Updated on Feb 27, 2024 06:22 IST
Aquib Rahman

Aquib RahmanAssistant Manager

Project management is an ongoing or temporary process of executing a series of planned tasks as a project with a time-specific goal. Formally, it’s the project manager who calls the shots in defining the project lifecycle with a team, from beginning to end and delivering the project successfully. Irrespective of organisational structure, the project manager works with supportive roles such as the project coordinator, team lead, and team members. 

Stepping into 2024, the administrative and strategic duties in project management have shifted to the adoption of automation and AI (PMI). Today, a professional at any level of project management needs to focus on communication, change, collaboration, besides technical and strategic skills. Below, you will find a detailed overview of project management - from courses to careers across various industries.

Project Management Course Highlights

Experience aside, getting into the project management domain and excelling in the career would require certifications from PMI (Project Management Institute), PRINCE2, or PMI-approved members such as Google. While these are well-known, authoritative certifications recognised globally, you will find intermediate to advanced offline and online diploma and post-graduate programmes in project management. 

Particulars 

Overview 

Types of Project Management Courses

Offline diploma, postgraduate with MBA or PGP, or online certifications

Duration 

6 months to 2 years 

Eligibility

Would generally require secondary education, bachelor’s or master’s, and in some cases, experience. 

Top Institutions and Authoritative Bodies

PMI, PRINCE2, IIM Calcutta, upGrad, etc.

Industries Project Management Professionals Work 

IT, Energy, Fintech, Construction, Healthcare, Law, Marketing, etc. 

Average Salary Range

INR 2 LPA to INR 30 LPA 

Job Positions

Project Manager, Program Manager, Project Coordinator, Team Lead, SME (Subject-Matter Expert)

Current trends in project management 

  1. By 2030, global demands will create a need for 25 million project leaders, as per PMI estimate. 
  2. There has been a growing trend of remote project management since the pandemic, and it will continue. According to PPM, 80% of organisations focus on Agile projects remotely.  
  3. The adoption of cloud collaboration tools is now important. The global project management software market is expanding rapidly, especially in North America and Europe. Its value is estimated to be $15.08 billion by 2030. 

Why Learn Project Management in 2024?

Relevance of Learning Project Management in 2024

RGPM has stated that earning new certifications is a priority of project managers. This is because project management professionals must focus on the dynamic business environment influenced by emerging technologies. 

Such technologies, especially AI, offer more data accuracy while forecasting and removing errors in administrative tasks. There is a growing need for soft skills. A major part of it is collaboration, which needs to be infused into day-to-day teamwork as well as leadership.

The latest of PMI’s Pulse of the Profession Report of 2023 mentions the talent gap for project professionals in these areas. 

  • Communication 
  • Problem-solving
  • Collaborative leadership
  • Strategic thinking

Having these skills, according to PMI, are important for having ‘project management maturity’. That indicates the organisation focuses on continuous improvement using project management best practices. PMI also says, 72% of projects succeed having these skills. 

Besides these power/soft skills, technical skills also must also be given importance to. Nearly all offline and online project management courses provide technical training on planning, scheduling, cost-containment, etc. According to PMI, in the Asia Pacific region, especially in Australia, project professionals are in high demand when they have skills in change management and risk management, as well as emotional intelligence. 

Other trends that can help project professionals in the IT sector stay ahead of the game process automation, AI, and data visualization. 

How to Learn Project Management in 2024

The latest project management courses are far more beneficial for upskilling and staying relevant. Because, these courses train you on the upcoming trajectories that are a current challenge to many organisations. 

Some learning trajectories you could check are provided below. 

Courses and Certifications of PMI 

  • For entry-level positions, certifications such as the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) offered by PMI are highly valued the world over. 
  • Then higher level certifications from PMI, such as the PMP certification which requires 3 years of work experience, will be a fine option. 
  • Another option would be to take courses from PMI-member institutions like Google. 

Certifications from PRINCE2

PRINCE2 (Projects in Controlled Environments) is an alternate methodology that uses a prescriptive framework contrary to the PMI’s descriptive one. The foundational level is what you as a fresher should get started with. 

Other Popular Certifications and Online Centres for Project Professionals

If you are considering Agile, check out the following. 

Learning Project Management Offline

There are a couple of B-schools in India that offer project management programmes. IIM Calcutta, Pune School of Business Management, and more. We will detail some colleges and programmes on project management in later sections below. 

Fundamentals of Project Management 

Here is a high-level view of the key concepts that you will learn at various levels of project management courses. 

Level

Key Concept

Description

Beginner

Project

A temporary endeavour with a defined start and end, undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

 

Scope

The boundaries of a project, defining what will be included and excluded.

 

Schedule

The timeline for completing a project, including deadlines and milestones.

 

Budget

The financial resources allocated to complete a project.

 

Stakeholders

Individuals or groups impacted by or interested in the success of a project.

Intermediate

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A hierarchical breakdown of the project into smaller, manageable tasks.

 

Gantt Chart

A visual representation of the project schedule, showing task dependencies and durations.

 

Critical Path Method (CPM)

A technique for identifying the longest sequence of tasks that must be completed on time for the project to finish on time.

 

Risk Management

The process of identifying, analysing, and responding to potential threats to a project.

 

Communication Management

The process of ensuring clear and timely communication between all project stakeholders.

Advanced

Agile Methodology

An iterative approach to project management, focusing on continuous delivery and adaptation to change.

 

Earned Value Management (EVM)

A technique for measuring project performance by comparing planned progress with actual progress.

 

Project Portfolio Management (PPM)

The process of selecting, prioritizing, and managing a collection of projects to achieve organizational goals.

 

Change Management

The process of managing the impact of changes to the project scope, schedule, or budget.

 

Stakeholder Management

The process of identifying, engaging, and managing the expectations of all project stakeholders.

Top Online Project Management Courses

The online project management courses range from a few hours to more than some months. These are extremely helpful when you are focusing on entering the field as a fresher or are an intermediate. 

Project Management Courses

Provider

Duration

Google Project Management: Professional Certificate

Coursera and Google

6 months

Engineering Project Management Specialization

Coursera and Rice University

2 to 4 months

The Project Management Course: Beginner to Project Manager

Udemy

7 hours

PMP Plus Masters Program

Simplilearn

64 hours

Agile Scrum Foundation

Simplilearn

2 hours

IIM Calcutta - Advanced Programme in Strategic Project Management

IIM Calcutta or Emeritus

9 months

Minimum Eligibility to Enrol in Project Management Courses Online 

The eligibility criteria vary for the online project management courses. Courses from Coursera and Udemy are for beginners and there is no such requirement. While those from Simplilearn require background or familiarity in the fundamentals of project management. Then you have IIM Calcutta’s programme, which is designed for mid-senior executives, who need to have a bachelor’s degree and work experience. 

Who Should Pursue Project Management Courses?

  • Individuals aiming to obtain or renew project management certifications such as PMP, CAPM, or Agile certifications.
  • Experienced managers aiming to enhance their strategic project management skills and gain insights into advanced project financing, risk management, and strategic alignment.
  • Engineers, IT professionals, and others in technical roles seeking to move into project management positions or enhance their project management skills within their technical fields.
  • Beginners with no prior experience but a strong interest in building a career in project management.

Syllabus for Online Project Management Courses

Cumulative Course Syllabus

Descriptions

Project Management Foundations

Basics of managing projects, including lifecycle, processes, and methodologies.

Agile and Scrum Methodologies

Introduction to Agile principles and the Scrum framework for adaptive project management.

Risk Management

Techniques for identifying, analysing, and mitigating project risks.

Project Financing

Understanding financial aspects, including budgeting, funding, and cost management.

Project Portfolio Management

Managing a collection of projects to achieve strategic objectives.

Project Scheduling and Execution

Planning project timelines, resource allocation, and ensuring project progress.

Quality Management

Ensuring project outputs meet the required standards and stakeholder satisfaction.

Strategic Alignment and Execution

Aligning projects with organizational strategy and effectively executing projects.

Leadership and Team Management

Leading project teams, managing conflicts, and fostering teamwork.

Communication Techniques

Effective communication strategies for stakeholders and team members.

Project Closure

Concluding projects, including documentation, lessons learned, and release resources.

Special Topics (e.g., Legal Issues, Real Options Valuation, Critical Chain Project Management, Contract Management in Projects)

Covering niche areas in project management for specialized knowledge and skills.

Tools to Learn in Project Management

Project Management Tool

Key Features

Wrike

Known for its flexibility, Wrike caters to any team size with features ranging from simple task management to complex project portfolio management.

ClickUp

Aims to replace all other productivity apps with its comprehensive features for planning, scheduling, and resource management.

Hub Planner

Focuses on resource planning and employee time tracking, offering detailed budgeting systems and skills matching capabilities.

Zoho Projects

Provides extensive project planning and monitoring tools, including Gantt chart features and integration with the Zoho ecosystem.

Quire

An award-winning software for remote teams that simplifies workflows and encourages communication and collaboration.

FigJam

A collaborative virtual whiteboard platform that supports brainstorming, workflow design, and strategic planning with a freeform approach.

Microsoft Project

Offers agile project management with visual task boards and supports Scrum, Kanban, or custom workflows.

Explore: Latest Project Management Interview Questions

Project Management Top Entrance Exams

Though there are no specific entrance exams for admission to the Project Management course, candidates willing to pursue MBA in Project Management can appear for Management entrance tests and choose Project management as their specialisation. Some of the top MBA exams in Project Management are as follows: 

Top Project Management Exams

CAT

MAT

XAT

ATMA

MAH-CET

CMAT

Also Read: Top Project Management colleges in India

Job Profiles and Top Recruiters

A degree in project management opens up numerous career opportunities. Candidates can look for jobs in various industries and sectors like IT, Advertising, Marketing, Government agencies, Banking, Trading, Design companies. Some of the top job profiles in Project Management are as follows: 

Job Profile Description
Project Manager The job responsibility of a Project Manager is to create and manage teams whilst developing team plans. Furthermore, the execution of these plans to achieve the goals of the company is one of the focus areas of a Project Manager.
Project Designer A Project Designer collaborates with the Project Manager and assigns resources for the completion of the company’s projects.
Project Analyst The core responsibilities of a Project Analyst are to gauge the performance of the project and provide project analysis to the team carrying out the project. A project analyst needs to have critical decision-making skills.
Project Controller The project controller and project manager work together to define a project’s goals and objectives. Furthermore, the project controller also manages the project’s budget, analyses the report of work done and provides suggestions to improve the progress of the project.
IT Project Manager

An IT Project Manager is responsible for working with computers, servers, maintaining computer systems, etc.

Business Project Manager The business project manager works with clients, consults with other business projects.
Product Manager A product manager focuses on a specific product of the organisation. The product manager works towards manufacturing, pricing and promotion of the product.
Construction Project Manager A Construction Project Manager supervises construction projects. This could include supervising commercial properties, residential homes or any other building projects
Project Coordinator A project coordinator assists the project manager in planning and organising projects. This is an entry-level position that focuses on performing the lighter tasks.
Software Project Manager This profile is more or less like the profile of an IT project manager, the difference being that a Software project manager specifically deals with updation of software and the improvement and development of new software.

Check out Top Project Coordinator Interview Questions

Project Management Top Recruiters

Some of the top recruiters in the field of Project Management are: 

Project Management Top Recruiters

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)

HDFC Bank

ITC Ltd.

Infosys

BG India

Telford International

SGC India Private Limited

Bechtel India Private Limited

IBM BTO Business Consulting Services

-

 

Check out: Top Industries Hiring Certified Project Managers

FAQs Related to Project Management

Q: What is Project Management?

A: Project management is the planning and organisation of a company's resources to perform a specific task or event within the time constraint to achieve desired results. In other words, project management includes planning, organisation, execution, monitoring and result of a particular task. 

Q: Why should I opt for a Project Management course?

A: A project management course is something that every individual must consider. The course can teach the employees to be efficient and productive in a business setup whilst boosting morale. 

Q: What are the five stages of Project Management?

A: The five stages of project management include initiation, planning, execution, analysis or monitoring and closure.

Q: Why is Project Management important?

A: Project Management is important for hassle-free work. The purpose per se is to foresee the dangers or problems as possible and be able to plan ahead and control activities so that the project or task is completed successfully within the time frame without much hassle.

Q: What are the courses available for Project Management?

A: One can pursue a course in project management at the post-graduation level, diploma level and as a certificate course.

Popular Project Management Colleges in India

Following are the most popular Project Management Colleges in India. Learn more about these Project Management colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.
57 K
0
4.24 K
17 K - 25 K
1.76 L
5.9 LPA

Popular Private Project Management Colleges in India

25 K
57 K
0
4.24 K
17 K - 25 K

Popular Project Management UG Courses

Following are the most popular Project Management UG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these UG Courses by clicking the links below.

UG Courses

Popular Project Management PG Courses

Following are the most popular Project Management PG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these PG Courses by clicking the links below.

PG Courses

Popular Project Management Specializations

Following are the most popular Project Management Specializations . You can explore the top Colleges offering these Specializations by clicking the links below.

Popular Specializations

Popular Exams

Following are the top exams for Project Management. Students interested in pursuing a career on Project Management, generally take these important exams.You can also download the exam guide to get more insights.

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Answered 5 days ago

Though a master's degree might be beneficial for one's general qualifications and understanding of project management principles, it doesn't change the fundamental eligibility requirements set by PMI for PMP certification. Those holding a master's degree have to meet either of the two requirements:

...Read more

R

Rashmi Karan

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 5 days ago

If your application is picked for an audit, PMI will ask for supporting documentation of the information contained in your application. This would include project descriptions, contact information about supervisors or clients, and proof of your project management education. Although the audit proces

...Read more

R

Rashmi Karan

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 5 days ago

Project management experience refers to the time spent leading and directing projects. Candidates must document their experience across all five process groups outlined in the PMBOK® Guide: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing. This experience does not need to com

...Read more

R

Rashmi Karan

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

This course introduces Six Sigma principles, focusing on quality management and process improvement. This free course is designed for those in operations and quality control roles, providing a basic understanding of Six Sigma methodologies. The course duration is approximately 1 hour, with no prereq

...Read more

C

Chanchal Aggarwal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 weeks ago

For admission to the Algoma University Graduate Certificate Project Management course, the applicants are required to have a bachelor's degree. Also, the applicants are required to meet the English language requirements. The minimum scores required in these ELP tests are given as follows:

Tests

Minimum Scores for Graduate Cert. Courses

IELTS

6.0 overall (individual no score between 6.0)

TOEFL

79

PTE

60

Duolingo

110 overall (individual no band below 90)

I

Ishita Singh

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 3 weeks ago

Algoma University Graduate Certificate in Project Management course duration is 2 years. The tuition fee for this course for international students is CAD 15,210 (Around INR 9 L). After pursuing the Project Management course, students can go on to work in the following job roles:

  • Project Scheduler
  • Pro

...Read more

C

Chandra Chaudhary

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

NICMAR University has a good record of placements for its MBA in Advanced Project Management course. As per the latest report, 100% of the MBA in Advanced Project Management batch 2024 placed in reputed companies. The key highlights of NICMAR University placement for the Class of 2024 are tabulated

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Shoaib Mehdi

Contributor-Level 10