Overview
This program was developed by UCI Division of Continuing Education and is delivered by PowerED™ by Athabasca University. It features a streamlined curriculum that has been developed with feedback from industry veterans and an expert advisory team. You are provided with the skills and experience needed to grow your current career or prepare for future opportunities. The Project Management Institute has identified an annual growth rate of 1.5 million new project management job openings worldwide.
This program will cover the newest principles and practices outlined in PMI’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).
The required courses align with the body of knowledge necessary to sit for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) exam.
To earn the Project Management Certificate from PowerED™, participants must complete four (4) required courses with a grade of “C” or better. Courses may be taken individually, however, each course builds on work completed in previous courses.
Course Availability
The following courses are currently available for registration. Please check back regularly for updates to the schedule.
It is highly recommended that courses are completed in the following order: Project Launch, Project Planning, Project Execution, and Project Practicum.
| Course | Winter Intake Date | Spring Intake Date | Fall Intake Date | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Launch | Jan 13 - Feb 23, 2025 Open for registration > | May 13 - Jun 23, 2024 Closed | Sep 9 - Oct 20, 2024 Closed | $1210 |
| Project Launch On-Demand | Online and available on-demand Open for registration > | $1210 | ||
| Project Planning | March, 10 - Apr 20, 2025 Closed | July 8 - Aug 18, 2024 Closed | Nov 4 – Dec 15, 2024 Open for registration > | $1210 |
| Project Execution | May 13 - Jun 23, 2024 Closed | Sep 9 - Oct 20, 2024 Closed | Jan 13 - Feb 23, 2025 Open for registration > | $1210 |
| Project Practicum with Multiple Projects | July 8 - Aug 18, 2024 Closed | Nov 4 - Dec 15, 2024 Open for registration > | March 10 - Apr 20, 2025 Closed | $1210 |
Certificate Requirements
The four courses in the Project Management Certificate include:
Today’s fast track business and global environment places emphasis on how to increase project production efficiency with limited available resources.
You will:
- Learn how to justify and select projects and how stakeholders influence projects.
- Develop the requirements necessary to define project scope and create a list of tasks necessary to accomplish the scope.
- Create effective communication plans and assign responsibilities.
- Gain an understanding of fundamentals of project planning with the use of scheduling software.
- Establish project requirements, objectives and goals before defining the total project scope with the use of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
- Create a formal project plan with the use of project software.
NOTE: This course uses a simulation project—a Project Plan for learners to develop together with the help of the course coach as the basis in part for determining both final grade and mastery of key project management practices.
You will identify a project of your choice that you will use throughout this course and subsequent Project Management courses.
Through a series of instructional videos, lectures and online reflections you will:
- Learn how to justify and select projects and how stakeholders influence projects.
- Develop the requirements necessary to define project scope and create a list of tasks necessary to accomplish the scope.
- Create effective communication plans and assign responsibilities.
- Gain an understanding of fundamentals of project planning with the use of scheduling software.
- Establish project requirements, objectives and goals before defining the total project scope with the use of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
- Create a formal project plan with the use of project software and the help of the course coach.
The project plan along with assignments, reflections, and quizzes will be used for determining both the final grade and your mastery of key project management practices. We want to ensure you are positioned for success!
Successful projects do not just happen. They are planned. In Project Planning learning what success for a specific project means is part of the plan. Take the opportunity to understand how to measure success. Does your project require assistance or materials from the outside? If it does, will you know what type of contract will support your success? When you understand these basics and you know how to identify the risks you face and how all of this information shapes your estimates, then you are ready to consider committing to a schedule and a budget.
This course will take you through critical project planning basics so that when it is time for your schedule and budget, you are well informed. Once you have some planning basics under your belt, we will draw upon your knowledge to logically map out what will happen and when it will happen.
You will begin thinking about:
- Project schedule
- Estimate how long the work will take
- Arrange the project work in the required sequence and
- Develop an understanding of what it is meant when someone refers to the critical path
This course will:
- Complete the project schedule and consider who will perform the work and what they need to perform the work
- Discuss how to approach planning your project using Agile
Learn how to execute projects and adjust to changes that may derail your project plans in the traditional and agile project management environments. Develop a fundamental project management discipline for continuously identifying risks and resulting changes to keep your projects on course. Leverage project plans to develop effective project reporting and manage the projects using Earned Value Management and Trend analysis. As part of Integration Management, learn how to manage resources effectively and close-out projects.
This course will utilize the project assignments previously accomplished in Project Launch and Project Planning courses.
Managing multiple projects presents different and additional challenges when compared with the management of a single project. This advanced hands-on course builds on the project managers’ previously acquired knowledge and skills in the areas of scope, time, cost, risk, human resources, leadership, and team building through a combination of videos, discussions, and team-based learning exercises.
This capstone course lets you put into practice the project process groups and knowledge areas that are outlined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBOK® Guide) and expands it to those required to manage multiple projects.
These skills include:
- Delivering appropriate and timely communications
- Advanced effective management skills to oversee multiple stakeholders
- Task prioritization and efficient resource allocation
You will explore scheduling techniques to balance resource utilization with project risks and desired responsiveness that lead to a schedule that ensures optimal stakeholder satisfaction. The basics of Portfolio Management, Program Management, and Scrum of Scrum Agile project management techniques are also covered.
Claim Your Certificate
Upon completion of the Project Management Certificate, a digital certificate is available.
Make sure you download your certificate from PowerED™ and share with your network the verified skills and competencies you achieved by completing all four courses.
How It Works
Program Duration
8 months
Effort
4-6 hrs per week
Delivery
Online
Instruction
Coached
Cost
$1,210 per course
Christopher C. Sanders, MS, PMP
Chris Sanders is an Aerospace Program Management Professional and holds certifications in the US Federal Government as well as Commercial Acquisition fields for both Project Management, Procurement Management, and Contracting. He is a certified Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute, a US Federal Government Level II Acquisition Professional, and a Level I Contracting Professional.
He currently supports Business and Programmatic aspects of an international collaborative program: a Deep Space Satellite Experiment Mission to Mars for the United Arab Emirates and the University of Colorado at Boulder, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.
Chris served 34 years in the US Air Force in various leadership positions. His last assignment involved managing innovative rapid prototyping efforts in Fighter and Bomber Aircraft as well as Space-Based Intelligence programs.
He is an adjunct guest lecturer in Program and Procurement Management for The University of California at Irvine and the National Defense and Aerospace Program, Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee.
Dr. Alma Miller
Dr. Miller is an enthusiastic entrepreneur, speaker, DevOps thought leader, and educator with over 15 years of experience in the IT industry. She obtained a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from Catholic University, a Masters in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University, a Masters in Technical Management from Johns Hopkins University, and a Doctorate in Engineering from George Washington University.
She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP). She has several Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) certifications ranging from Advanced Scrum Master (ASM), Product Owner/Product Manager (PO/PM), and Release Train Engineer (RTE).
Dr. Miller started her consulting company, AC Miller Consulting, in 2013. She provides services to government and commercial clients across multiple industries helping with ITIL and DevOps transformations. Dr. Miller speaks at industry conferences and events and is a contributing author to www.ThinkHDI.com, a platform for data center and IT professionals. She is the co-creator of the BVE Summit, a conference for entrepreneurs and business owners. Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn.
- Apply fundamental project management principles, theories, and practices, including the basic concepts described in the Project Management Institute's PMBOK® Guide
- Practice using the most effective project management tools and techniques to launch, plan, and execute a project
- Identify characteristics of high performance teams and ways to manage stakeholder expectations
- Develop documentation on simulated projects to gain a deeper understanding of Project Management principles and practices
- Satisfy the education requirements to sit for the PMP® exam
- Individuals in any discipline who work on projects in either the public or private sector such as:
- Information Technology (IT)
- Telecommunications
- Finance
- Retail
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
- Government
- Not-for-profit
- Education
- Architecture
- Construction
- Engineering
- Individuals preparing to pursue career opportunities in the area of project management
Certificate FAQs
Does this certificate have prerequisites?
This certificate does not have a required prerequisite.
Is this an instructor-led certificate?
This certificate is coached by an instructor and includes virtual lectures, videos, online discussions, and some group work.
How much study time will I need to spend?
Each course is six weeks in length. There are weekly assignments and deadlines, but material may be accessed and completed any time of day. You can complete all of the courses within 8 months to earn your certificate.
Are there tests or quizzes involved?
There will be graded discussions, assignments, some group work, and quizzes within each course to ensure you understand the content.
Can I take only one course or do I have to register for the certificate?
You can register for just one course, however, each course builds on assignments completed in previous courses. We highly recommend you take each of the previous courses in the suggested sequence in order to maximize your project management knowledge and skills.
Do I have to take the courses in the order displayed on the website?
If possible, you should adhere to the course schedule because the coursework builds on previous assignments. If you must take a break from studies, you can register in your next course in the upcoming offering. Future courses are scheduled at regular intervals.
How long will I have access to my courses?
You will have access to all courses in the certificate for 2 months post completion. All Course videos, additional readings, and supplemental videos are available to download.
What will I receive after I complete all of my courses?
You will receive a digital certificate of completion that is downloadable and printable. Digital badges are also awarded for specific achievements throughout the certificate.
What is the refund policy?
No refunds will be issued for the certificate. Refunds may be considered under exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Please contact powered@athabascau.ca for more information.
What are the computer requirements for this certificate?
You should have access to a Mac, PC, or tablet with an Internet connection, with Safari, Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Firefox as a browser. Here is a link that outlines browser support: https://documentation.brightspace.com/EN/brightspace/requirements/all/browser_support.htm
For virtual sessions:
- Speakers/headphones
- Web camera and microphone
Learners that want to use their smart phone to access the courses can also download the D2L Pulse App for free to access the course available on Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.d2l.brightspace.student.android&hl=en_CA
Or the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/brightspace-pulse/id1001688546
Who do I contact if I need help?
If your questions are course related, you can contact the course coach – contact information provided within the course environment. If you are having issues accessing the course or advancing through the course, you can contact powered@athabascau.ca. We are here to help!