Program Overview

University Certificate - Project Management Fundamentals

This 60 credit, single semester programme is ideal for someone looking to gain a sound understanding of project management principles. The programme is ideal for someone looking to move into a role within project management or for someone who wishes to gain a better understanding of project work and how it is carried out.

Course Objectives

• Develop skills that are immediately useful in a project related role.
• Understand the terminology associated with projects and their management.
• Gain technical skills in the development of schedules and the optimisation of resources.
• Explore a range of communication skills to manage stakeholder expectations and to work with a range of people that may be involved the delivery of project deliverables.
• Enhance your career prospects. Our strong links with the industry mean that rigorous undergraduate academic study is combined with a real practical focus, leading to excellent job opportunities.

Course Structure

This programme provides a concise introduction to project management including an overview of standard terminology, a technical look at scheduling and resource management and finally an introduction to stakeholders and the communication skills that are needed to effectively engage with them and mange their expectations.

Year one

The programme consists of three modules, each delivered over 6 or 7 week period in day release mode.

• Principles of Project Management The first module introduces standard project management terminology, drawing on the latest version of the Body of Knowledge published by the UK Professional Body for Project Management, the APM (Association for Project Management).
• Project Planning and Resource management The second module is more technical in nature, making use of software packages that can be used to construct project schedules. This second module focusses on planning and resource management for project schedules and will introduce concepts such as network precedence diagrams, Gantt charts and resource optimisation.
• Stakeholder Management The final module, Stakeholder Engagement, looks at the 'soft' skills that project managers need to utilise to manage the communications around projects and the work involved in delivering them. A central theme for this final module will be the creation and utilisation of a communication management plan.

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

Learning takes place through the delivery of content using a lecture and discussion style. In between the delivery of theory there will be individual or group activities that are designed to develop your understanding of the topics being taught. The learning materials will all be provided through the University's Virtual Learning Environment so that leaners can read ahead or look back at topics that have already been covered.

How you will be assessed

There are a range of assessments on the programmes such as tests (of knowledge and application of skills) and written work. Two of the modules have two pieces of assessed work and the final module just has a single piece of assessed work.

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

To be confirmed.

Key Details

Tuition fees

To be confirmed.

Minimum entry requirements

• Recruiting to UK / RoI / Settled in UK
• Course Location Online
• Institute Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership
• Delivery Style This course can be delivered either online, on-campus or in external training facilities.
• Course Duration Part-time: 5 months
• Course Start Point February, September
• Award University Certificate