Program Overview
The Associate in Project Management program is designed to help students understand some of the greatest challenges that organizations face today – the effective and efficient methods for implementing projects in organizations. Project management, referred to by Fortune magazine as the #1 career choice for the coming decade, represents a skill that is in high demand by all companies, both domestic and international. This program will provide a comprehensive overview of the skills needed and challenges to be faced in managing projects in organizations.
This program exposes students to fundamental knowledge and skills utilized in entry-level project management and administrative positions. Students will be exposed to a variety of skills relating to planning, organizing, implementing, leading and controlling the work of a project to meet the goals and objectives of the organization. The program explores various areas of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®). Students will understand the project planning process, including the project life cycle, scope and quality assurance plans. Core competencies include tools and techniques used in project management for planning, scheduling and creating strategies to identify risks and quantify their impact.
The program is divided into the four core courses detailed below and which cover major topic areas relating to different elements of project management. After developing a sense of the strategic overview of project management, we will begin analyzing various components of project management such as project selection, planning, organizing, and project control. The goal is to shape each course to approximate the elements of project management and the challenges faced chronologically; that is, first considering how to plan the project and then how to more effectively run the project. A portion of the program concentrates on making use of the learned theories to develop analytical and interpersonal skills in the students that will be useful to them as project managers.
CPRM 102 – Emotional Intelligence and Project Leadership
[4 hours/week; total 42 hours; 11 weeks; $775]
This interactive course is designed to provide a solid foundation in key leadership competencies and to afford you the opportunity for a truly transformational leadership experience. You will complete a self-assessment of your project leadership skills, then master the basics of essential leadership competencies such as setting direction, aligning people, motivating and inspiring, leading teams, communicating, building relationships, facilitating ethical conduct, negotiating and leading change. You will also gain a clear understanding of why communication is so important regardless of how a project is organized then discover how business and personal ethics can influence not only your leadership style but also the final course a project will take.
CPRM 103 – Project Schedule Management
[4 hours/week; total 42 hours; 11 weeks; $775]
Delivering a project within the promised time frame & scope and allocated budget is primordial for organizational success. Whether you are delivering a high-rise building, a new piece of software, a power plant, or a nuclear submarine, all projects require constant monitoring and controlling to meet their objectives on time and within budget. This course applies a variety of techniques to balance the competing demands of scope, schedule, and cost. It uses project management best practices to apply the latest scheduling tools and techniques. You will learn how to establish the performance measurement baseline (PMB) and gain proficiency in modern tools and proven techniques used to compare actual work accomplished against established plans. In addition, you will learn how to plan project scope based on stakeholder budget and schedule constraints.
CPRM 104 – Project Stakeholder Engagement and Management
[4 hours/week; total 42 hours; 11 weeks; $775]
Create healthy partnerships with your stakeholders and build a win-win environment for your business. In this course, you will learn how to manage your stakeholders efficiently with savvy communication strategies that increase engagement during project execution. You will learn how to analyze stakeholders, map power structures, keep open lines of communication, and use interpersonal skills to connect. This course highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and communication during project planning and development. It discusses the role of stakeholders and how the project leader must encourage active involvement to ensure the team has a clear understanding of the project requirements and stakeholder expectations. Also addressed are common tools used for knowledge sharing throughout the course of the project, which is essential in order to deliver value and keep everyone informed on the status of the project.
CPRM 216 – Project Risk Analysis and Mitigation
[4 hours/week; total 42 hours; 11 weeks; $775]
Risk is a given in any project, and the better you understand how to identify and prepare for it, the more likely you are to minimize your exposure to it. In this course you will practice a systems approach and explore tools and techniques for identifying, analyzing, planning, and controlling risk. You will use both qualitative and quantitative methods to identify risk and discuss appropriate risk response strategies. You will also learn how to incorporate your risk management analysis into the overall project plan and offer alternatives to your project sponsors and decision makers when contingencies arise and scheduled completion dates or budget targets are affected.
Overall Program Objectives:
- Establish measures of success
- Enable customer focus and alignment
- Quantify value commensurate with cost
- Optimize use of organizational resources
- Incorporate quality principles
- Put strategic plans into practice
- Ensure fast time-to-market Project Managers
- Reduced cost to deliver solutions
- Lower risk of slipping schedule
- Repeatable successes on projects
- Crisis prevention
- Early problem identification and risk mitigation
- Structured approach to Project Management
- More predictable results
- Improved resource productivity and satisfaction
- Project success that builds business success
Assessment
| Attendance & Participation | 10% |
| 3 Module Tests (10% each) | 30% |
| Final Exam | 30% |
| Final Project and Presentation | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
Final Project and Presentation
Students will participate in a project over the course of the program. The teams will develop and manage a new project through its life cycle. At various points, the instructor will add scenarios that will require the teams to modify their projects and report on the implications for these changes to the project’s schedule and budget. The final presentation will consist of presenting the project, including the managerial actions taken in order to deal with unexpected problems. Project teams will be expected to make use of software for scheduling (such as Microsoft Project) and resource allocation. Final papers will be typed, double-spaced and of sufficient length to adequately encompass the necessary material related to the project.
Class Size
Instructor-led virtual classes generally range in size from 20 to 30 students.
Teaching Methodology
Online class sessions are conducted as a combination of lecture and open-class discussion of important concepts and exercises. Thus, pre-class preparation is important and classroom participation will be included in the student final evaluation. Course readings will be supplemented at various times by experiential exercises that relate to the topics being covered.
Who Should Attend
The course is intended for first time or new project managers, business managers and project team members with little or no formal project management training. It is also appropriate for experienced project managers or managers of project managers who lack knowledge of the structured processes outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guide.