Are Online Project Management Courses Enough?

Project management is one area of business that is undoubtedly valuable for any enterprise. As such project management courses abound just about everywhere, including via the Internet, all seeking to fill the need for the training of project managers who handle various initiatives for their organizations. However, the question is whether these project management courses, especially those found online, are enough to prepare participants to handle demanding projects that truly adds value to the business.

In part, successful projects define the forward motion of a business. Aside from the achievements of day-to-day operations, the success rate of individual projects within the organization determines the capabilities of the business organization. Good project management can add prestige as well as revenue to any business.

By definition, all projects are bound by time. They are not continuous activities but are set at specific timeframes. Some projects are recurring or periodic but nevertheless these projects last only for a short period, maybe weeks or months or a just a few years. To add to that restriction, resources may also be defined and inflexible. Thus the role of the project manager is to work with these restrictions and still achieve the objectives set for the projects.

Project management courses are therefore invaluable in training project managers to handle the complexities of each project. However, are investments into web-based project management courses sufficient for the needs of a business?

General Review of Online Project Management Courses

A quick online search on project management courses will yield millions of websites. A good proportion of this number are distance learning course offerings that are conducted using the Web. There are basic courses in project management and there are also advanced courses. The difference is in the course content with the advanced topics ranging from organizational culture, conflict management, risk management, contracts administration, critical chain, event chain and other such aspects and concepts of a full-blown enterprise project. A module on software-based project management is usually included for such courses and may also be provided in detail as a separate course.

The main drawback of some of these online courses is that it mainly leans onto technology related project management. It is almost always assumed that the course learnings will be applied on either a software development project or some other technical engineering type of endeavor. Nevertheless, there are other project management courses that are applicable to a wider range of business scenarios.

Getting Certified

Another area of online courses in project management that needs attention is with regards to certification. The better investment logically is a course that is university-certified or at least recognized by an appropriate professional board as providing equivalent education or fulfills examination requirements for their standards. Online courses that are not certifiable are best left to new project managers who just need a refresher or quick skills upgrade on project management.

Project management courses are indispensable in equipping your project leaders to gain success in your business projects. Online project management courses in particular are very convenient. However, ensure that the course content is appropriate to your particular industry or project goals and that certification is provided when applicable.