Major Programme Management

This specialised master’s degree combines the highest standards of academic rigour with a practical approach to managing large-scale, complex and transformational programmes, bringing together experienced programme managers to share their challenges and knowledge.

How do leaders face the uniquely complex challenges presented by planning and delivering major programmes? The MSc in Major Programme Management helps you develop the understanding, ability and confidence to address these challenges and manage programmes the scale of which can transform a company, a city, or even a country.

Designed for senior executives who may well have already undertaken a number of project management courses, this part-time programme awards a master’s degree from the University of Oxford whilst allowing participants to study alongside full-time employment.

Rigorous, selective and intellectually challenging, this part-time postgraduate degree programme consists of eight themed courses of four days each, studied in person at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School over 18 months. During these courses, students are expected to stay in or around Oxford. The courses are complemented by flexible study (reading, research, writing assignments) completed away from the business school. During the final six months of study you will write a 10,000-word dissertation on a subject of your choosing, so the total study period will be 24 months.

The MSc in Major Programme Management offers you:

• the skills and ability to be responsible for programmes amongst the most expensive, complex and transformational in the world;
• access to top-level teaching and research from world-leading experts including those from the business school and the wider university;
• membership of a unique network of peers and practitioners from around the globe;
• a postgraduate degree from the University of Oxford which builds on your existing professional development and experience; and
• lifelong association with the university through the business school, university networks and college membership.

The assessment regime for the core courses consists of 100% individual assignments (formal coursework) with a final dissertation of not more than 10,000 words. Assessment is performed at the end of each course. Students who fail to achieve the required standard have one opportunity to retake/resubmit the assessments. Students may be required to make regular presentations to teachers, and business practitioners.

Students are required to pass all of the core courses and the dissertation. The Gateway and Capstone courses are not presently assessed.

Please note that this course is paperless. This means that paper handouts will not be provided for most of your courses. All presentations will be uploaded to our virtual learning environment. For pedagogical reasons this may be in advance of, just before or immediately after teaching sessions. Handouts will be provided for certain courses based on specific requirements, eg unreliable internet availability or where handouts operate more like a textbook than slides.

Although MSc in Major Programme Management participants are generally individuals with well-established careers and career progression plans, the Said Business School’s careers service can provide interview training, help with networking skills and assistance in the production of excellent CVs.

The Oxford Business Alumni (OBA) Network is the official alumni network of Saïd Business School University of Oxford. Overseen by the Saïd Business School Alumni Relations Team, the network was established in 1997 to provide a focus for Oxonians who share a common interest in business, ensuring an active network of emotionally and intellectually engaged alumni.

There are more than 20,500 OBA members living in over 149 countries from across both the School's programmes and the wider University. As part of this network there are 22 chapters and over 60 regional ambassadors across six continents, all offering an exciting variety of events from social gatherings to business-focused networking sessions.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

All graduate courses offered by the Saïd Business School

Executive MBA EMBA

Finance DPhil

Financial Economics MSc

Financial Strategy PGDip

Global Business PGDip

Law and Finance MSc

Major Programme Management MSc

Management DPhil

Master of Business Administration MBA

Master of Business Administration Oxford 1+1 MBA programme

Organisational Leadership PGDip

Strategy and Innovation PGDip

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Entry requirements