Applied Project Management

Course Description

This is the final course in the certificate program and enables students to apply what they've learned from previously completed project-management courses, by developing a simulated but realistic team project. Students will be given project-management tools to facilitate the development of their project. Emphasis will be placed on practical application of project-management principles, processes, and techniques, including project control, cost management, project tracking, and project outsourcing.

Students will also learn how to control project schedules, budgets, and scope, using methods that minimize or completely eliminate "scope creep." Techniques such as fast-tracking, critical-path crashing, stochastic estimating, and exploiting activity lead-lag times will enable students to develop fast, accurate project schedules. In-class exercises and case studies lead students to skills they can take back to work and immediately apply to their own projects.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of the course, you should be able to

• Work in a self-organizing agile team to iteratively develop and deliver complex products
• Define project scope definition of deliverables with clear traceability to requirements
• Define a delivery release plan using a phased-gate Work Breakdown Structure
• Construct and utilize schedule networking diagrams for planning project schedules
• Develop project schedules using critical path and critical chain processes
• Determine the most cost-effective schedule compression techniques
• Apply techniques for identifying and quantifying project threat and opportunity risks
• Identify and develop cost effective risk responses
• Apply detailed project cost analysis and future value cash flow projections
• Monitor and control projects using the Earned Schedule management process
• Understand how to effectively identify and outsource portions of your project

Topics Include

• Project portfolio management techniques
• How to estimate project costs and forecast investment returns
• How to apply cybernetic-control techniques to schedules and budgets
• How to use earned-value management (EVM) to track and control projects
• How to fast-track and crash the project's critical path
• How to use stochastic techniques to ensure accurate project schedules
• How to apply project management principles in a simulated team project

*This course may be applied to a certificate only if you are currently declared in a program.

Additional Information

AI* - This course will show how Generative AI can help teams refine project needs into a clear scope, milestones, and PBIs, and quickly draft roadmaps and release plans. AI can also suggest schedules and compression options, assist in defining KPIs and risk registers, and propose risk responses for team validation. During execution, AI can summarize progress, generate dashboard-ready status reports, and help iterate on sprint plans and retrospectives, enabling teams to communicate outcomes and lessons learned more efficiently throughout the life cycle.