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Overview
The Construction Project and Cost Management MSc course has been developed in response to a rapid cultural change in the construction industry.
This course aims to prepare you to effectively manage projects and budgets surrounding the development of the built environment. Covering physical, legal, economic and technological factors, you will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of the theory and practice of procurement, construction economics, cost management and best practice project management within the construction industry.
You will have the opportunity to develop high-level knowledge in both the theoretical and practical aspects of strategic management in the construction industry. The course focuses on developing the core skills and competencies identified by professional bodies for the roles of construction project managers, cost managers and quantity surveyors. It aims to prepare you for a career in one of today's largest and most influential industries in the world.
Our Learning Platform
We have partnered with FutureLearn, a leading social learning platform, to deliver online degrees to learners across the globe.
From short taster courses to postgraduate diplomas and certificates, and fully online degrees, the platform provides you with a seamless high-quality learning experience, on mobile, desktop and tablet. You can gain a qualification in a flexible and affordable way, to fit in with your lifestyle.
This course is accredited and recognised by the following bodies:
Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
This course is accredited by The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) until 1 April 2023, having been judged to meet the CIOB Education Framework. Prospective members holding these qualifications will have full academic exemption and once they have gained three to five years’ relevant work experience, may enter CIOB membership as an applicant to progress towards Chartered Membership without the requirement for an Individual Assessment.
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Course information
You will have the opportunity to study the economics behind construction, examining the regulatory and legal framework within which the industry operates, as well as health and safety in construction. You will explore the corporate management processes used within the industry, such as procurement systems and construction contracts.
You will be able to examine how the built and natural environments interact, taking into account the need for sustainable construction, environmental principles and legislation. You will have the opportunity to engage in topical discussions about a wide range of issues, from sustainability demands to environmental, and review economic considerations in shaping construction trends.
You will study theory and management practices and examine real-life case studies like the Millennium Dome and the Channel Tunnel, which aim to teach you how to manage complex construction projects from the initial planning stages, to implementation and completion, managing project teams, procurement, finance, risk, health and safety.
The course aims to develop your interpersonal skills in areas such as communications, presentation, conflict avoidance, negotiation, persuasion, management and dispute resolution.
As part of your degree, you will be expected to undertake an independent research project, which can be based on a topic of your choice or from selected supervisors.
Modules
The 1st and only UK University to partner with FutureLearn to offer full degree courses in this way
In more detail...
The global construction market is forecast to grow 70% in the next two decades. New talent and new ways of working need to be established in order to capitalise on this huge potential and meet the challenges, such as the shortfall of skilled labour, rising demand for lower costs, lower emissions and faster delivery.
This course combines the study of the core industry professions: construction management, project and contract management and quantity surveying. It is intended to set you on the path towards becoming a chartered surveyor or a chartered construction manager.
It is designed for students who are looking to enter the construction industry or seek career progression – as a construction professional, civil or structural engineer, architectural technologist, surveyor or building services engineering.
A popular feature of our course is the access to free continuing professional development (CPD) modules for all students, in areas such as fundamental construction, contract management and project visit (subject to application).
Many of our excellent links with local and national contractors provide direct input into course development as members of our Civil Engineering and Building Advisory Boards. You should be able to network with the construction community which can enhance your employment prospects on graduation.
Our teaching staff have both academic and professional experience in architectural practice, civil engineering and the construction industry. We also have a strong portfolio of industry-related research, particularly in the areas of low carbon building technology, sustainable construction materials and engineering education, which ensures you stay abreast of new technologies and emerging issues.
- Global project management practice: Aims to develop your understanding and ability to apply a range of different techniques to project management within the construction industry. We emphasise new philosophies, practices, process models, tools and techniques within the global framework for best practice in achieving project objectives (time, cost, quality and managing risk). You should gain awareness of issues related to managing project resources, such as controlling project finances, managing risks, managing people, facilitating organisational change and the use of specific project planning software.
- Construction cost management: You will be able to explore the concepts, theories and principles relevant to preparing budget costs, gain an understanding of control techniques used for monitoring costs and project progression. You will be able to investigate procurement and tendering principles, together with the techniques and factors that impact upon the construction estimating process. You will also learn about cost management tools that are currently employed in the industry in order to manage construction projects through the various stages.
- Financial and asset management: We’ll aim to teach you how to apply accounting and financial principles and ways to use financial information to analyse problems and assess business performance in construction, developing your ability to apply financial considerations for decision-making, asset management and control within an organisation.
- Contract management practice and law: You should learn ways to select, use and interpret standard forms of contracts within the construction industry. The aim is to identify risks associated with contract management and procurement selection in order to identify solutions. You should develop a broad understanding of the legal framework that governs construction firms and their projects, including contractual relationships among project participants, such as implications with procurement methods and tendering procedures. You will have the opportunity to study the main standard forms of contract available and the associated contract provisions, with emphasis on JCT and NEC, framework contracts and other bespoke forms of agreements used in the construction industry. You should develop critical awareness of client and project factors that influence the choice of strategies within the changing procurement environment.
The course is primarily designed to be studied part-time by students in employment.
For each module, we will provide engaging video lectures and a variety of interactive content and activities. The online contact between lecturers and colleagues aims to help you stay motivated and committed to learning.
Each module runs with 15 credits across an academic semester of 13 weeks, requiring an estimated 10 hours per week of study time, with the flexibility for students to study from one to two modules per academic semester.
This online course allows busy professionals to fit their studies into other commitments and maximise work-study balance.
Each 15 credit module will consist of 150 hours activities. The activity time will be made up of a mixture of guided and self-guided study. Students will have access to an experienced team of tutors and lecturers who will support their studies. Each module will have dedicated online tutorials to support the learning.
Mixed assessment modes offer students a range of opportunities to demonstrate their achievement of learning outcomes. You will be assessed online, by watching videos, reading articles, doing tests and completing assessments online.
Entry Requirements
For students commencing this course from September 2021, please note that the University’s and CU Group’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions will be updated for the 2021/2022 academic year. The updated Terms and Conditions will be sent to students in their offer letter and will be updated on the website.
Career prospects
This degree aims to help prepare you for a career as a chartered surveyor or project management surveyor.
The complexity and scale of modern projects requires professionals with expertise in construction management, capable of delivering high quality projects on time, safely and within budget.
The vocational nature of this programme aims to provide a basis for a wide range of career opportunities in managing construction projects in a national and international setting, from smaller regional businesses to large multinational companies. You could work as a construction supervisor, general contractor, project manager, constructor, project engineer or site manager. You may choose to be self-employed or to join a construction management or contracting firm.
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with Coventry University, a Student Contract will be formed between you and Coventry University. A copy of the student contract will be made available to you via the dedicated Admissions Teams, during the enquiry/application stage. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the University will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol with the University.
Postgraduate UK/EU students
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus will apply. If the duration of the course is longer than one academic year, we may increase the fee for each subsequent year of study but any such increases will be no more than inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
Postgraduate international students
The tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
