By Raj Vardhman
Most Project Managers will testify that their work can be tough. No two projects or teams are the same. One of the most challenging aspects for project management practitioners is the amount of training needed to stay up-to-date in the face of changing practices.
Fortunately, training is easier now than ever before, thanks to online courses for project managers. The e-learning market has become large enough to provide a slew of materials for your professional improvement. It’s projected to reach $325 billion according to Mark in Style.co.uk by 2021.
Top Online Courses
But which courses are worth your time? There are plenty of them out there, but you can’t take them all. Should you take a free or a paid course? Another question that is often asked when looking for good online courses is:
“What are the top 5 online courses for project managers?”
So, here’s a list of online courses guaranteed to bring value to you and your company.
1. Alison: Diploma in Project Management
2. Coursera: Project Management: The Basics for Success
3. Master of Project Academy: Bundled Course
4. PMI – The Complete Agile Project Manager
5. Brain Sensei: PMP Exam Prep Course
Let’s take a closer look at what each course has to offer.
1. Alison Diploma in Project Management
If you’re looking for a course that suits both those with experience in project management and those without, Alison’s course is a great choice. Alison is a platform for free learning with over a thousand online courses. From diploma courses to certificate courses, it’s excellent for online learning.
The course contains 27 modules, and it takes anywhere between six and ten hours to complete it. It teaches you about various useful facets of project management. These include methodologies like Agile and Scrum, working with PERT and Gantt charts, using the project life cycle, planning, evaluation, and analysis, in addition to electronic, specialist user documentation, and more.
A completion rate of 80% or more on every module is enough to earn the course diploma. While you can get certificates from Alison’s shop, you can also opt to have one in electronic form.
2. Coursera’s Project Management: The Basics for Success
Project Management: The Basics for Success is a great solution for learners looking for knowledge on a budget. You can complete it without paying a dime, although you will miss out on getting the final grade or the actual certificate.
The University of California is in charge of this course, so you’ll be in safe hands throughout the whole thing. You’ll need somewhere around seven hours to complete it, and you’ll have flexibility regarding deadlines.
That said, the course has a live instructor, meaning that you can’t log in and start learning whenever you want. Instead, you’ll need to wait for when it’s available.
That inconvenience aside, you’ll learn plenty of things during this course. You’ll gain an understanding of the project life cycle, the work breakdown structure (WBS), as well as how to deal with different kinds of people in your team, among other things. For a free course, that’s more than enough.
3. Master of Project Academy: Bundled Course
Master of Project Academy is a pretty large e-learning platform, having around 500,000 enrollments around the globe. Its course bundle gives you a wide range of relevant course materials for already skilled and inexperienced project managers. Keep in mind that it’s designed for more skilled project managers than for novices.
If you need to know more about Microsoft Project, Agile and Scrum, PMP,and other topics, Master of Project Academy: Bundled Course will be perfect for you. Additionally, you’ll find courses that cover ITIL and CAPM, too.
The bundle features tons of content, so you can choose to pay for the parts you’re interested in. It’s also self-paced so that you can take your time. You can also take advantage of moderated forums, round-the-clock assistance, and comprehensive guidance for your PMP exam.
It will likely take you some 35 hours to complete the courses. You can choose to pay for them in three ways. There’s the $37 per month option, but you can also get it for $185 per year or $370 for lifetime access.
4. The Complete Agile Project Manager (From the Project Management Institute)
Those who aspire to gain invaluable insight into the Agile methodology can benefit from PMI’s Agile course. It’s especially beneficial if you’re already a PMI member since you’ll be entitled to pretty great discounts. In that case, the course costs $243, while it costs $372 for non-members.
This course comprises nine sections. It covers Agile project management and the implementation of Agile methodologies in a very comprehensive way.If you’ve just started leading an Agile team or your company is moving toward that work method, this course could be a lifesaver.
It should take you around 17 hours to complete it if you have a good knowledge base. It covers a whole slew of topics, from scheduling and planning all the way to leading an Agile team and engaging stakeholders.
5. Brain Sensei: Complete PMP Exam Prep Course
Brain Sensei’s PMP Exam Prep Course is a terrific way to hone your skills if you already have experience in project management.
The course gives you a detailed project management overview, even fundamentals about project closing, project initiation, among other subjects. There are eight different course modules available. They discuss defining, planning, executing, controlling, monitoring, and closing projects, in addition to other key issues.
The entire course lasts six months, and it contains as many as nine hundred practice exam questions. The whole package can be yours for $500.
Make the best choice for your needs
Hopefully, this information will help you to make a more informed decision and to choose the online course that will meet your needs.
