Project Management Course: Fees, Eligibility, Diploma & Online Certification List

Project management is an ongoing or temporary process of executing a series of planned tasks as a project with a time-specific goal. Formally, it’s the project manager who calls the shots in defining the project lifecycle with a team, from beginning to end and delivering the project successfully. Irrespective of organisational structure, the project manager works with supportive roles such as the project coordinator, team lead, and team members. 

Stepping into 2024, the administrative and strategic duties in project management have shifted to the adoption of automation and AI (PMI). Today, a professional at any level of project management needs to focus on communication, change, collaboration, besides technical and strategic skills. Below, you will find a detailed overview of project management - from courses to careers across various industries.

Project Management Course Highlights

Experience aside, getting into the project management domain and excelling in the career would require certifications from PMI (Project Management Institute), PRINCE2, or PMI-approved members such as Google. While these are well-known, authoritative certifications recognised globally, you will find intermediate to advanced offline and online diploma and post-graduate programmes in project management. 

Current trends in project management 

1. By 2030, global demands will create a need for 25 million project leaders, as per PMI estimate. 
2. There has been a growing trend of remote project management since the pandemic, and it will continue. According to PPM, 80% of organisations focus on Agile projects remotely.  
3. The adoption of cloud collaboration tools is now important. The global project management software market is expanding rapidly, especially in North America and Europe. Its value is estimated to be $15.08 billion by 2030. 

Why Learn Project Management in 2024?

Relevance of Learning Project Management in 2024

RGPM has stated that earning new certifications is a priority of project managers. This is because project management professionals must focus on the dynamic business environment influenced by emerging technologies. 

Such technologies, especially AI, offer more data accuracy while forecasting and removing errors in administrative tasks. There is a growing need for soft skills. A major part of it is collaboration, which needs to be infused into day-to-day teamwork as well as leadership.

The latest of PMI’s Pulse of the Profession Report of 2023 mentions the talent gap for project professionals in these areas. 

• Communication 
• Problem-solving
• Collaborative leadership
• Strategic thinking

Having these skills, according to PMI, are important for having ‘project management maturity’. That indicates the organisation focuses on continuous improvement using project management best practices. PMI also says, 72% of projects succeed having these skills. 

Besides these power/soft skills, technical skills also must also be given importance to. Nearly all offline and online project management courses provide technical training on planning, scheduling, cost-containment, etc. According to PMI, in the Asia Pacific region, especially in Australia, project professionals are in high demand when they have skills in change management and risk management, as well as emotional intelligence. 

Other trends that can help project professionals in the IT sector stay ahead of the game process automation, AI, and data visualization. 

How to Learn Project Management in 2024

The latest project management courses are far more beneficial for upskilling and staying relevant. Because, these courses train you on the upcoming trajectories that are a current challenge to many organisations. 

Some learning trajectories you could check are provided below. 

Courses and Certifications of PMI 

• For entry-level positions, certifications such as the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) offered by PMI are highly valued the world over. 
• Then higher level certifications from PMI, such as the PMP certification which requires 3 years of work experience, will be a fine option. 
• Another option would be to take courses from PMI-member institutions like Google. 

Certifications from PRINCE2

PRINCE2 (Projects in Controlled Environments) is an alternate methodology that uses a prescriptive framework contrary to the PMI’s descriptive one. The foundational level is what you as a fresher should get started with. 

Other Popular Certifications and Online Centres for Project Professionals

If you are considering Agile, check out the following. 

• Scrum Alliance certifications
• Scrum.org courses
• Agile Alliance courses

Learning Project Management Offline

There are a couple of B-schools in India that offer project management programmes. IIM Calcutta, Pune School of Business Management, and more. We will detail some colleges and programmes on project management in later sections below. 

Fundamentals of Project Management 

Here is a high-level view of the key concepts that you will learn at various levels of project management courses. 

Top Online Project Management Courses

The online project management courses range from a few hours to more than some months. These are extremely helpful when you are focusing on entering the field as a fresher or are an intermediate. 

Minimum Eligibility to Enrol in Project Management Courses Online 

The eligibility criteria vary for the online project management courses. Courses from Coursera and Udemy are for beginners and there is no such requirement. While those from Simplilearn require background or familiarity in the fundamentals of project management. Then you have IIM Calcutta’s programme, which is designed for mid-senior executives, who need to have a bachelor’s degree and work experience. 

Who Should Pursue Project Management Courses?

• Individuals aiming to obtain or renew project management certifications such as PMP, CAPM, or Agile certifications.
• Experienced managers aiming to enhance their strategic project management skills and gain insights into advanced project financing, risk management, and strategic alignment.
• Engineers, IT professionals, and others in technical roles seeking to move into project management positions or enhance their project management skills within their technical fields.
• Beginners with no prior experience but a strong interest in building a career in project management.

Syllabus for Online Project Management Courses

Tools to Learn in Project Management

Explore: Latest Project Management Interview Questions

Project Management Top Entrance Exams

Though there are no specific entrance exams for admission to the Project Management course, candidates willing to pursue MBA in Project Management can appear for Management entrance tests and choose Project management as their specialisation. Some of the top MBA exams in Project Management are as follows: 

Also Read: Top Project Management colleges in India

Job Profiles and Top Recruiters

A degree in project management opens up numerous career opportunities. Candidates can look for jobs in various industries and sectors like IT, Advertising, Marketing, Government agencies, Banking, Trading, Design companies. Some of the top job profiles in Project Management are as follows: 

Check out Top Project Coordinator Interview Questions

Project Management Top Recruiters

Some of the top recruiters in the field of Project Management are: 

Check out: Top Industries Hiring Certified Project Managers