Sponsored by the University of Warwick

Wherever you end up working, it’s likely you’ll find the workday divided into several projects or programs which are designed to achieve the goals of your business and manage resources effectively.

Behind each of these projects, there will always be a need for someone to oversee them, which is why professionals with expertise and experience in project management will always be in high demand.

But what’s it like to actually study project and program management? If you’ve wondered whether you’d be a suited to a career in project management, hopefully this can help.

So what is program and project management?

Project management is essentially the planning, organizing and monitoring of resources to achieve desired business goals.

Program management is similar to project management: it involves managing multiple related projects at once in a coordinated fashion to reap benefits which cannot be obtained from managing them individually.

Program or project managers plan strategies to kickstart projects, determine project requirements and lead others involved in the project and monitor the progress of their work. This means having fingers in many pies - you’ll need to monitor and stay on top of logistics, budgets, timeframes, and get involved in the HR-side of project management as well as things like team culture management.

Martin Ou, from China, studied program and project management at the University of Warwick, having previously worked in sales and marketing before joining a wealth management company in China. Once he was there, he quickly realised he needed experience in project and program management to progress in the company.

Martin took a year off to pursue the MSc in program and project management at the University of Warwick and he says he found the modules taught within the program extremely useful. He says: “In the Management of Change module we worked in small groups, with each group ‘running a business’ and each member taking a role within it.

“The lecturer acted as our customer and constantly introduced new and unexpected challenges. The whole thing was intense and difficult at times, with changes happening quickly.

“This really pushed us and forced us out of our comfort zones, and looking back it’s extremely interesting to think about the way I reacted to issues and worked through them.”

Careers with a degree in program and project management

As you may have surmised by now, project managers need a variety of skills in their job. They are effective problem-solvers with numerical and communication skills.

Demand for project managers is high across industries. Job growth is anticipated to be faster than any other occupation, with 22 million new job openings around the world by 2027, according to the Project Management Institute.

The average salary for project managers is $72,000 in the US, £36,796 in the UK (US$48,400) and HK$499,816 in Hong Kong (US$63,699.05), according to PayScale.

So, if you’re tempted to find out more, where do you start? Well, the University of Warwick offers program and project management training that can help aspiring professionals get the education they need for any project and program management career. Their MSc in Program and Project Management is a one-year full-time course designed for graduates who want to move into project management.

It covers every aspect of program and project management, including financial analysis and control systems, and program and project strategy, and is taught by experts in their fields. You’ll also have the chance to learn from external speakers who work in organizations at the forefront of project management through lectures, seminars, online learning and group projects. Assessment is conducted through written assignments and in-module exercises.

Alumni of this program have gone on to work as project planners, project engineers, system analysts, project managers, at IBM, the World Food Program, Vogue, ExxonMobil, Dell and the civil service, so you’re almost guaranteed to end up in a leading role after you graduate.

We're pleased to announce that the winner of this year’s QS Academic Excellence Scholarship is Yan Guo.

The scholarship, offered every year, is worth US$10,000 and provides support to a student commencing a master’s or PhD program anywhere in the world. Applicants are assessed based on their academic achievements to date, as well as the potential they show to make a contribution within academia or another area.

Yan will study an MSc in Taxonomy, Biodiversity and Evolution at Imperial College London, starting in September, having previously studied Food Science at China’s Northwestern A&F University.

She says her bachelor’s degree gave her a good familiarity of the best food improving techniques, but new problems have aroused her attention - “Human activities, especially the conversion and degradation of habitats are causing global biodiversity declines.”

Yan’s master’s degree is offered in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, which was a powerful motivation in choosing the program, as these two highly prestigious institutions are working in collaboration to find possible solutions to balance global food shortage and ecology protection by 2050.

She also found the course’s curriculum a very good match to her interests, and hopes that the degree will give her the critical analysis ability to solve practical research issues.  She says: “I will have a chance to touch upon world-leading projects such as balancing food production with biodiversity persistence using PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity in Changing Terrestrial Systems.”

So what are Yan’s next steps after she finishes her degree? "After graduation, I will look for research opportunities in world leading research institutions like Imperial College London. My life-long career will be devoted to developing agricultural benefits, protecting the biodiversity of the environment and leading to the poverty reduction of farmers at the same time.”

Advice for other applicants

Yan says winning the QS Academic Excellence Scholarship has been a relief, as it will cover nearly one third of her tuition fees, meaning she can spend more time on study and research. To other students applying for students, she has this advice:

"Plan ahead, not only when you are searching for the scholarships, but also when applying for a university and determining your career path. Always do the best in your study/work so when the opportunity comes, you can grasp it easily. If a girl like me from a small village can make it, you can make it too. Remember never to give up when you are about to lose hope.

"Thank you QS for providing such excellent scholarships for people who are chasing their dreams. There are many other wonderful scholarships for students from different backgrounds.”

Are you interested in expanding your horizons to study in the world’s largest country, which has an impressive 68 universities featured in the QS BRICS University Rankings 2018? Read on for scholarships to study in Russia…

Government-funded Russian scholarships for international students

• Government of Russian Federation Scholarships – A set number of state scholarships to study in Russia are available for foreign students each year, with free tuition, student accommodation and a maintenance allowance, which amounted to 1,500 rubles a month in 2017 (approximately US$24). 15,000 of these scholarships were awarded in 2017.

Non-governmental Russian scholarships for international students

• The School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS) – Lists scholarships to study abroad in Russia and other former Soviet states, most of which are specifically for US students.
• Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarships – Offers over 2,900 scholarships of up to US$5,000 for US undergraduate citizens to study or intern abroad. Applicants who are studying a foreign language (such as Russian) while abroad in a country in which the language is predominantly spoken will automatically be considered for the Critical Need Language Award, for a total award of $8,000.
• BP in Russia Research Scholarships – Russian scholarships of RUB 15,000 - 35,000 (~US$240-560) every month for students studying for degrees in energy and economics at one of the partner Russian universities. Applicants must be studying on state grants, have excellent grades and aim to develop in their chosen subject in the future.
• American Councils Scholarships – Various scholarships related to Russian language training and research in Russia, including the Title VIII Research Scholar Program, a scholarship for students to conduct independent research for three to eight months in one of the selected countries in Central Asia or Eastern Europe, including Russia. The value of the awards varies between US$7,000 to $25,000, and typically includes airfare, a monthly stipend, health insurance and more.
• Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project – Scholarships are available for international students from any country to study a master’s degree in mathematics, physics, computer science or economics in Russia. Offered by the Russian Association of Global Universities, the scholarships cover the entirety of tuition fees.

University-specific Russian scholarships for international students

• Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) – Scholarships are available for excellent international students who demonstrate the potential for superior academic performance.
• National Research University – Higher School of Economics (HSE) Saint Petersburg – Several scholarships are available to study at HSE’s St Petersburg campus, covering 25 to 100 percent of the tuition fees of outstanding international students at all study levels.
• National University of Science and Technology MISiS – Stipends are available for international students commencing English-medium MSc STEM programs, both for those who are admitted via the Russian government scholarship program and those who are covering tuition fees using their own funds.
• Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University – Individual scholarship opportunities are available for master's degree programs studied in English at the university. The scholarship could cover tuition fees during one semester or costs of accommodation in the university dormitory.
• Tomsk State University – Various grants are available for international students.
• Russian International Olympic University  – The Vladimir Potanin Foundation’s Olympic Scholarships Program offers 20 Russian scholarships to study a Master of Sports Administration program at the university, providing tuition, accommodation and a monthly stipend.

If you’re planning to study in Russia, take a look at our country guide, and see how Russian universities compare with those across the five BRICS countries in the latest QS BRICS University Rankings.

This article was originally published in October 2015. It was last updated in June 2018. 

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An increasingly attractive and multicultural study destination, Canada is a great option to consider for your PhD studies, offering a wealth of research opportunities to help you expand your expertise. More than a third of the country’s overall research is conducted at Canadian universities, and this work contributes billions to the country’s economy.

What are the admission requirements?

The requirements to study in Canada at doctorate level vary between universities and courses, but you generally need the following:

• A master’s degree in a related field, with strong grades and proven research ability and potential.
• Proof of language ability, depending on whether you study in English or French, if either language is not your first language and you haven’t previously studied in either language. (Some programs in French-speaking Quebec are conducted in both languages).
• A strong score in a graduate admissions test such as the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

In exceptional cases, you may be able to study a PhD with “accelerated admission” – that is, without a master’s degree. In this process, you’ll need to have outstanding grades in the last two years of your bachelor’s degree (a first-class average) and other demonstrations of your high academic potential, such as research publications.

How long are PhDs in Canada?

Most PhDs in Canada take about four to six years to complete.

How do I apply for a PhD in Canada?

Although the admissions process can vary between Canadian universities, you’ll generally need to follow the following steps to apply for a PhD:

1. Decide which PhD course you’d like to apply for, identifying your supervisor and chosen research topic. This may be an advertised, structured PhD in which the scope of the research is already outlined by the university (particularly in the sciences), or alternatively (particularly in arts and humanities) you could suggest and outline your own research project with an open PhD. Once you’ve found a supervisor, some universities may ask for a letter of support from your chosen supervisor to be included in your application documents.

2. If applying for an open PhD, you’ll need to submit a research proposal following the guidelines set by your university and generally outlining what you want to research, and why this is a worthwhile project.

3. Apply online, paying the appropriate application fee and attaching the necessary documents to your application. This could be all or some of the following:

• Statement of purpose – this should outline your background and academic/professional experience, including any awards, publications or relevant experience you can offer. You should also discuss your career goals and anything else stipulated by the university, keeping to the word limit.
• Two or three letters of reference (including one from your intended supervisor). Your referees should be academic, where possible.
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates – Canadian universities may require that your university mails an official transcript, which should be in English or accompanied by a perfectly translated document.
• Writing sample (most likely for arts and humanities PhDs)
• Your Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Language test results, if needed
• Portfolio of creative work (if applying for an arts/humanities PhD)

Some Canadian universities may also ask you to attend an admission interview.

4. Once accepted, the next step is to apply for your study permit, which acts as your student visa for your stay. You should also take out health insurance, and check your university’s website for orientation advice.

How much does it cost to study a PhD in Canada?

Tuition fees for a PhD in Canada vary between universities and courses, and will generally be around twice that of fees for Canadian students. An exception to this is the University of Toronto, where most international PhD students will pay the same tuition fees as domestic students, starting from fall 2018.

To give you an example of the cost of a PhD in Canada, the University of British Columbia charges CA$7,641 (~US$5,760) per year for Masters by Research or PhDs, while PhDs are CA$$10,240 (~US$7,700) in years one and two at the University of Manitoba.

What PhD scholarships and other funding opportunities are available?

Thankfully, many PhD scholarships are available to help make studying in Canada more affordable to international students, with many awards based on academic merit. The Canadian government runs a useful website with a search tool to find scholarships based on your country of origin. Other good places to look are the official websites of Canadian universities, which may provide their own scholarships search tool to help you find one relevant to your situation and country of origin.

Some examples of PhD scholarships to study in Canada include:

• The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, which award CA$50,000 (~US$37,700) per year to highly-qualified international and home PhD students in the fields of social sciences and/or humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering and health.
• The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation doctoral scholarships, which at the time of writing is currently in the process of being reworked.
• The University of British Columbia Four Year Doctoral Fellowship provides a stipend of at least CA$18,200 (~US$13,700) per year plus full tuition for outstanding international/home doctoral students for all four years of their studies.

Teaching/research assistantships

Many students also decide to fund their studies by taking part in a research or teaching assistantship – in these, you can work as a teaching or research assistant in exchange for a stipend and/or have your tuition fully or partially covered.

As a research assistant, you’ll work to help a faculty member (which may be your supervisor) by assisting with data collection, analysis, report writing, lab/office organization and other tasks. As a teaching assistant, you’ll support your department with its undergraduate programs, teaching one or more sections of the course, conducting laboratory sections, holding office hours and grading undergraduate papers. To become a teaching assistant, you’ll need to demonstrate your mastery of the course and ability to effectively facilitate students’ learning.

To apply for a research or teaching assistantship, you’ll need to check the information posted by your university and likely fill in an online application form.   

Can I work in Canada part-time during my studies?

Yes, all full-time students with a valid study permit can work part-time on or off campus for up to 20 hours per week during university semesters and full time during semester breaks. However, some PhD courses may stipulate that you shouldn’t work for more than 10 hours per week during term time – particularly if you’ve been granted funding to study in Canada. It’s also important to consider that your PhD will take up a considerable amount of time and challenging work, so you might prefer to focus entirely on your studies. Also, it’s not advised to rely on part-time work to fund your living expenses. You’ll need a Social Insurance Number to work in Canada.

Can I stay and work in Canada after my PhD?

Yes – if you’d like to stay after graduation to find work in Canada, you can apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) which allows you to stay and gain valuable work experience for a maximum of three years. And if you’re interested in becoming a permanent resident, this post-graduation work experience helps you to qualify to apply for permanent residency in Canada via Express Entry. Find out more here.

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This article was originally published in April 2017. It was updated in June 2018.

Included among the available QS Scholarships is the exclusive EDHEC Business School scholarship, offered in partnership between QS and EDHEC, which supports students enrolling in an MSc or MiM program at the business school, covering 50 percent of the winner’s tuition fees.  

The scholarship is awarded to any attendees of the QS World Grad School Tour who have successfully completed the admissions process at EDHEC, and can indicate a good deal of academic excellence, as well as a clear awareness of how studying at EDHEC will help them to reach their educational and professional goals.

This year, the scholarship was awarded to Italian student Ludovico Galanti, who will study EDHEC’s MSc in Financial Markets, starting in September.

Ludovico previously studied business administration for his bachelor’s degree, but has decided to pursue financial markets as he’s passionate about numbers and statistics, and hopes that EDHEC will “make me re-evaluate my conception of how things work, while also challenging me with a workload which will adequately prepare me for the financial markets industry.”

He was attracted to studying at EDHEC due to the school’s highly prestigious reputation and adaptable curriculum, as “the financial landscape is changing rapidly, and EDHEC seems to have fully embraced the technological disruption in its core teachings.”

Ludovico was attracted to Paris itself due to its status “as of one of the primary European financial centers.” Having previously visited France as a tourist, he says he “cannot wait to get there and start a new chapter of my life. I love the fact that in France, openness and international perspectives are combined with a strong national culture.”

After his degree, Ludovico hopes to apply his knowledge to start his own enterprise or work in investment banking, but would enjoy any role in financial markets.

Advice for other applicants

“Be honest, not just with the university and the organizations offering scholarships, but mainly to yourself. If you believe in the program and in the help the scholarship would provide, go for it. Scholarships are meant for motivated students of all backgrounds, they are a testament of your human capital. It is not only about yourself, but about the influence the scholarship would have in changing your path. Try to explain why it would profoundly impact your master experience and career perspective.”

如果你想在美国学习，你会知道它并不便宜--美国大学收取一些世界上最高的学费，特别是那些在全球享有盛誉的著名大学。然而，虽然美国顶尖大学的学费可以轻松达到每年40-50,000美元（不包括住宿、健康保险和其他费用），但有很多奖学金和其他类型的财政援助提供。

一种在美国特别独特的财政援助形式与 "无需求入学 "有关。这个术语意味着一个机构在决定是否为申请人提供名额时，有一项官方政策，即不考虑申请人的经济资源。这一政策可能扩大到所有学生，包括国际学生，也可能只限于美国国民。在某些情况下（并非全部），美国大学在实行不考虑需求的录取政策的同时，还作出 "完全需要 "的承诺，这意味着他们承诺提供足够的财政援助，使所有被录取的学生都能入学。

无需求录取的真正含义是什么？

无条件录取政策的含义因院校而异。其共同点是，美国大学在决定是否为申请人提供课程名额时，不考虑申请人的支付能力。这可能只适用于美国国内的申请人，或者也可能扩展到国际学生。

一些美国大学有不考虑需求的录取政策，但不承诺任何相关的财政援助。这意味着，如果学生无法支付入学费用，他们可能最终无法获得这个名额。

然而，其他美国大学在实行 "无需求 "录取政策的同时，还承诺满足所有被录取者的全部经济需求。大多数情况下，这种承诺只适用于美国国民，但目前有六所精英院校（见下文）也承诺为国际学生提供同样水平的财政援助。

无条件录取是否意味着你的学费已全部支付？

简而言之，不是。即使有关机构承诺帮助所有学生支付入学费用，这也不意味着完全免费。你将被要求做出一些财务贡献，这通常是根据对你父母的收入和其他资源的评估来计算的。你也可能被要求利用学生贷款来支付部分费用，或参加 "勤工俭学 "计划，这意味着在学习的同时兼职工作。

然而，大多数通过 "

然而，大多数通过 "无需求"和 "完全需求"招生政策录取的学生也会受益于大量的奖学金或助学金。

哪些美国大学提供 "无需求"录取？

很多美国大学都有某种形式的 "无需求"录取政策，但如上所述，这并不总是适用于国际申请人，也不总是意味着录取通知书会伴随着经济援助。目前，只有五所美国大学向所有学生，包括国际申请者，提供无条件录取和完全需要的财政援助。这五所大学是：

• 麻省理工学院（MIT）
• 哈佛大学
• 普林斯顿大学
• 耶鲁大学
• 阿默斯特学院

正如你可能知道的那样，这不是普通的五所美国大学--它们是美国乃至世界上最负盛名的五所大学。麻省理工学院目前在QS世界大学排名®中名列前茅，哈佛大学排名世界第三，普林斯顿大学排名第13，耶鲁大学排名第15。阿默斯特的规模小，但专业性很强，虽然无法在国际排名中占有一席之地--但它在专门针对文科教育的评估中排名很高。柯蒂斯音乐学院，在最近的QS世界大学学科排名中，在表演艺术方面排名第八，也是对所有学生不设要求的。

这些是一些最难获得录取的美国大学，但如果你成功了，每个机构都承诺提供足够的财政援助，使你有可能就读，无论你的经济状况或国籍如何。

许多其他美国大学也提供慷慨的奖学金和其他形式的资助。因此，即使你没有看到标明无需求录取或全需求政策，也不要让高昂的学费和其他费用阻碍你的申请。所有美国大学都被要求在其网站上提供一个 "净价计算器"，让未来的学生能够估算出他们在美国有关机构学习的实际费用。这是基于学生个人的财务状况，可用的助学金和奖学金，以及估计的生活费用。

每年，越来越多的学生选择在网上攻读学位，因为他们想获得新的技能，而且他们喜欢在线教育的灵活性和便利性。

巴勒莫大学为在线教育提供了一个新的创新方案：有些学位完全在网上教授，而其他课程则以混合的形式教授。

但是，虽然在校外学习可以把机会带到你的家门口，但有一些事情你必须做，以确保你的在线学位是成功的。 

挑选一个有最先进技术支持的课程

最好的课程会结合一些不同的在线工具和电子学习平台。

巴勒莫大学的在线学习者可以使用世界级的应用教育技术，以及一些与导师、教授和同事分享的协作工具和一个可以从任何设备上访问的移动应用程序。 

定制你的学位以满足你的独特需求

重要的是，你的在线学位是真正灵活和可定制的，所以它最适合你的需求，无论你的个人资料和能力如何。

有些学校在这方面比其他学校做得更好。巴勒莫大学的教育实验室目前正在开拓在线教育的研究，应用学习科学的最新发展，这将使学生能够根据他们的需求、背景、技能和学习风格来定制和调整他们的学术经验。 

巴勒莫大学还为学生提供了在线学习、校园学习或报名参加混合形式学位的选择。例如，你可以决定在网上学习学位的前两年，其余两年在校园学习。你可以在校园里度过第一年，然后在网上完成你的学位。有些学生甚至第一年在网上学习，第二年在校园里学习，而后转到合作大学学习一个学期，最后再回到网上学习。有多少学生，就有多少时间表和学习模式。

了解对你的期望  

不同的在线课程会有不同程度的自主权。根据你的其他承诺，两种学习模式可能更适合你的时间表。 

无论你最终选择什么课程，都要通过保持有条不紊来避免落后，特别是当你有一份全职工作或正在照顾家庭成员的时候。

在你开始学习课程之前，确保你清楚地知道你对自己的期望，以及对你的教授的期望，这样你就可以了解你的工作量并兼顾你的不同责任。 

提前计划是很重要的，所以打印出你的课程表和作业到期日，这样你就可以尽快开始为即将到来的最后期限工作。 

给自己准备一个日历，标出所有重要的考试日期、截止日期和会议，不要低估一个好的待办事项清单对你每周需要完成的所有任务的有效性。

与你的教授和同学们保持联系  

无论你喜欢哪种学习方式，都要与你的教授保持联系，以获得定期反馈，确保你在正确的轨道上。尽量多地参加与其他线上学习者的在线聊天和小组讨论，这样你们可以相互帮助。 

在巴勒莫大学的在线学位课程中，你永远不会感到孤独。班级规模设计得很小，允许与教授、导师，更重要的是，在同学之间有大量的互动。

此外，巴勒莫大学活跃的校友网络是一个由世界各地的高级专业人士和导师组成的反应迅速的社区，他们经常帮助和联系学生。这是一个完美的资源，可以找到毕业生的工作，并与行业领袖进行交流。

在巴勒莫大学攻读一个在线学位

在最新的QS世界大学排名中，巴勒莫大学的国际学生指标在拉丁美洲排名第一，而其所在的布宜诺斯艾利斯则被评为拉丁美洲最适合学生的城市。 

在最新的QS全球250所商学院报告中，巴勒莫大学也被列为拉丁美洲十大商学院之一。

巴勒莫大学提供多个本科和研究生水平的在线学位，完全以西班牙语授课，采用在线或混合模式教学，有市场营销、工商管理、会计、国际商务和混合制MBA等学位。

你可以根据你的日程安排和其他承诺，选择学习的时间和地点，并可以从任何设备上移动访问电子学习平台。 

课堂的设计是为了鼓励学生互动和参与，你将成为教授、导师和远程学习者在线社区的一部分，一些工具和资源也唾手可得。