Overview
Best Practices for Effective Project Management
Putting good project management skills into practice can save money, time, and stress for you, your team, and your organization. By reducing uncertainty, managing risks, and controlling change, teams with effective project management tools can successfully deliver on expectations.
Earning UVM’s certificate will demonstrate to employers and co-workers that you have the essential project management knowledge and skills that align with the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) standards.
In our program, you’ll participate in an interactive case study to gain practice preparing project charters, stakeholder registers, scope baselines, project schedules, and risk registers. Special attention is also paid to effective communications, cultivation of high-performing teams, and conflict resolution.
Attendees of these classes can also earn PDUs from PMI.
- Module 1: 4 Technical and 2 Leadership
- Module 2: 3 Technical and 3 Leadership
Why this Class?
This class offers the following advantages
- The certificate uses the latest approaches to support rapid acquisition of new skills. In our program, you’ll practice the skills needed to be a project manager in the real world.
- The certificate has sifted down the hundreds of project management concepts, and techniques, to the dozen skills that people need to start managing projects. Once someone is comfortable with these skills, they can then easily learn other techniques on their own when the need arises.
- The certificate is built on a blueprint showing when the skills are most needed in the lifecycle of a project. Most classes don’t include a sufficiently flexible and detailed process for project management activities. This leaves students unsure about when to do something or reluctant to jump into a project already underway. Again, once you are comfortable with the blueprint, you can readily adapt to other ways of working as the need arises.
- The certificate addresses the topics of conflict management and team building using specific scenarios that occur in the real world. Many classes teach theories and models for these topics which are abstract and often difficult to translate into circumstances people face day to day.
- The certificate gears content to a general learner and not someone from a Fortune 500 company or software team.
What sets UVM apart
A program that focus on practices appropriate for any project.
We provide a blueprint showing when to use a particular skills and practices
Interactive exercises to gain confidence in applying the practices.
Who Should Take this Certificate?
UVM’s certificate is ideal for someone:
- seeking to reduce stress and frustration because they are on a project that is out of control or not going anywhere
- responsible for delivering something important but not sure what to do
- who knows what needs to be done but keeps running into roadblocks
- seeking to add concrete evidence of project management skills to their resume
- curious about project management and wants to decide whether to pursue it as a career or to get a PMI certification
- who is comfortable participating in class, has at least 1-2 years of work experience, and familiar with typical office tools like Excel, Word etc.
This Certificate is not as appropriate for someone:
- looking to prepare for a PMI Certification exam. The reason is the material covers a subset of material in the exams and focuses on applying project Management in real life versus passing tests. That said, the certificate fully aligns with the PMI’s PMBOK Sixth AND Seventh editions and introduces concepts from these standards which may appear in the exams.
- needing PDUs. If someone wants PDUs it means they have already earned a PMI Certification and the material will be familiar. However, people can be PMP-certified and still feel uncomfortable with applying project management in real life. For these people, this certificate will be beneficial and 12 PDUs will be earned.
Curriculum
2024 Course Schedule
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:
- Understanding what skills are needed for the area of interest
- Learning enough information about each skill
- Practice, practice, practice. 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
- Project management is broken into skills and a Blueprint connects them together
- Skills are explained
- 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
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
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
The course had the right amount of material. It kept me engaged and it was a great experience. I plan to pursue a career in project management. As a contractor, I will use much of what I learned in future projects.
Michael P., Program Alum
Student Stories
Learn how students make the most of the program and applied what they learned.
Project management is a skill set that’s applicable in many different fields and areas, and it can often help you level up in your career if you have some more formalized knowledge.
Alessandra Capossela, Program Alum
All areas of the course provided great information and the course worked reinforced the topics discussed. The format was perfect for the adult learner with competing interests for their time.
Craig P., Program Alum
The right amount of material kept me engaged and it was a great experience. I plan to pursue a career in Project management. As a contractor, I will use much of what I learned on future projects.
Michael P, Program Alum
I like the live sessions for reviewing the work and seeing and hearing classmates describe their projects and challenges.
Parker H, Program Alum
#StudentVoices: Project Management Alumna Alessandra Capossela on Fitting a Course in as a Working Professional
Instructors
Career Outlook
Project Managers are in Demand
Employment of project management specialists is projected to grow 7 percent from 2021 to 2031, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many positions need project management skills, including:
- Business analyst
- Content director
- Product manager
- IT specialist
- Events manager
- Health care supervisor
FAQ
Approximately 3–5 hours a week.
The live sessions will be held each week of class for one hour on Tuesdays 6-7 pm ET. Students must come to each session with homework complete and prepared for role-playing. Attendance at all live sessions is required.
- if you are seeking to reduce stress and frustrated because you’re on a project that is out of control or not going anywhere
- responsible for delivering something important but not sure what to do
- you are someone who knows what needs to be done but keeps running into roadblocks
- you are seeking to add concrete evidence of Project Management skills to your resume
- curious about Project Management and wants to decide whether to pursue it as a career or to get a Project Management Institute (PMI) certification
- you are comfortable participating in class, have at least 1-2 years’ work experience, and familiar with typical office tools like Excel, Word etc.
No, no college degree is required.
Yes, all certificate/seminar materials are included and will be available in Brightspace/Teams.
No. Upon successful completion, program participants earn a UVM Digital Badge and a Certificate in Project Management Practices that you can download.
This is a professional certificate program; it is not a graduate level program. No undergraduate degree is required to participate in the program. Some of our participants have more advanced degrees.
The program is taught by a leading subject matter expert in her field. It is designed for working professionals to minimize time away from work and family. The information you will learn can be applied immediately in your workplace, and help you better manage your organization.
- Anyone who manages projects and has had no formal project management training
- Experienced project managers who wish to stay current or refresh their skills
- Beginning project managers and project team members
- Individuals involved with initiating, planning, executing and facilitating projects
- Team leaders, project and program leaders, functional and operations managers
It is not geared to PMP certification. It aligns fully with PMI concepts and PMBOK 6 and 7th edition, but it is intended for people looking to use PM on the job, not to take a test.
PDUs
- Module 1: 4 Technical and 2 Leadership
- Module 2: 3 Technical and 3 Leadership
PDUs can apply towards the PMP certification.
Professional Development Units (PDUs) are one-hour blocks of time that you spend learning, teaching others, or volunteering. By accumulating and tracking these over your certification cycle you can maintain your certification status with PMI. 35 contact hours/PDUs is the minimum number of hours required to meet PMI’s educational component of the PMP certification criteria.
PDUs are broken into two categories — Education and Giving Back to the Profession.
- Education PDUs can be earned at professional seminars, webinars, classes, or even self-directed learning.
- Giving Back PDUs are for time spent volunteering, mentoring, working with professional groups, and more.
If you cannot make the seminar, please send an email to the instructor Kathleen Culver (Kathleen.Culver@uvm.edu) and cc: Hannah Day at Hannah.Day@uvm.edu.
Learn about options for discounts, grants, loans, scholarships, and more on our tuition and financial aid page.
While this non-credit Certificate does not qualify for federal student grants or loans or University of Vermont scholarships, depending on your home state, this program may qualify for workforce development grants. Contact your State Department of Labor to determine which grants may support individuals seeking education to pursue opportunities for career change.
The Vermont Legislature designates a certain amount of grant money every year for Vermont residents who want to pursue education or training beyond high school. These grants are administered through VSAC, and are distributed based on financial need.
Yes! Anyone may enroll in the certificate and does not differ based on a student’s residency.
No formal payment plans are currently available for this program, tuition must be paid in full prior to beginning the program. You have the option of paying in full, or by making a minimum payment of $500 at registration, however, ensuring the balance due is two weeks prior to the start of the offering.
Students interested in the Certificate in Project Management Practices may register by paying in full online via credit card or by calling us at 802-656-8407 to make a partial payment of $500. Should you make a partial payment, the remaining balance must be paid in full no later than two weeks prior to the start of this offering. If payment is not received by then, you will automatically be dropped from the course the following business day. Refunds will be issued less a $25.00 cancellation fee.
If you need to cancel your attendance, you must notify us via email at learn@uvm.edu or call us at (802) 656-2085 at least three business days prior to the start date of the course to receive a full refund, less a $25 cancellation fee. If a medical condition necessitates cancellation/withdrawal (documentation to be provided), this will be reviewed by our Studies Committee for any type of refund.
If you are a non-credit student seeking accessibility support, please email access@uvm.edu and the UVM Student Accessibility Services team will be able to assist. In your email, please include that you do not have a 95 number/NetID.
1098-T forms are not issued for this program. However, you may be eligible for a tax credit without this form if you meet IRS requirements.
Advising and Student Support
You have the goal; we’ll help you achieve it
We are dedicated to helping you access UVM. It is our role to get to know your experience and goals, assist you in choosing courses, guide you through registration, and serve as your resource throughout your time at UVM.
Curious if your past college credits apply at UVM? Want to understand where a program will take you after completion? Looking for resources for financial aid, tutors, or UVM policies? We’re here to help.
Ready to get started?
Request Information
Submit this form to receive additional program information.