MSc

Project Management (Fast Track)

This fast-track Project Management course will teach you the critical skills needed to manage and deliver successful, complex projects.

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Key Course Details

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This Fast-Track Masters covers advanced topics in project governance, risk management, and operational efficiency. Designed for professionals seeking rapid upskilling, you'll gain a recognised, career-enhancing qualification while developing immediate, real-world strategic capabilities.

Designed for

Experienced project professionals who hold the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) or the former APMP and wish to fast-track their route to a full master’s qualification. This pathway builds on existing professional expertise and supports progression into senior project and programme leadership roles.

Career paths

  • Senior Project Manager 
  • Programme Manager 
  • Portfolio or PMO Manager 
  • Transformation or Change Lead 
  • Strategy or Organisational Development Consultant

Skills taught

  • Strategic leadership
  • Portfolio thinking
  • Governance and change management
  • Senior engagement
  • Evidence-based analysis
  • Strategic problem-solving

Course Highlights

Career Acceleration

Fast-track your path to senior roles, gaining a master’s degree and advanced professional competence in the shortest possible time.

Strategic Mastery

Move beyond the basics to master project governance, risk management, and organisational strategy that drives business value.

Professional Relevance

The curriculum is built for working professionals, providing immediately applicable knowledge you can leverage in your workplace.

Leadership Credential

Earn the accredited qualification necessary to establish your authority and lead high-stakes, complex programs and projects.

Module Overview

The curriculum is mapped against the competencies of professional bodies like the Association for Project Management (APM), ensuring it's industry-relevant. Students will develop a deep understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of project, program, and portfolio management.

Operations and Project Management
Students gain a comprehensive and balanced appreciation of operational processes, techniques, planning, and control systems. The module aims to equip students with the necessary analytical skills to understand and critically evaluate the performance of operations functions across diverse sectors.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management
This module aims to provide an integrative view of the complex inter- and intra-organisational dynamics which contribute to sustained organisational success and maximisation of competitive advantage, in the context of increasing pressures to protect global socio-ecological interests. This module aims to develop and enhance the skills and knowledge explored to enable participants actively consider how they may personally make a difference in different strategic contexts which may confront them.

Dissertation
Undertake a self-directed, in-depth research project on a chosen, approved topic. Develop advanced research design, critical analysis, and academic writing skills, demonstrating mastery of the subject.

Course Highlights

Fast-track study

The University of South Wales offers a flexible fast-track route to the MSc Project Management for applicants who hold the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) and can demonstrate substantial professional experience in managing and delivering projects.

Our fast-track Masters courses are an excellent professional development opportunity for those looking to deliver best practice in the workplace and further progress with a better understanding of strategic thinking. This flexible part-time route to a Masters degree is ideal if you need to fit your studies around your work commitments, and the exemptions available also mean you could study a course that is purely assignment based with no examinations.

Please note that the fast-track route does not attract government student finance as you will need to be sitting the whole course, not a lesser amount of credits due to previous study/experience

Careers and Employability

Graduate Careers

Completing the fast-track course can significantly boost a student's career prospects. It's suitable for aspiring project managers as well as those already in the field who want to formalize their experience with a recognized qualification. Graduates can pursue roles such as project manager, program manager, or project administrator in various industries.

Careers support

Students benefit from dedicated careers support through the University careers service, which offers guidance on employability, CV writing, interview preparation and job searching. The programme also encourages students to build professional networks by engaging with project management events, guest lectures and industry talks. These opportunities enable students to connect with practitioners, gain insight into current industry practice and enhance their professional confidence and career readiness.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

To be considered for the fast-track MSc in Project Management, you must have:

  • Extensive practical experience in managing and delivering projects.
  • The APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) or the former APMP qualification.

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Busaries Alumni Discount

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

The University has computers available on campus and laptops for loan. However, it is highly recommended that you have your own personal laptop, which will be capable of running Microsoft Office 365. As a student you will be able to download a free copy of any software relevant to the course.

Cost: £250+

University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

Studying at USW

Our courses are designed with industry leaders and provide the practical skills and experiences industry demands. Our flexible courses reflect the need for life-long learning. If you value education in practice, not just in theory, then USW is for you.

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Postgraduate fees and funding
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How to apply

There is an online application process for this course. Please choose the application form for your preferred start date and mode of study (i.e. full-time or part-time).

International admissions

Please see our international admissions advice for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

Next Steps

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