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Construction Project and Cost Management MSc
Study level: Postgraduate
This practice-led, professionally accredited1 course has been developed in response to the rapid cultural changes within the global construction industry.
Year of entry
Location
Coventry University (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Sandwich
Duration
1 year full-time
2 years sandwich
Course code
EECT020
Start date
May 2025
Course overview
This practice-led course was developed in response to the rapid cultural changes within the global construction industry and aims to recognise the growing demand for professionals to stay abreast of new, innovative, and non-adversarial approaches to project management, able to address internal constraints and dynamic external situations.
- Coventry University has been educating construction professionals for over half a century. Our courses are developed with direct input from members of our current Civil Engineering and Building Advisory Boards including Arcadis, Arup, Mott MacDonald, and Geotechnics Ltd.
- This exciting course focuses on developing the core skills and competencies identified by the professional bodies for roles as construction project managers, cost managers and quantity surveyors.
- You will have the option to apply for a 'work placement' opportunity2, designed to further develop your skills and knowledge with the aim of maximising your employability prospects. See modules for more information.
5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities
QS Stars University Ratings
Ranked 11th Modern University in UK by the Times
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
Ranked 8th for Overall Satisfaction in PTES
Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2024Why you should study this course
For the UK and other countries to capitalise on the future growth potential of the global construction industry, industry requires new talent and new ways of working to meet the challenges of a shortfall of skilled labour and rising demand for lower costs, lower emissions, and faster delivery.
- This professionally accredited course1 combines the study of the core industry professions; construction management; project and contract management; and quantity surveying. Successful completion of this course is intended to set you on the path towards becoming a chartered surveyor or chartered construction manager, able to obtain full membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) (subject to additional costs) or Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) (subject to additional costs) after a suitable period of professional practice.
- This course may be of interest if you are looking to enter the construction industry or are seeking career progression – as an existing construction professional, civil or structural engineer, architectural technologist, surveyor or building services engineering. For non-cognate graduates, those without a RICS accredited undergraduate degree, it also constitutes a vocational conversion course.
- We currently enjoy excellent links with local and national contractors, many of whom provide direct input into course development as members of our Civil Engineering and Building Advisory Boards. They may also enable you to gain further involvement within the construction community through networking and placement opportunities2, which may enhance your employment prospects on graduation.
- Our current teaching staff have 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 aims to keep you abreast of new technologies and emerging issues.
Accreditation and professional recognition
This course is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
This course is currently accredited by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The accreditation of this course is perpetual (continuous) and is not subject to annual renewal process.
Chartered Management Institute
As part of this course you will be required to undertake a professional development module which is currently accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) for the 2024-25 intake. Upon successful completion of the module, you will gain the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice at no additional cost. Further details can be found on the Professional Development module homepage.
Coventry University’s accreditation with CMI is currently ongoing for the relevant modules and is regularly reviewed and monitored by the CMI through their quality systems.
Coventry University has given me an experience of a lifetime and has taught me learnings that have been beneficial since graduation. I have recently started work and realised the teaching and assessment all links with the real-world and makes me stand out from the crowd. I wouldn’t have wished for any other University to have completed my undergraduate and master’s. Coventry University has truly made me evolve as an individual.
Khanjan Darad, Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management (BSc) Hons, Construction Project and Cost Management (MSc) Distinction, quoted February 2022
What you'll study
With work placement pathway
The ‘With work placement’ opportunity2 enables you to apply in semester 1 for an optional work placement of up to 12 months, extending the duration of your master’s to 24 months. The placement provides an opportunity for you to develop expertise and experience in your chosen field with the aim of enhancing your employability upon graduation. The work placement would take place in semesters 3, 4 and 5.
Please note that the optional placement modules incur an additional tuition fee of £4,000. Placement opportunities may also be subject to additional costs, visa requirements being met, subject to availability and/or competitive application. Work placements are not guaranteed but you will benefit from the support of our Talent Team in trying to find and secure an opportunity. Find out more about the work placement option.
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
How you'll learn
The course can be studied on a one-year full-time basis or over a minimum of two years part-time. The modules are taught across the relevant semester. Part-time participants study modules on a day release basis and typically study 30 credits per semester.
Actual teaching contact hours will vary depending on the requirements of a particular semester. In a typical week, your contact hours will be divided amongst:
- tutorials
- group teaching (e.g. seminars, tutorial sessions and lab sessions)
- lectures
Prefer to study 100% online? Click here to view our 100% online course.
Teaching contact hours
The number of contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 14 contact hours per week. In addition, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study each week of around 25 hours, depending on the demands of individual modules.
As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Assessment
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include formal examinations, practical or project work, coursework, essays, group work, presentations, and posters.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
International experience opportunities
The content of the course continuously refers to the international context in which construction takes place, which gives an international perspective to your studies and future career as a project manager, cost manager or construction manager. For example, we draw on case studies such as European fortification projects, Malta; RICS and CIOB standards. Where possible, we also try to organise international field trips2 so that you can experience the construction industry in another country. In the past, for example, we have visited Malta for project and cost management field work in collaboration with MCAST, Malta.
Entry requirements
Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.
Fees and funding
2024/25 tuition fees.
| Student | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|---|---|
| UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | £11,200 | Not available |
| EU | £11,200 per year with EU Support Bursary** £18,600 per year without EU Support Bursary** |
Not available |
| International | £18,600 | Not available |
For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page and see the university's Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.
We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.
The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:
- Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
- Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).
*Irish student fees
The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.
**EU Support Bursary
Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.
How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?
Facilities
Our aim is to offer you sector-leading facilities4.
Faculty on the factory floor
AME brings together academia, industry, and research and development in a ‘live’ manufacturing environment. Our collaboration with Unipart gives you the opportunity to work with some of the most talented engineering professionals in the UK.
High Performance Engineering Centre (HPEC)
Situated on the ground floor of our Engineering and Computing Building, the centre houses flight and driving simulators, a chassis design assembly and test facility, wind tunnels and a fleet of CNC manufacturing machines.
Metals Workshop
Participate in technical work in a hands-on way. The workshop includes lathes, milling machines, fabrication equipment for sheet metal work, CNC machines, work benches, welding lines and a fitting assembly area.
Careers and opportunities
On successful completion, you will be able to:
- Select and apply appropriate technical methods for appraising, testing, and analysing built environment scenarios.
- Analyse, synthesise, and interpret information, data and scenarios and apply a range of management theories to identify causes of problems.
- Develop arguments and show reasoned evaluation and judgement in choice of solutions to a range of complex and varied situations.
- Develop appropriate procurement systems for a range of construction scenarios.
- Apply numerical skills of budgeting and financial management to analyse complex problems and appraise performance.
- Provide comprehensive presentations using technical aids and providing information in a logical and confident manner.
- Research for information to develop and critically appraise ideas.
- Apply techniques used for analysis of tender bids and project evaluation.
- Apply project management techniques to aid planning, controlling, and monitoring performance of construction projects and preparing project evaluation reports.
Upon successful completion, this degree should prepare you for a rewarding career as a chartered surveyor or project management surveyor.
The complexity and scale of modern construction projects requires construction professionals with expertise in construction management, who can work either on site or within an office to ensure they are delivered safely, within budget, on deadline and to the highest possible quality.
The vocational nature of this programme provides a sound basis for a wide range of possible career opportunities managing the construction of building projects at home and abroad for large multinational companies or regional businesses. You could find yourself working as a construction supervisor, general contractor, project manager, constructor, project engineer or site manager. Many construction managers are self-employed, but others are employed by construction management or contracting firms, property owners, developers or consulting firms.
Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The university's Talent Team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.
Where our graduates work
Recent graduates have found employment with companies such as Barratt and David Wilson, National Grid, and Baily Garner.
How to apply
UK students
International students
Disclaimers
