How To Choose A Project Management Course
How To Choose A Project Management Course
Being a professional project manager carries a strong skill set that involves learning about project risk, procurement, costs, integration and human resources, among other aspects to master. Training in this profession starts with taking project management courses. But not all project management courses are alike. There are certain specific criteria you need to be watchful for vis-a-vis which project management courses and universities you choose. But the effort can be very rewarding as some project managers earn over $120,000 per year.
One of the first selection options you need to consider is are the project management courses accredited? And if so, by whom? Is it by one of the six major accrediting bodies? Perform your due diligence here. You need to be advised that just because the courses themselves are accredited that doesn't necessarily mean that the university or college is also fully accredited. Check it out. The reverse may also be true: the college may indeed be accredited but if the requisite coursework is a new baby on board the curriculum then it can be so that the courses have not yet been thoroughly evaluated by the regional accrediting body.
Next, find out if the course is a traditional classroom at a college or an online course. Neither is preferred here. It's a matter of personal choice. The time frame of each course is as essential as the mode of delivery; does the class last only a matter of a couple of short weeks or is it several months, say a trimester? Longer is usually better with university-level classes. Then you need to determine if the critical knowledge in this professional discipline that you will be undertaking gives college credit towards a degree program or if it is just a certificate program. You can actually earn an undergraduate major in project mgt; such a degree can benefit you immeasurably when you graduate.
Finally, the fifth aspect to be looking for before you sign up is who will be teaching the courses. Will it be a tenured professor or just a youg graduate student or teaching assistant? Usually the more experience the lecturer has the better the developmental modality and learning model.
So if you decide to plunge and venture into the project management arena please keep these variable but invaluable elements in mind. Study hard. Get well-trained. And if it's for you, start today.