Your Guide to Project Management Courses at DeVry

Good project management can make every part of the business run more smoothly, and it’s a core skill most professionals need. With effective planning, projects can be delivered on time and within budget. But the reasons why project management is important go beyond the tracking of timelines and budgets. Good project management has the potential to yield several big-picture organizational benefits. 

A more efficient project management process helps promote clear collaboration, increases transparency and ensures accountability— improving internal communications. When projects are managed well, teams are enabled and empowered to focus on the work that matters without becoming distracted by unrelated tasks or fluctuating budgets. When project managers and their teams have a clear view of how their projects are progressing, they’re able to gain a deeper understanding of how resources are being managed, spot issues before they occur, and make smarter, data-driven decisions.

Effective project management enables teams to deliver results that impact the organization’s strategic goals in real time and clearly see how their efforts contribute to the company’s bottom line. 

Strong project management training can help you learn how to deliver these benefits, among others:
 

If you are preparing to pursue a career in project management, you may consider beginning your journey by enrolling in an academic degree or certificate program with coursework that is specifically geared toward helping to acquire project management skills for a business setting.

Here at DeVry, we offer a variety of programs and specializations that are designed to prepare you for embarking on your career in the field of Project Management, such as: our Bachelor’s Degree Specialization in Project Management, Graduate Certificate in Project Management, our Master’s Degree in Project Management, and our MBA with a Specialization in Project Management. 

All project management specializations and programs at DeVry are accredited by the Global Accreditation Center of Project Management Education Programs (GAC). DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management are among a limited number of U.S. universities and schools worldwide to be granted this designation. More information is available via www.pmi.org.

Some of the project management courses included in the curriculum are:
 

This course focuses on leading and building diverse teams within an organization and measuring team performance. Change and conflict management are covered as well.
 

Covering project management concepts, principles and domains, students will learn to apply their knowledge to documentation for stakeholders, communicating between project members, project scheduling best practices and budget and risk projection.
 

This course examines the process of acquiring goods and services from external vendors when needed. Procurement planning, outsourcing, supplier selection, make-or-buy analysis, contract administration and procurement closeout are among the topics covered in this course.
 

This project management course revolves around identifying, analyzing and mitigating risk. Response planning and plan implementation flesh out this course, as well as a case study assignment that requires students to work through a real-world scenario where they will identify and analyze a project’s potential risks.
 

Students will learn how to develop an integrated project plan utilizing hybrid project management methodology. Investigating cost, schedule and minimum performance requirements concepts, as well as creating project assumptions, budgeting, quality investigation and the effects of scope changes round out this course. 
 

This project management course is designed to help students develop skills needed to manage projects in the information technology environment. IT project management may involve hardware development, software development, network upgrades and other IT-specific initiatives. Topics in this course include fundamental project management concepts with a focus on agile methodologies and will explore documentation related to managing IT projects.
 

The course introduces students to project management principles throughout the project lifecycle from project charter development through project closing. Topics in this course include scope statements, project schedules, team communications, agile project management and program management. The effect of sociocultural factors, project leadership and contingency planning are also explored to manage projects efficiently and effectively.
 

This course helps students learn how to plan, strategize and manage project benefits, as well as how to communicate with stakeholders on a project. Implementing governance controls is also covered. Students will explore the details of project, program and portfolio management, and how stakeholders, project team and program closure impact the program life cycle. 
 

Examining how to control costs and manage the schedule of a project, this project management course helps students gain familiarity with budgeting, resource allocation, cost and schedule estimation, and how to use earned value management systems. Students will develop a cost and schedule control-based project management plan as a part of this course. 
 

Analyzing risk is an important part of project planning. This course explores the processes of risk management as outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) which include risk planning, identification, analysis, implementation of responses and monitoring. The course includes a course project assignment in which the risk management processes are implemented in the creation of a management plan using a practical approach. 

Students will gain an understanding of the procurement cycle within a project management environment. This course covers contract and procurement strategy, vendor selection, requests for proposals (RFPs), negotiation, contract administration and study different contract types.
 

This course covers current topics in the project management field and provides a review of the project management exam content. Material taught in this course will help students to develop themselves professionally while enhancing their project management skills and knowledge. 

Now that we’ve covered some of the coursework you’d encounter from DeVry’s project management programs, we can address some of the questions you might have regarding the projected job outlook for this career as well as explore certifications and the industries you might consider working in as a project manager.
 

If you want to learn how to lead teams and meet organizational objectives in today’s dynamic and fast-moving business world, DeVry can help you as you prepare to pursue a career in project management. We offer 100% undergraduate and graduate-level degree and certificate programs that work for your busy life and the way you choose to learn.

Our online Bachelor’s Degree Specialization in Project Management can be earned as part of our Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Bachelor’s Degree in Management, or our Bachelor’s Degree in Technical Management.

Already hold a bachelor’s degree? Our Graduate Certificate in Project Management program, offered by our Keller Graduate School of Management, can help you build essential project management skills in less time and at a lower cost than a full-length graduate degree program, helping you prepare to enter the workforce and put your skills to work sooner.

Finally, if you’re ready to advance your ambition by earning a master’s degree, Keller offers a Master’s Degree in Project Management and an MBA with a Specialization in Project Management. 

An Admissions Representative can help you determine which program fits your personal and professional goals and can provide important information about grant and scholarship options that can help make your education more affordable.³