Project Management Essentials Certificate

Program Overview

Accelerate Your Career With a Project Management Essentials Certificate from UNC Charlotte

Whether you are new to project management or looking to enhance your skills in this field, this program is designed for you. You don’t need any prior experience or formal application – just register and get started. Taught by PMP-certified professionals with real-world experience, our courses also offer CEU, CPE, or PDU credits for your professional development.

Project Management Certificate Highlights:

  • Take the five required project management self-guided courses online with optional ActiveFlex sessions
  • Gain the core skills and knowledge a project manager needs to be effective and efficient
  • Learn universal project management terminology
  • Gain skills that are applicable immediately in the workplace

This Project Management Essentials certificate, awarded through UNC Charlotte’s School of Professional Studies, meets the project management education requirements to qualify to take the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® exam.

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  • Delivery
    Online
  • Duration
    6-12 Months
  • Program Starts
    Every Quarter

We all work on projects, and the Project Management Essentials Certificate is designed to help you tackle them more efficiently. Often, we approach our projects differently, which can cause unintended inefficiencies and challenges when connecting with other people and teams needed to move projects along. This is the biggest reason why most projects either end up over budget, delayed, or not completed at all.

The good news is there are best practices for working on projects that can allow you to finish your projects faster and with better results.

Whether you are currently a project manager looking to improve your skills, a member of a project team, or a professional in another field who wishes to transition into a more formal project management role, this program will provide you with the skills you need to accelerate your career and successfully manage project details.

“I highly recommend the Project Management Essentials Certificate program at UNC Charlotte to any professional seeking to build their skill set and prepare for the PMP® Exam. From ease of registration to convenient and well-outfitted training facilities, from the highly experienced and qualified instructors to the available and professional coordinators and support staff, this program is the complete package. UNC Charlotte has put together a training program of the highest quality and has made this alumnus proud!”

Vic Morrison ’11
Senior Staff Engineer
NEG Glass Fiber
Course Details

To earn the Project Management Essentials Certificate, you must complete five courses, which can be done in less than six months. A passing grade of at least 70% on all assignments is required.

Required Courses

Note: Project Management Fundamentals must be taken before any other courses.

Project Management Fundamentals
This foundational course covers the essential principles of project management.

Project Leadership and Communication
Focuses on effective leadership and communication strategies in project management.

Project Planning and Scheduling
Teaches detailed planning and scheduling techniques to ensure project success.

Improving Project Quality
Provides methods and practices to enhance project quality and outcomes.

Digital Project Management
Covers the unique aspects of managing digital projects.

Outlook

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), project management jobs in project-oriented industries in the US alone will grow from 6.7 million jobs in 2017 to 8.8 million jobs in 2027, a 31% increase. PMI states, “Now is the time for professionals and job-seekers to build project management skills, as demand for these skills outstrips supply.”

Lightcast shows a medium advertised salary of $104,200 for project management jobs in the Charlotte region which include the Project Management Professional Certification (PMP)® as a qualification.

Our certificate program can be a stepping stone to earning the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® or PMP® as many of the participants who complete our program decide to sit for either of the PMI exams. If you are interested in taking the CAPM® or PMP® exams in the future, we recommend you also consider taking an exam prep course before attempting to take the exam. While CAPM® and PMP® certifications are widely respected, they are not required for many project management jobs.

Our Project Management Alumni Work Here

  • Red Ventures
  • Bank of America
  • Verizon Communications
  • Atrium Health
  • Duke Energy
  • Pratt & Miller Engineering

UNC Charlotte Project Management Alumni Top Skills

  • Project Management
  • Business Process Improvement
  • Continuous Improvement Process
  • Cross-Functional Team Leadership
  • PMI Methodology

UNC Charlotte Project Management Alumni Work In These Occupations

  • Project Management Specialists
  • Computer and Information Systems Managers
  • Financial Managers
  • Medical and Health Services Managers
  • Management Analysts
Why UNC Charlotte?
  • No experience required and open enrollment: No formal application process or prerequisites required—just registration.
  • Online Courses: All courses are offered online and are self-led with individual feedback from experienced instructors.
  • Multiple Offerings: Courses are available multiple times throughout the year.
  • Live Sessions: Optional live online ActiveFlex sessions for real-time interaction and practice.
  • Expert Instructors: Courses are designed and facilitated by PMP-certified instructors with real-world experience.
  • Professional Development Credits: Courses carry CEU, CPE, or PDU credits.
Program Cost

$3,804 for bundle or $895 per course

Additional Information
What is Project Management?

The Project Management Institute (PMI®) defines Project Management as, “The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholders’ needs and expectations from a project.” Project Management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives.

Is Project Management the career for you?

If you are considering a career in project management, here are some questions to consider:

  • Do you prefer thinking about the bigger picture rather than specializing in a particular discipline? Project Managers build a bigger picture perspective while identifying key obstacles to be overcome to reach designated milestones.
  • Do you enjoy facilitating the decision-making process and helping to define options by pulling together information from many groups working on a project? Project Managers help to coordinate the tasks of a project so that teams work more effectively and efficiently. While Project Managers take part in the decision making, they are typically not the decision makers.
  • Do you like to serve as a highly visible, primary representative of a project? Project Managers need good communication, interpersonal, and diplomatic skills, as well as the ability the manage people without oftentimes having any direct authority.
  • A project manager’s success is usually measured by how efficiently a project moves forward, the quality of execution, and how well the team functions together.
Is there an order I need to take the courses?

Students are required to take Project Management Fundamentals (PJM121) before taking any of the other courses in the project management certificate.

After completing Project Management Fundamentals, students may take the remaining courses in any order they choose.

How did we choose and develop our project management course topics?

Each course topic was chosen to provide a deeper understanding of a specific aspect of project management. All courses are designed for individuals who have little to no experience in project management or who have experience working on projects but have not had formal training in project management best practices.

All courses are based on the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). The curriculum will empower you with the skills necessary to tackle the challenges facing your projects.

Programs Related to the Project Management Essentials Certificate:

How a Project Management Certificate can boost your career, no matter what field you’re in

Project management is one of the most in-demand careers today. Even better news, that demand is expected to grow exponentially within the next few years, according to the Project Management Institute. That’s clear proof that adding a project management certificate to your resume will not only get you through a prospective employer’s door, but once inside, they’ll want to keep you there for a good, long while.

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