Which Project Management Training Format Is Right for Me?

Looking to learn project management?The cost of learning project management varies depending on your chosen path. To get hired as a Project Manager, you’ll need to demonstrate that you have a project management education which can cost money. Beyond this, you’ll want to consider the cost of project management training. If you plan to seek entry-level CAPM certification, expect to spend somewhere between $1500-$2000.

Read on to learn more about how much you can expect to spend on learning project management.

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.

In-Depth Review of the Training Cost

There is no single way to become a Project Manager. The cost of training will vary based on which path you choose. As the demand for Project Managers grows, so do the options for training. Obtaining a certificate or a certification in project management creates the fastest and most economical path to becoming a professional Project Manager.

Project management is a skills-based career, meaning that your ability to demonstrate your skills and experience is more important than a traditional college degree. Many Project Managers have a degree relevant to their industry, such as Computer Science or Business. However, most employers prefer a project management certificate or certification over a four-year degree.

As project management has exploded as a job field, so have degree options. More colleges and universities are offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in project management. For example, Arizona State University offers an online Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management. However, this and other degree programs require the completion of 18 courses and are much more expensive than other options. The estimated cost of tuition per year is around $15,000. The cost of completing all 18 required courses would be over $30,000.

If you already have a Bachelor’s Degree, you may consider enrolling in one of the increasing numbers of graduate programs in project management. For example, Penn State’s Global Campus offers an online Master’s Degree in Project Management. However, this program is both time and cost-intensive. Graduates must earn 30 credit hours at an average of $1,007 per credit at over $30,000.

Despite these new degree programs, experts in project management still prefer certificates or certifications over degrees. They are also more cost-effective and the fastest way to launch a new career as a Project Manager. The two most desired certifications in project management are the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Certified Associate in Project Management and Project Management Professional (PMP).

To earn PMI’s entry-level Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), you will be required to sit for an exam demonstrating your knowledge of project management theories and practices. It is highly recommended that you take a preparation course to learn the material and prepare for the exam.

Noble Desktop offers a CAPM Certification Bootcamp to prepare students to pass the exam. In this bootcamp, a PMP-Certified instructor live mentors you through the certification process and includes an additional video curriculum and a proprietary exam prep guidebook. This bootcamp costs around $800 which is significantly less than tuition at a university.

Before qualifying for the CAPM exam, you must complete 23 hours of project management education. There are many options for seeking out this training. One option is Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp, which offers comprehensive training in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), which defines project management. This bootcamp costs around $450, significantly less than project management programs at universities.

Free Introductory Project Management Course Online

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.