Project Management (Online)

Program participants will practice creating the key project management deliverables that initiate, plan, execute and close a project. At the beginning of the course, participants will select a case study project to work on for the duration of the class. As the course proceeds, each student will create and submit the project management deliverables for their case study project. Upon completion of the online course, participants will have completed the major components of a project management plan.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define a project's characteristics and describe the benefits of project management
• Describe the roles and responsibilities of the project manager and the project sponsor
• List and describe the project management process groups and knowledge areas as defined in PMI’s “PMBOK® Guide.”
• Choose an appropriate life cycle approach: Predictive, Agile or Hybrid
• Prepare a project charter and perform basic stakeholder analysis to initiate a project
• Prepare and use key project management planning deliverables
• Understand basic guidelines for leading and motivating project team members
• Use a well-defined process to manage project change and adjust plans
• Describe status collection, reporting and stakeholder communication
• Describe how to monitor and control project progress
• Work with a team to successfully deliver results and close projects

Course Structure
Extended Studies’ Project Management course is offered fully online in seven weekly modules to be completed during the week they are offered. Participants will spend about seven hours per week engaged in the course. Each module includes online lecture notes, textbook reading assignments, discussion topics, a short quiz, and a project assignment.

Each weekly course module begins on Tuesday. Previous work can be accessed and viewed anytime, but assignments must be submitted for the week prior to the beginning of the next weekly course module. While course material will be available for continued reference up to four weeks after the class ends, assignments must be turned in by the scheduled course end date and participants must receive at least a 70% in the course in order to meet the requirements for earning a certificate of completion.

Module Topics

• Module 1: Basic Project Management Concepts
• Module 2: Initiating the Project
• Module 3: Planning the Project Scope
• Module 4: Planning the Project Schedule and Budget
• Module 5: Planning for Project Risks and Setting the Project Baselines
• Module 6: Executing the Project Plan
• Module 7: Monitoring Progress and Closing the Project

Discussion Board and Project Assignments:
Each module includes a discussion topic to help students relate the material to their real-world experience. Posting to the board enables students to share their project experiences and benefit from the experiences of other students. Each module also includes a project assignment, where students submit the following project management deliverables:

• Project concept
• Project charter/Stakeholder list
• Work breakdown structure (WBS)
• Preliminary project schedule and budget
• Risk register
• Baselined project scope, schedule and budget
• Project retrospective

Participation Requirements
Participation in the course requires high-speed internet access and an email address. Please note: These online courses are not optimized for access on mobile devices.

Certificate of Completion
Certificates of completion will be awarded at the conclusion of the course to participants who participate in the course modules, complete six of the seven modules by the course end date, and receive at least a 70% in the course.

Course Textbooks
Required: Participants must buy The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, Sixth Edition, by Eric Verzuh (John Wiley & Sons Inc.). This is the primary textbook for the class in addition to the online materials. It presents additional information about the basic project management concepts and tools you will use to accomplish your project assignments. Available at online booksellers or check a local bookstore. ISBN-13: 978-1119700760 or ISBN-10: 1119700760

Optional/Recommended: Process Groups: A Practice Guide, (Project Management Institute, 2023.) This reference helps you understand the PMI project management framework and how each project management process contributes to project success.

This course fulfills the required 35 hours of project management education/training for the PMP® Certification. Visit the Project Management Institute for information about requirements to sit for the exam.