How to apply

Applicants need to meet the following criteria:

• A 2:1 or higher undergraduate degree or equivalent international qualifications. We will consider applicants who do not hold such a qualification but can demonstrate a particularly strong employment record and/or hold certain professional qualifications.
• At least 7 years' relevant professional experience.
• English language proficiency (either TOEFL or IELTS, with minimum scores met if English is not your first language). A previous degree or work experience in English may be sufficient.

Contact the MMPM team to discuss your suitability for the programme and find out more about the application process.

Applications for the September 2023 class are open.

We operate a rolling admissions process, evaluating applications as they are received. The stage deadlines below are a guide for the approximate timing of interviews. 

• 28 November 2022
• 20 January 2023
• 24 April 2023 (scholarships deadline)
• 5 June 2023
• 24 July 2023

Successful applicants will only be able to select a college once they have received and met the conditions of their offer. Places in some colleges are limited, therefore early application to the programme is advised if you wish to be considered for a particular college.

You can only apply once in an admissions year. If you would like to re-apply, you are welcome to do so in the following admissions year.

Contact the recruitment team to discuss your suitability for the programme and find out more about the application process.

You will need the following to complete your application:

• Transcripts of higher education qualifications – your official record of modules and grades. A certificate of completion is not sufficient and proof of test scores are required in certain instances.
• At least two referees – current line manager and professional or academic reference. We are unable to accept previously prepared reference letters.
• Three essays.

Your application essays give you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, curiosity and insight within the field of major programmes. The essay topics are:

1. Major Programmes are large-scale, complex and transformational. Describe two examples of major programmes that interest you and explain why. (Approximately 2000 words)
2. What qualities are essential in a major programme manager? (Approximately 500 words)
3. What unique contribution will you make to the MSc in Major Programme Management if you are offered a place on the programme? (Approximately 500 words)

Please note if you refer to or use any material from other sources (print/online) please reference the source in the document somewhere. 

We are looking for you to demonstrate your knowledge and opinions but also encourage you to include evidence to support your arguments. Be sure to include references for any quoted material within your essays. References will not count as part of your essay word limit. 

Every piece of written work is put through plagiarism detection software. Read the University's guide on how to avoid similarities when writing your essay.

If English is not your first language or you are not from a majority English speaking country, you must take a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an International English Language Test Scheme (IELTS) and meet all minimum scores.

Alternatively, you must have a Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) or a Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE).

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course.

TOEFL iBT 

Minimum score 110

Minimum required on each component

• Listening: 22
• Reading: 24
• Writing: 24
• Speaking: 25

IELTS

Minimum score 7.5

Minimum required on each component 7.0

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) 

Minimum score of 191

Minimum required per component: 185

Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)

Minimum score of 191

Minimum required per component: 185

English language test waivers

At the discretion of the academic department, the requirement to provide English language test scores may be waived.

You may apply for a waiver if you have completed, or are currently completing, a degree-level course that is:

• Full-time
• At least nine months in duration
• Undertaken at a recognised institution where teaching and assessment throughout the course is undertaken entirely in English; and
• Has been completed no more than 2 academic years before the start date of the course to which you are applying.

You may also apply for a waiver based on substantial professional experience if:

• You have worked for a minimum of two years in a majority English speaking country where the main language for the role was English;
• Your role involved daily professional use of each of the four language components (reading, writing, listening and speaking);
• You worked in an appropriately technical context to demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in an academic environment; and
• Your role has ended no more than two years before the start date of the course to which you are applying.

If you meet either the criteria based on your previous education or your professional experience, you will need to indicate this by answering yes or no to the English language waiver questions on the ‘Languages’; tab of the application form. If you choose the professional experience option, you will need to summarise your role and use of English to enable the assessors to judge whether it meets the criteria.

The academic department will consider your request if you are offered a place. If your request is accepted, you won't be required to provide English language test results as a condition of your offer. Otherwise, you will still have to provide English language test scores at the required level for your course, by a deadline stated in your offer letter.

If you require a visa to enter the UK, please allow sufficient time for your visa to be processed.