultancy advice to your chosen client. By addressing a real-life business challenge, you will learn how to research solutions, overcome barriers, manage expectations and foster productive working relationships. This will give you a comprehensive understanding of how to manage consultancy projects using the consultancy cycle to provide meaningful and impactful advice to clients. Undertaking this module will help you to gain and develop consultancy skills you can use within your current employment, as well as aid the transition into the business consulting profession; internal consultancy positions within organisations, and / or senior management roles.
In a world marked by perpetual transformation, how can emerging leaders adeptly navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities that shape corporate strategies? Through engaging and interactive sessions, students will unravel the complexities inherent in change management principles and strategic decision-making. This module emphasizes hands-on applications, ensuring that students not only gain theoretical knowledge but also develop the practical skills essential for effective strategic change management in the contemporary business environment. You will leave the module with a knowledge of corporate strategy tools that are indispensable resources utilized by organizations to navigate the intricate landscape of strategic decision-making and planning.
Adaptability, agility and the ability to work in dynamic environment are highly regarded skills for the modern project professional. This module will provide you with deep knowledge of different Agile Approaches to Project Management, such as DSDM, Scrum and Lean, focusing on the agile ways of work, the benefits of iterative development and working with client requirements. You will learn by analysing real project cases and engaging in debates, games and other innovative approaches to learning. This module is designed to enhance your employability in different industries and prepare you for an agile corporate culture.
Get equipped as an aspiring project professionals with the tools, skills, and insights needed to excel in the dynamic world of modern project management. You will learn about project controls such as risk management, scheduling, quality management, planning and more for successful project delivery. You will also critique the P3M framework to understand how projects align with wider programme and portfolio management to support business strategy and achieve maximum value. By completing this module, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of project planning and control. This module isn't just an academic course; it's a stepping stone to becoming a pioneering force in the field of project management.
The role of a project manager and their competencies are key to project success. Responsible and ethical project management practice is at the forefront of all discussions in this module, You will explore what has led to the recognition of the immense importance of project Responsible Leadership" skills and competencies
Benefits Realisation Management enables senior management and project professionals to strategically and sustainably deliver the organisation’s vision, values and benefits through their portfolio of projects and programmes. You will develop a deep knowledge and understanding of the wide range of perspectives and principles of benefits realisation management through evaluating and balancing short- and long-term objectives of projects and programmes. Module’s contents and delivery method strengthen your analytical, critical and reflecting thinking skills, besides leading and teamwork within diverse, multidisciplinary and international teams. Combining your acquired knowledge, skills and independent learning practices, will enable and empower you to target and prepare yourself for acquiring a career as a strategic project professional.
Get ready for captivating discussions on cutting-edge topics such as Artificial Intelligence and Project Governance and bolster your Digital Toolkit and enhance your Project Analyst skills via the use of project management software to become a Project Practitioner with strong research and negotiation skills. This module is an invitation to be at the forefront of strategic project management evolution. Join the module as we navigate the twists and turns of the project management landscape, where each challenge becomes an opportunity, and each question sparks innovation. Let the exploration begin.
Optional modules may include the following
The Strategic Project Management Challenge module connects students to organisational case studies and challenges them via a student consultancy experience. Students will be working in small teams on a company problem presented to them, and their task will be to pitch a solution to the organization. Students will practice consulting, teamwork, communication, and self-reflection skills as part of this module.
Thinking about a career in the private sector? Or maybe you’re contemplating a career in the public or voluntary sector? Then this could be the module for you. This module builds on your previous subject-specific learning and enhances your understanding of how organisations operate in practice. You will have the opportunity to gain experience while still on the postgraduate course and apply learning gained from the course. You will be able to reflect on the placement experience and how this relates to your academic knowledge. Additionally, you will further enhance your critical thinking, communication, professional behaviours, and resilience.
2.2 or above
A minimum of a second-class UK degree, or an equivalent internationally recognised qualification in any subject area is needed for this course. |
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy.
The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for UK postgraduate research courses have not yet been set by the Research Councils UK. This is ordinarily announced in March. As a guide only, the full-time tuition fee for new and returning UK postgraduate research courses for 2025/26 is £5,006.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
You'll need regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. We've listed some guidelines for the technology and software you'll need for your studies.
Find out more about student accommodation and living costs, as well as general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
Kent is a leading research university, meaning that you will be informed about new discussions and developments by the people making them. This means your work will have real potential to make a difference.
From the moment you start with us, our efforts are focused on helping you gain the knowledge, skills and experience you need to thrive in an increasingly competitive workplace. You can increase your career prospects through an optional short-term Professional Placement/Internship module as part of your degree, develop consultancy skills through our optional 'Strategic Project Management Challenge' module.
Our careers and employability support at Kent Business School is designed to make sure you are ready to hit the ground running when you graduate, when you study with us you can expect:
1-2-1 personalised Career Coaching with qualified and experienced coaches.
Pre-arrival guidance for international students to support navigating the UK labour market
Mentoring opportunities through professional bodies, business leaders and Kent alumni
Workshops and events designed to support your career planning, finding and securing work and work experience, and professional development, including insights from industry.
Access to careers fairs, live projects/competitions with employers and networking opportunities
Plus access to extracurricular professional development and skills courses run by industry professionals
Our Project Management graduates find work in project management positions in varying business, in the form of consultancy, freelance and employed work both overseas and in the UK in a wide range of companies and organisations, including:
Deloitte
Fujitsu Services Ltd
Huawei
BP
JP Morgan & Chase
City Sprint
Many of our students also stay local and find job opportunities regionally in small and medium firms or even set-up their own businesses as well-equipped entrepreneurs.
Postgraduates earn
A degree can boost average lifetime earnings by over
Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.
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