How Long Does it Take to Learn Project Management?

Like many aspiring Project Managers, you might want to learn project management but worry that it will take too much time. However, project management is a well-defined field you can enter with less training than more technical fields. Of course, this depends on several factors.

Keep reading to learn about how you can learn project management and some resources to help speed the process along.

What is Project Management?

Project management describes the process of managing the successful completion of a project. A Project Manager guides a project through the different stages of what is known as “The Project LifeCycle,” which comprises five stages: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. A Project Manager’s most important goal is ensuring that a project is completed on time and under budget.

A Project Manager is responsible for creating a project plan to establish project goals and deadlines, delegating tasks to team members, motivating team members to meet deadlines, risk management, communicating with upper management, and resource management. Experts in Project Management estimate that around 90% of a Project Manager’s time is spent communicating. Soft skills such as communication, leadership, time management, and budgeting are required in Project Management.

Project management as a field is defined by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) created by the Project Management Institute (PMI), which outlines best practices, methodologies, and processes for professional Project Managers. Aspiring Project Managers will want to seek out training in PMBOK as well as experience in managing real-world projects.

Project management is a hot career path that is expected to add over 22 million jobs by 2027. In addition to this booming job growth, Project Managers earn lucrative, six-figure salaries. The average salary for a Project Manager is around $115,000 annually. That’s more than double the national average across all occupations.

Read more about what project management is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Project Management?

There are no limits on what can be done with project management skills. Project management is a versatile career path as Project Managers are needed in every industry and in various roles. You could continue to work in the same industry even after completing your training in Project Management.

Some Project Managers work for companies on specific projects or as part of a project team. Some Project Managers work as freelancers or consultants who assist clients on specific projects.

Project management is a very hot career path because the Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts that Project Management will increase by 33%, with 22 million new Project Manager jobs created by 2027. A significant number of Senior Project Managers are expected to retire, leading to even more job openings for those with training in Project Management.

Many of the essential skills in project management are soft skills, including communication, leadership, management ability, time management, delegation, conflict resolution, and multitasking. Project management experts estimate that around 90% of a Project Manager’s time is spent communicating. Aspiring Project Managers should have impeccable communication skills and well-developed leadership skills.

Project managers often specialize in a particular industry, such as IT, healthcare, or construction. Skills already acquired in these industries could be combined with project management training for a new career within your industry.

Average Time it Takes to Learn Project Management

If becoming a Project Manager is your goal, an essential thing that you can do is train in project management. The Project Management Institute (PMI) has defined the theories and practices that make up the field of Project Management. PMI calls this the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). It includes standardized terms for project management concepts, such as “the Project LifeCycle,” critical path method, and work breakdown structure.

Seeking training in PMBOK is one of the fastest ways to launch a new career as a Project Manager. There are online options for training, such as Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp. This bootcamp provides comprehensive training in PMBOK topics, such as the Project LifeCycle, task analysis, critical path method, project timelines, resource management, managing project teams, managing risk, communication, calculating costs, and project closure. Graduates earn a Certificate of Completion to include on entry-level Project Manager job applications.

This bootcamp is a great way to begin accruing hours toward professional certification in project management. PMI offers two professional certifications which are highly sought after in project management: the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and the Project Management Professional (PMP).

The CAPM is for aspiring and entry-level Project Managers. The prerequisites for pursuing the CAPM are a secondary degree (high school diploma or associate’s degree) and 23 hours of project management education. Courses such as Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp can help you accrue the necessary hours to qualify to sit for the exam.

Noble Desktop also offers a CAPM Certification Bootcamp. In this bootcamp, a PMP-Certified instructor mentors students through live, project-based training designed to prepare students to pass the CAPM exam. The bootcamp includes additional video lessons, a proven exam prep guide, and a Certificate of Completion.

PMI’s other certification, the PMP Certification, is considered the gold standard in project management certifications. PMI reports that PMP-Certified Project Managers make 25% more than non-certified Project Managers. However, the prerequisites for this certification are more intensive as this is considered an advanced certification—for example, real-world project leading prerequisites of up to 60 months.

Other Factors

The path outlined above is one of the most-streamlined paths to becoming a professional Project Manager. However, every path to becoming a Project Manager is unique. There are also factors that can affect the average time it takes to become a Project Manager.

If You Have Job Experience

If you have previous experience managing projects may accelerate your path to becoming a professional Project Manager. These projects could be at a job or through volunteering. If you don’t already have experience managing projects, looking for opportunities at your current position or around your community is a good idea.

If You Plan to Seek a Certification

You will need additional time if you plan to seek professional certification, such as the ones offered by PMI. The entry-level CAPM requires 23 hours of project management education. You will need to factor in the extra time needed to complete this education and study for the exam.

If You Plan to Specialize in an Industry

One great thing about project management is that you can use it in almost any industry. If you are passionate about a particular industry, such as healthcare or aerospace, you can specialize as a Healthcare Project Manager or an Aerospace Project Manager. You will need additional skills and industry knowledge, which may delay getting hired.

If You Have a Degree

Having a 4-year degree accelerates your ability to earn PMP-Certification. For example, the prerequisite for leading projects reduces from 60 months to 36 if you have a four-year degree. Having a degree allows you to gain the advantages of PMP-Certification more quickly than someone without a degree. PMP-Certified Project Managers make around 25% more than non-certified Project Managers.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost

Project management can be stressful since it requires juggling tasks, responsibilities, team members, resources, and time. You’ll need the right temperament, organizational skills, and leadership ability to be a successful Project Manager. When it comes to getting hired, hands-on experience and project management education are required.

You’ll need to acquire some real-world experience managing projects before applying to entry-level Project Manager jobs. You can look for ways to do this at your current job by looking for opportunities to manage projects. You could also organize a charitable or community project, such as fundraising for a local charity or cleaning up a nearby riverbed.

Professional Project Managers are also expected to know about project management theories and practices. One way of demonstrating this is by seeking a professional certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI). Another way is to attend a bootcamp, such as Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp, to develop your Project Management skills.

Prices for project management courses vary, but it is a lucrative job field. The average salary for a Project Manager is around $115,000 per year. That’s more than double the average salary across occupations, meaning that project management training could double your salary.

Read about how difficult it is to learn project management.

Watch a Free Project Management Online Course

Suppose you’d like to dip your toes into project management but are not quite ready to commit to an entire course. In that case, Noble Desktop offers free live online seminars which provide a sneak peek of their highly-reviewed, hands-on approach to live online instruction. These seminars allow you to see if project management interests you without fully committing to the career.

Microsoft Office proficiency is the most-requested hard skill for entry-level Project Managers.

Noble Desktop offers a free online Top 10 Beginner Tricks for Microsoft Excel That You Need To Know, which is recommended for aspiring Project Managers. One of the most critical responsibilities of a Project Manager is making sure that projects are completed on budget. For aspiring Project Managers, sound financial planning skills and Microsoft Office proficiency are required.

Another option would be Udemy, which offers short, online project management courses for a fee. Some popular Project Management courses offered on Udemy include Project Management Fundamentals, Lean Project Management, and Project Management with MS Project. However, all of these courses have a fee, so you won’t be able to learn about project management for free.

Read about more free project management videos and online tutorials.

Learn Project Management with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop is a coding, design, and business school based in NYC. They offer courses on various topics, including project management courses and bootcamps, both live online and at their state-of-the-art campus in Midtown Manhattan. All of their classes feature small class sizes and are taught by instructors who are experts in their industry. PMP-Certified professional Project Managers teach all their project management courses. Graduates can retake their course for up to one year for free to continue developing their knowledge and refresh their skills.

Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp provides hands-on instruction in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) theories and methodologies needed to get hired as an entry-level Project Manager. Students receive hands-on, project-based training in topics that include the five phases of project management, creating project proposals, and working with a project team. Graduates receive a verified digital certificate of completion to help them get hired as an entry-level Project Manager. This bootcamp is also recommended for those planning to pursue either a CAPM or a PMP Certification. Both certifications require formal project management education, which this bootcamp provides.

Graduates seeking professional certification should consider Noble Desktop’s CAPM Certification Bootcamp, which guides students through PMI’s entry-level Certified Associate in Project Management Certification Exam. This four-day bootcamp includes 35 hours of hands-on instruction, live project-based training, an exam preparation guide, a video curriculum, lessons taught by a PMP Certified Project Manager, and a digital certificate of completion.

Key Insights

• The amount of time it takes you to train in project management will depend on your goals.
• Earning a certificate or certification in project management takes longer but is the fastest road to getting hired as a Project Manager.
• Some factors can affect the amount of time it takes to train, including if you already have experience, wish to specialize in an industry, or already have a Bachelor’s Degree.