Graduate Diploma in Project Management

Graduate Diploma in Project Management

Graduate Diploma in Project Management

This programme covers all aspects of Project Management, including strategic management, contemporary issues, relationships, influence and leadership, plus three elective papers. Knowledge gained is then applied through a choice of a dissertation or internship.

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Key Details
SIT2LRN Distance Learning
Qualification:
Graduate Diploma
Level:
7
Credits:
120
Duration:

One year full-time

Up to five years part-time

Intakes are 17 weeks long

Study Modes:
Distance Learning
Dates:

2025 Intake 3: 23 June to 17 October - Applications Close 09 June 2025

2025 Intake 4: 28 July to 21 November - Applications Close 14 July 2025

2025 Intake 5: 25 August to 19 December - Applications Close 18 August 2025
Fees:

SIT Zero Fees Scheme

  • Tuition Fee: $0   Check eligibility
  • Direct material Cost: $7.00 per credit (incl GST)

 

International Fees

$25000

 

Unsure which one is for me? Check Fees Eligibility Check my options

 

     

The aim of the Graduate Diploma in Project Management is to provide students who already have a degree or extensive applicable experience, with advanced theoretical and applied knowledge in Project Management (equivalent to a second major subject).

This programme covers all aspects of Project Management, including strategic management, contemporary issues, relationships, influence and leadership, plus three elective papers. Knowledge gained is then applied through a choice of a dissertation or internship.

Please note that you will need to use a project management software as part of this course. This will not be provided by SIT. Examples of software include MS Project, TeamGantt, Monday.com, Clickup.

We recommend that students complete MGT622, Fundamentals of Project Management paper, in their first intake of this course.

Level 7 papers (compulsory) – complete all of the following:

MGT622 Fundamentals of Project Management (15 Credits)

With this course participants will be acquainted with the fundamentals of project management terminology and its significance to understand the business benefits for their projects. Through contextual case studies based on real projects, participants will be able to build up their project administration structure.

This pragmatic hands-on course is intended to discover Project Management and develop a strong foundation on a project’s lifecycle. You will learn skills like scoping a project, budget management, progress tracking and improving effectiveness. You will also gain an insight of the tools, techniques, and resources important to oversee projects.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Understand the basic principles and activities of project management.
  • Demonstrate skills in the use of a common project management software system.
  • Develop a project time-line plan.
  • Develop strategies to manage conflict in project management. 
  • Estimate and schedule task times, resources required and costs.
  • Identify and establish project administration structures.

MGT702 Research Methodology (15 Credits)

Note: This paper must be completed prior to completing PJT730 or PJT731 and requires a final weighted grade of B- or higher to pass the paper.

This paper will introduce students to the skills required to complete a research project.  It will cover advanced research skills, various methodologies available to gather and present primary and secondary information and data, and it will take students through the literature review process.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Select a suitable topic on which to base a research project, or similar piece of written work, and identify any possible ethical issues.
  • Source and critically analyse suitable secondary research from a variety of sources both online and in hard copy and select a methodology for gathering primary data.
  • Understand the requirements of a ‘literature review’ and how to construct this using an appropriate referencing style.
  • Write a proposal to complete a research project, or similar, outlining how all the key elements will be met within a specified timeframe.

MGT717 Organisational Project Management (15 Credits)

Students will learn about the important role projects play in an organisation’s overall success. A case-based approach will allow students to research and deconstruct a well-known, multifaceted project, to uncover successes or failures. Students will explore the case study from a project management perspective, identifying key project management principles and concepts. Students will then evaluate the impact the project had on the organisation. 

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate the central role of project management within an organisation.
  • Align with the strategic goals of organisations and bring leadership and direction to projects.
  • Create realistic plans for executing strategic goals and ensure expectations are set around project delivery timelines.
  • Justify the quality of project deliverables to ensure they align with organisational goals and objectives.

MGT718 Project Management in Practice (15 credits)

This paper introduces project management through a practical orientation. This paper focuses on the ‘soft’ skills required for successful project management. Topics covered include: project selection, leadership, ethics, team management and outsourcing. This course will also introduce the Agile project methodology enabling students to perform project with more efficiently and viably.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate the key issues that can influence successful project management outcomes.
  • Discuss the commercial realities of managing projects and evaluate potential ethical challenges.
  • Critically analyse project management case situation and their outcomes.
  • Critically assess the challenges project managers face in the execution of project management tasks and analyse strategies to mitigate challenges

MGT719 Advanced Project Management Methodologies and Frameworks (15 Credits)

Students will gain advanced level knowledge of effective project management frameworks and methodologies which are essential for the success of projects. Widely used frameworks and key methodologies will be discussed. Students will learn to carefully choose and apply the right framework and methodology to their project from private to public sector, irrespective of category, size, and complexity.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate major determinants such as size and scope to select the best project management framework and methodology for the project lifecycle, from initiation to closure.
  • Develop strategies to accurately track and report project progress accurately.
  • Utilise established tools and techniques to manage and mitigate project risk and develop dispute resolution strategies and controls.
  • Critically evaluate strategies to record project successes and failures to ensure lessons learned can be implemented in future projects.

Choose one of the following (either 730 or 731):

PJT730 Management Research Project (Project Management) (30 credits)

This paper provides students with an opportunity to conduct advanced research into an aspect of management theory or practice by integrating the body of knowledge learnt in management papers.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to select a current management issue or applied management problem and formulate an appropriate research objective and research question, plan, organise and implement a research project, select and apply appropriate research methodologies, collect, analyse and interpret research data, write a research report to a professional standard, make an oral presentation of the management-related research project and answer relevant questions raised. 

You are expected to: 
Identify and Investigate a current management issue based on personal interest, benefit to an organisation, popular topic or a gap in research you have identified

Approach

  • Select a current management issue or applied management problem and formulate an appropriate research objective and research question.
  • Select and apply appropriate research methodologies.
  • Collect, analyse and interpret research data.
  • Write a research report to a professional standard.
  • Make a research poster to present your research work
  • Undertake an oral defence presenting key points from your research report and answer relevant questions raised.

Assessments

  1. Introduction and Literature Review
  2. Final Research Report
  3. Research Poster
  4. Oral defence (via Skype)
  5. Reflective Journal

Total Word Count
Approximately 12,000 words

PJT731 Internship (Project Management) (30 credits)*

This paper provides students with an opportunity to become familiar with the micro and macro operating environments of an organization and to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course of their degree study.  Using knowledge and skills gained in the first two years of the degree, students will be enabled to present a development/problem-solving proposal in an area relevant to the internship organization. Students will also gain reflective skills through the reflection on the internship and how their personal and professional managerial skills have developed and broadened.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to, critically evaluate an organisation’s corporate direction, main activities, and identify and evaluate the internal environment of the internship organisation, evaluate the organisation’s operating environment and the role of the internship organisation within the industry, assess and rationalise to all stakeholders significant issues confronting the internship organisation, specifically an aspect of concern or interest to the organisation’s operation or management, conduct and critically evaluate primary research regarding the specific aspect to be stated, distinguish between critical and non-critical factors impacting on the problem/development, evaluate information and make recommendations for specific development/problem, consider and assess issues for implementing recommendations, critically assess the dilemmas, challenges and problems faced, and how these issues were resolved during the internship, critically evaluate how the knowledge and skills acquired during the degree programme were adapted into practical situations.

You are expected to:
Identify and Investigate a current management issue within your internship organisation

Approach

  • Find an internship placement (this can be in your existing workplace) 
  • Collect both primary and secondary information to investigate a significant management issue within the organisation
  • Make recommendations based on the findings and present a development/problem solving proposal
  • Present the reflections and evaluations of the internship project and answer relevant questions raised.

Assessments

  1. Introductory Report (based on the organisation)
  2. Proposal Report including Negotiation Evidence
  3. Research and Strategy Report
  4. Journal
  5. Presentation (via Skype)

Total Word Count
Approximately 12,000 words

**Note: Before starting on the 731 – Internship paper, you will need to ensure that you have the following:

  • Your detailed, up-to-date CV
  • Letter from your employer/internship organisation (i) setting out the internship details i.e. name of organisation, name and contact details of supervisor and range of responsibilities (job description); and (ii) confirming that you will be interning there for the duration of the internship period of 17 weeks. Click here for template of the Employer’s Letter. 

Hold on to these documents and upload them onto Blackboard when your intake starts.

 

Level 6 papers (elective) - complete one of the following:

MGT605 (MGT206) Risk Management and Quality (Level 6) 15 Credits

Students will be provided with a thorough understanding of issues of risk assessment, prevention and intervention in undertaking projects. The related topic of quality control and evaluation is also considered in detail.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Describe and discuss the theory, practice, strategic importance, and interrelationship between quality and risk management.
  • Undertake a risk analysis within a specific industry and justify conclusions.
  • Compare and contrast problem-solving methods for dealing with risks and apply them to a specific scenario providing justification for the chosen approach.
  • Examine common methods for evaluating quality management.
     

MGT611* (MGT222) Health and Safety in Employment (Level 6) 15 Credits (*requires access to a workplace or organisation to assess Health and Safety systems, processes, and procedures)

This paper presents students with an overview of health and safety in employment situations and the development of strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of work-related injury and illness.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Identify sources and analyse health, safety, and wellbeing information within a specific organisation.
  • Locate and examine key health and safety legislation.
  • Analyse progamme strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of work-related injury and illness within a specific organisation.
  • Develop and apply engagement strategies to communicate health, safety and wellbeing information to stakeholders (internal and external) at all levels of a specific organisation.

Students who have completed a Graduate Diploma in Project Management will critically analyse and evaluate strategic issues facing organisations, develop and implement appropriate policies and develop and implement procedures and processes to enable the successful implementation of specific projects which are outside the ‘business as usual’ scope of operations. They will solve problems, both independently and as part of a team.

Applicants must have obtained at least an undergraduate degree in any discipline, or be a mature student aged at least 20 years and supply evidence of at least three years’ relevant work experience.  Each mature applicant must provide their curriculum vitae detailing any relevant work experience and academic achievements.  The Programme Manager will use this information to assess whether the applicant is likely to successfully complete the Graduate Diploma.

Meeting the application criteria does not guarantee acceptance into the programme.

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following

NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or

an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or

Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL);or

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand,,Australia,Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of a Bachelor's Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters' Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or

Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment

IELTS test - Academic score of 6 with no band score lower than 5.5 
TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 550 (with an essay score 5 TWE) 
TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 60 (with a writing score of 18) 
Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools or C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a score of 169. No less than 162 in each skill. 
OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests 
NZCEL - a) Expiring Level b) Current: a) Level 4 (Academic) b) Level 4 (Academic) 
Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 50 with no band score lower than 42 
Language Cert - C1 Expert International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS 
Trinity ISE - ISE II with no less than distinction in any band

* New versions of some NZCEL qualifications, and in some cases new qualifications, were published on 13 June 2017. These are intended to replace pre-existing versions and qualifications, which have been given expiring status until discontinued on 31 December 2019. (a) denotes expiring (b) denotes current

Full time study

Full time study is completing 60 credits per intake. Students studying full time will complete the Graduate Diploma within two intakes (one year)

Full time acceptance into the programme is at the Programme Manager’s discretion.

Part time study

The number of credits selected per intake will depend on work, family, and other commitments. The recommended maximum number of credits per intake, compared to working hours, are:

  • Working 37+ hours per week = enrol in a maximum of 30 credits per intake
  • Working 20 – 37 hours per week = enrol in a maximum of 45 credits per intake
  • Working fewer than 20 hours per week = enrol in a maximum of 60 credits per intake (full time study).

Cross Credit

If you have completed and passed the Diploma in Project Management (Level 6) through SIT2LRN within the last five years, you may be able to have some of your study credited towards this programme.

Please contact SIT2LRN to discuss or download the cross credit application form. http://www.sit.ac.nz/Students/Academic-Support

Additional information

  • As a guideline, one credit equates to approximately 10 hours study within an intake period. Click HERE to download a Study Load Calculator (spreadsheet).
  • All papers selected within a particular intake must be completed within that intake unless a transfer is requested (conditions apply; see FAQs).
  • Online enrolments are on a year by year basis and students are welcome to apply for multiple intakes in one enrolment.  Further enrolment is the responsibility of individual students.  There is no automatic enrolment rollover. 

All SIT2LRN courses require you to have a computer and Internet access. Students are required to use their SIT webmail only for all SIT2LRN communications. All course materials and information, including assessments and due dates, are located on the online Blackboard system. Once you have been accepted into a programme you will receive an Important Information Booklet that includes information that you can use to familiarise yourself with our online Blackboard learning environment. From the intake start date you will have access to the online course materials to work through.

Facilitator Assistance: During the enrolled intake period, students have email access to Facilitators, who endeavour to respond to emails within 48 hours (week days only). All students are required, within the first two weeks of an intake, to send an email to their Facilitator confirming their start on the programme of study. Students who have not emailed their facilitator or embarked upon their course of study by the end of the 2nd week of an intake, will be Faculty Withdrawn from the programme. Such withdrawals may impact on future access to SIT Zero Fees Scheme and Student Direct Material Costs are still liable for payment.

All students will get an official academic transcript on successful completion of their programme of study which will be posted or given at Graduation.  After each intake is finished, it is suggested that students check their results on MySIT.

We recommend students new to SIT2LRN read through the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website for further study and enrolment information.

Please use the following checklist to ensure that all relevant information and documentation has been included. Remember, your application will be assessed based on the information that you provide us with.  Processing of your application will be delayed if we need to come back to you for missing information.

  • I have read all sections of the Programme Information on this page
  • I have read the SIT2LRN Frequently Asked Questions section
  • I have met all admission criteria for the programme (found under "Application Criteria")
  • I have met all the criteria for individual papers (found under "Course Content").
  • I have selected the paper(s) I wish to study
  • I have selected intake(s) (I have selected alternate intakes rather than overlapping intakes)
  • I know my intended payment method
  • If my organisation/company is paying for my studies, I have a completed and approved purchase order to attach to my online application.  I am aware that should my organisation or company not pay my fees, these will become my responsibility.
  • New students – I have provided an active NSN in the name I am enrolling in or I have verified ID and will attach it to my online application.
  • New students – I will attach academic documentation (NZQA record of achievement/academic transcripts/certificates).  These do not need to be verified. (If you do not have any academic documentation to support your application, please attach a comprehensive CV outlining your education and work experience).
  • I have computer access,  an Internet connection and access to software to create electronic documents e.g. Microsoft Word or Open Office

What is the Zero Fees Scheme?

The Zero Fees Scheme means we do not charge tuition fees. However, there is a Student Direct Material Cost that you need to pay. The Student Direct Material Cost gives you secure access to Blackboard® our online learning environment and to student support services throughout your study with us.

Who qualifies for the Zero Fees Scheme?

  • A New Zealand citizen completing the full qualification or 
  • An Australian citizen/New Zealand Resident or Permanent Resident who will be residing in New Zealand for the duration of your enrolment.

Instructions to help you with your application:

  1. Read the Programme Information on this page and the SIT2LRN Frequently Asked Questions and find out if you meet the application criteria for both the programme and the unit/s you wish to study.
  2. Check your eligibility for Zero Fees. If you are not eligible to study under this scheme, please call 
    0800 748 257 for further options.
  3. Complete your online enrolment checking that:

If you are a new student …

  • Provide an active NSN number in the name you are enrolling in (contact NZQA on 0800 697 296 to get your NSN number if you do not know it);
  • If you do not have an active NSN, then attach a copy of your verified ID in the name you are enrolling in.
  • If you are a Resident or Permanent resident of NZ, please provide a copy of proof of residency;
  • Attach all academic documentation to support your application including copies of any certificates of courses you have undertaken / NZQA record of achievement / transcripts / CV;

Attach supporting documents as required and outlined on the previous page.

  1. Please check that you have included all the required information and supporting documents.  Your application will be assessed based on the information that you provide.  Missing information will delay the processing of your application.
  2. Please scan and email all additional documentation to sit2lrn@sit.ac.nz.

What happens next?

  • You will receive an automatic email confirmation when we receive your online application. Processing may take up to three weeks. However, we will get in touch with you sooner if we require further documentation.
  • Once your application has been accepted you will be sent a conditional offer of acceptance with an invoice and instructions on how to make payment.
  • Once we have received your payment (or if you have opted to pay by Credit Card, Student Loan or Purchase Order) you will be sent an Enrolment Confirmation Letter and Important Information Booklet. Closer to the start of the intake you will receive a Time To Get Started Letter which will give you all the necessary information, tools and guidance to start your study with us.

For students to be considered to have satisfactorily completed this programme and be eligible for the awarding of the qualification Graduate Diploma in Project Management, they must have completed all scheduled course work requirements and assessments, successfully completed assessment requirements for all papers, and achieved a total of 120 credits as specified in the programme schedule. The timeframe for completion of this programme is five years.

Assessments for this programme may include, but are not limited to:

  • Tests
  • Assignments
  • Case studies
  • Presentations
  • Reports
  • Final examinations

All requirements for assessment must be submitted by the advised time and date. Late assignments will not be accepted unless an extension has been requested by the student and granted by the facilitator, in writing, before the due date.

For more information on required and recommended textbooks for this course please refer to the textbook list here. 

Please note that textbooks need to be ordered at least 3-4 weeks prior to the commencement of your study

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