Master stroke

In November last year, the first nine students enrolled on a new MSc at the Bartlett School, University College London. They are the guinea pigs for a unique course that it has been developed by the construction industry for the construction industry. Andrew Edkins, the course director, describes it as “an MBA for construction professionals”.

The MSc in Interdisciplinary Management of Projects is said to be the first interdisciplinary course in contemporary management. It was the brainchild of Bob White, chairman of construction manager Mace. White felt there was a need for senior managers to develop the skills of collaborative and interdisciplinary working promoted by the Latham and Egan agendas. “Interdisciplinary working is the focus for managing projects – there is no one view point, rather a common set of interests,” he says.

To ensure the Masters is appropriate for construction, the course content has been suggested by the industry itself. The course runs over two years on a part-time basis. Its structure is based around attendance in four one-week blocks each year, interspersed with attendance at three weekends: this ensures it fits around the needs of employed professionals. Course content is delivered in a modular format through lectures, assigned studies and a dissertation. Subjects covered include: organisational behaviour; the management of projects; the management of facilities as assets; and supply chain management. There are two foundation modules: management of projects, and tomorrow’s company.

Teaching is provided by Bartlett faculty staff and external lecturers – including Mace’s Bob White, who provides an “executive reality” input to the course. “What we are saying is, here is a future agenda – if you understand it and buy into it you’ll be much more successful than you are now,” says Edkins.

Peter Wilson, quality director at Building Design Partnership’s Manchester office, was involved in setting the course content. He says a business stands to benefit from sponsoring students through this course: “It is intended to give a broad spectrum of understanding and condensed information on all aspects of project management, from the initial briefing to the development of the design and procurement of works packages through to delivery.” He says the course will also cover the “softer” management skills.

Wilson emphasises the role the MSc will play in ensuring tomorrow’s leaders have the necessary management skills. He says that an engineer or architect who is good at their job will progress within a company but that doesn’t mean that they will have the relevant management skills. “For those tipped for stardom, being good at design does not mean you are good at management, which is what this course is all about,” he explains.

Students are expected to demonstrate their skills by undertaking assignments that require analytical examination of a range of topics, often set in the context of student’s employment. “All the course work is orientated at a student going back to their employer to look at an aspect of the business from the perspective of the course,” says Edkins.

James Merrett, a project manager at Mace, is part of the first intake of students. He says he was attracted to the course because his first degree was focused on civil engineering, and he was looking to gain a professional qualification in project management. He is impressed with the course so far: “I was looking for a project management course, but this is much more than that. It is not like a traditional taught MSc, it does not give prescriptive rules on project management, instead it gives an insight into best practice and it is up to us to pull these into a solution. It is a course where what you get out of it is proportional to what you put into it.”

For Merrett, a big plus of the course has been the opportunity to mix and work with students from a varied range of backgrounds. He says it is a course for people who want to expand their knowledge of how the construction could be managed both up and down the supply chain. “The course has allowed me to work with a diverse range of people that I would normally have to engage with on a day-to-day basis, but without any commercial pressures,” he says. He adds that the course is also a great networking opportunity and says students should come with an open mind and be prepared to be challenged; they should also expect to have to “unlearn“ some of the things they have been taught.

The focus of the course is a 10,000-word research project tackling a particular problem of strategic importance to the student’s organisation. The results of the project will be presented to the company and industry body Constructing Excellence in the Built Environment is considering publishing the best reports and using them to influence future policy at the highest level within the industry.

Unusually, the course is actually funded by the industry: there are currently 13 industrial partners from all sectors of the industry, including clients, architects, consultants and contractors who will be sponsoring students (see box). There are also three affiliate partners involved in the course which do not have a commitment to send students: these are clients BAA and Stanhope and Constructing Excellence for the Built Environment.

Edkins is keen to attract students from public sector bodies and from “tier 2 and tier 3” suppliers onto the course, even though he is aware that supporting a student would be a huge commitment for a smaller firm. “I’d love to have students from the public sector on the course because they are such a major client of the construction industry,” he says. “When they set up a project in a certain way, the industry is forced into delivering it in that way, so they could do such a lot to make the industry think in a different way.”

Typical students are envisaged to have a good first degree, at least five years’ experience in the industry and be on the leadership ladder. “The course is pitched at the construction leaders of tomorrow,” says Edkins. Students must have the full backing and involvement of their company and Edkins insists that each student must have a mentor, or “sounding post”, at their employer to ensure their studies maintain an appropriately commercial outlook. It is a serious commitment for any company, considering the loss of earnings and two-year course fees of £7500 a year, but Edkins is hoping that it is one many will feel is worth making.

For more information log on to the website www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/graduate