Courses

2023 Course Schedule

 

Course Spring 2023 Sessions Summer 2023 Sessions Fall 2023 Sessions
Certificate in Project Management Practices 4/5 – 6/6 6/21 – 8/15 9/6 – 10/31

Curriculum

The two courses included in the Certificate emphasize project management practices for today’s organizational, cultural, and economic world.  Through instruction, dialog and real-world examples and exercises, attendees will be able to:

  • Prepare a Project Charter
  • Conduct a Stakeholder Analysis
  • Create a Work Breakdown Structure
  • Develop a Project Schedule
  • Create a Risk Register Communications Plan
  • Manage Project Changes and Risks
  • Leverage basic project management skills throughout a project life cycle

The classes align with the Project Management Institute’s most recent standards (PMBOK® Guide, Seventh Edition) and address the Knowledge Areas of  Stakeholders, Team, Development Approach and Life Cycle, Planning, Project Work, Delivery, Measurement, and Uncertainty

Class Structure

Rapid skill acquisition relies on the individual (1) understanding what skills are needed for the area of interest (2) learning enough information about each skill and (3) practicing, practicing, practicing.  Emphasis is on practice and feedback because this provides confidence with the skills — something that listening to lectures and taking multiple-choice tests does not confer.

Using these principles, the class is structured as followed

  1. Project Management is broken into skills and a Blueprint connects them together
  2. Skills are explained
  3. Skills are practiced and feedback provided:
  • Before class, on a Case Project
  • In class, through role playing as a Project Manager
  • After class, on a project of the student’s choosing

Students need to plan to

  • attend each weekly one-hour class and actively participate
  • spend 2-4 hours per week (1) learning concepts and skills from videos, (2) filling-in project management templates and/or (3) preparing simple presentations
  • upload templates so the instructor can provide feedback

Course 1: Setting Up Projects for Success

Week 1: Project Management Fundamentals

  • Key Definitions
  • Project Management Principles
  • Project Management Performance Domains, Models, Methods, and Artifacts
  • Practical Project Management Blueprint

Week 2:  Initiating the Project

  • Understanding Business Objectives, Assumptions and Constraints
  • Preparing the Project Charter
  • Stakeholder Identification & Analysis

Week 3:  Project Communication

  • Communication approaches
  • Project meetings
  • Project information

Week 4:  Planning a Project — The Basics

  • Scoping a Project
  • Creating a simple Project Schedule
  • Managing Project Risks

CASE STUDY:  Run-a-Thon Fundraiser, Part 1

Course 2: Successful Project Delivery

Week 1:  Planning the Project – The Details

  • How to create a Work Breakdown Structure
  • Estimating a Budget and Resource Needs
  • Using a Gantt Chart

Week 2:  Creating High Performing Project Teams

  • Understanding the importance of inclusion
  • Aligning expectations
  • Creating buy-in and engagement

Week 3:  Executing, Monitoring and Closing the Project

  • Tracking and Communicating Project Status
  • Managing Issues, Actions and Risks
  • Project Closing and Acceptance
  • Capturing Lessons Learned

Week 4:  Managing Change and Conflict

  • Addressing Change Requests
  • Handling common conflicts

CASE STUDY:  Run-a-Thon Fundraiser, Part 2