Key information
Duration: 1 year full time
Institution code: R72
Campus: Central London
UK fees*: £13,200
International/EU fees**: £23,900
The course
Software Project Management (MSc)
Our MSc Software Project Management explores software project management issues and how to address challenges with advanced skills to meet the growing demand from multi-sector organisations seeking software and digital project management skills set.
This exciting software industry focused masters degree opens digital sector job opportunities up to students with non-technical backgrounds. If you are a finalist or recent graduate in any subject wanting to boost your employability, this innovative course will develop your knowledge and skills to provide a pathway to success in the digital era. It will enable you to develop the knowledge and skillset to plan, design, and deliver software management projects on time and on budget. There are also strategic focuses on developing multi and intra disciplinary characteristics of modern digital and software project-based environments.
You will be well prepared to fulfil the growing global demand for graduates with project management expertise and capabilities to address the complex and changing organisations.
You will enjoy studying at our well-equipped central London location and work with our supportive academic staff to realise your full potential.
Our London base is located in the heart of Bloomsbury, central London. We have our historic base at 11 Bedford Square as well as a dedicated suite in the University of London's impressive headquarters, Senate House, opposite the British Museum. New for 2022 is the opening of our exclusive-use, modern teaching spaces in Stewart House. These three buildings, just a few minutes apart, provide an inspiring and vibrant environment to stimulate creative and critical thinking.
On graduating you will have knowledge of how software products are planned, developed and delivered and the ability to deliver a project over a full project lifecycle.
From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
Course structure
Core Modules
Year 1
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This module aims to extend, and enhance your knowledge in the derivation, from corporate strategy, of business change programmes and their comprising projects, and then the chartering, structuring, and governance of those collections of projects and programmes within businesses. There is a strong emphasis on understanding the context of the project and programme and the extent to which this can be influenced or shaped by the initiation and agreed planning processes and outputs.
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This module introduces the applied and advanced concepts and methods of software development and software cost management and cost projects from both a theoretical and a real-world approach. The module content includes topics such as software programs, programming constructs; introduction and fundamental concepts of software engineering; software lifecycle and processes; Agile software development and many other emerging topic areas.
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This module provides an advanced and comprehensive review of current and future technological trends. Individual competence in enabling the processes of innovation and implementing change are essential for leaders and managers in today’s technology organisations. This module provides you with an opportunity to understand technology innovation and change – its drivers, risks, consequences, and people’s responses – and manage the interlinked processes of creativity, learning and critical thinking in the context of product and process innovation.
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The module aims to enable you to develop in critically assessing, reflecting, and taking appropriate decisions in the broad area of effective interpersonal skills and the personal commitment to professional standards, their obligation to society, the profession, and the environment. Some of the areas of professional practice development will include – effective interpersonal skills; professional standards and ethical conduct; health and safety at workplace; sustainable development goals and practices; continuous professional development (CPD); and developing and critically reviewing business proposals.
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This module aims to provide you with a broad and systematic understanding of the functional, architectural, financial, acquisition and technological perspectives of modern information systems, and develop the necessary knowledge of technology-related processes and of the associated real-world best practices.
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This module precedes the dissertation and is aimed at allowing you to develop a plan for your research, resulting in a detailed proposal. As such, work done on the module contributes towards the first three chapters of your Dissertation. In this module you will acquire an understanding of the research context. You will learn how to develop feasible research objectives and an appropriate conceptual/analytical framework for your research.
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You will identify a significant subject area and problem faced by businesses and senior management in engineering. You will deploy business research methods, collect and analyse data, and produce a substantial written report of around 15,000 words to a professional standard.
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This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.
Teaching & assessment
Over the 12 months of this course, you’ll take six taught course units, attend various seminars and workshops and complete a final project by dissertation. Term 1 is made up of three taught course units, term 2 comprises three taught course units. The dissertation will be on an engineering management topic.
If you choose to study part-time the course usually takes 2 years. However part time students may complete their programme of study over a period of up to 5 years.
Teaching and learning are delivered by a mix of academic and professional practice staff supporting the course in research and commercial areas of businesses. This consists of lectures, small group seminars and debates, individual tutorial sessions, and where applicable company focused case studies and guest speakers from industries.
You will have access to a personal tutor, along with support from module tutors, and a final dissertation supervisor during your studies.
Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods, including coursework, group and team projects, industry focused case studies, online tests, final written examinations, business case preparations and presentations.
Entry requirements
2:2
UK 2:2 (Honours) degree or equivalent. Relevant professional qualifications and relevant experience in an associated area will be considered.
International & EU requirements
English language requirements
MSc Software Project Management requires:
- IELTS: 6.5 overall. No subscore lower than 5.5.
- Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. No subscore lower than 51.
- Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
- TOEFL iBT: 88 overall, with Reading 18 Listening 17 Speaking 20 Writing 17.
- Duolingo: 120 overall and no sub-score below 100.
Your future career
Develop the tools to succeed in today’s digital workplace. On graduating you will have knowledge of how software products are planned, developed and delivered and the ability to deliver a project over a full project lifecycle.
You will graduate with more than advanced software project management knowledge, you will develop as a numerate and project oriented thinker with skills that are immediately transferable to a diverse range of sectors. Your independent project work, team projects, presentations, skills and learning experiences will help you acquire skills that are useful in a range of job roles. There are also opportunities through our business, technology start-ups, innovation and enterprise and professional practice modules to prepare for any industry or aim to venture onto a start-up business.
Our Software Project Management degree offers a practical and project-based approach to learning and follows a syllabus designed in partnership with national and global businesses to enable and apply the skills they are seeking, enabling our students to make an impact when they graduate.
Some of the industries our past graduates have secured employment are:
- Software Development Firms
- Information and Digital Technology Companies
- Automotive and Product Development Organisations
- Transportation, Logistics and Global Supply Chains
- Services and Oil and Gas Industries
- Utilities and Service Sector Businesses
- International Banking and Financial Services
- Further Research and Development in Private and Public Sector
Fees, funding & scholarships
Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £13,200
EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £23,900
Other essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.
How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, grants, scholarships and bursaries.
* and ** These tuition fees apply to students enrolled on a full-time basis in the academic year 2024/25. Students studying on the standard part-time course structure over two years are charged 50% of the full-time applicable fee for each study year.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase all postgraduate tuition fees annually, based on the UK’s Retail Price Index (RPI). Please therefore be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree (if longer than one year’s duration), and that this also means that the overall cost of studying the course part-time will be slightly higher than studying it full-time in one year. For further information, please see our terms and conditions.
** This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2024/25. Find out more
*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2024/25 academic year, and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.
