Business and Project Management Specialist

Hours: 562 / Access Length: 2 Years / Delivery: Online, Self-Paced
Retail Price: $5,125.00

Course Overview:

Business and Project Management Specialists coordinate and complete projects, set deadlines, and summarize responsibilities. These specialists take charge of the project, keeping resources and schedules on track. Duties include identifying risks, mitigation plans, technical reviews, and budget strategies.

The Business and Project Management Specialist course covers the following areas:

• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) – learn how to plan project work, develop project schedules, cost estimates and budgets, and how to plan project quality, staffing, and communications.
• Organizational and Behaviroal Leadership – study about dealing with the competition, coping with ethical dilemmas, identifying and hiring talent, managing diversity, building sustainability, and adapting to the latest technology.
• Business Management – explore the overview of management, with a focus on the characteristics of successful managers, manager development, and the importance of critical thinking in management.  
• Workplace Essentials Soft Skills – learn a variety of skills needed for customer and business support, including dealing with difficult customers, generating return business, and teamwork within the company. 

This course prepares a student to take the Project Management Institute (PMI) Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) national certification exam.

Course Outline:

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Exam Prep Curriculum:

Lesson 1: Course Orientation

This lesson will provide students with an overview of the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBOK® Guide) Seventh Edition (7e) and PMI’s Agile Practice Guide (APG), as well as a course overview of assigned readings, slide presentations, drill activity, practice activity, quiz, and final test. Students will start with readings on core concepts from the Agile Practice Guide in this lesson.  These core concepts are basic to an understanding of the contemporary project methodology that is usually applied in the field of project management.

Lesson 2: System for Value Delivery

This lesson will cover core concepts, relationships among Portfolio Management, Program Management, Project Management, and Organizational Project Management. In addition, we will derive some insight from the various roles in the project environment with both predictive and adaptive methodologies.  Key concept is selecting the correct project approach from either an adaptive/agile approach or a predictive/waterfall approach.  This course uses the terms methodology or approach interchangeably.  How an organization chooses to bound or manage projects is a good indicator of future success - or better said - it’s an organization’s “system for value delivery.”

Lesson 3: Project Management Principles

If you are building a career in management, you will need to prepare for increased responsibility and authority. Your career is in focus here. Examining how you can build your personal competency can start right here by learning these and examining your own by an assessment of your individual skill. A wise saying, “accentuate your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses.”

Lesson 4: Performance Domains 1 – 3

This lesson will cover Performance Domains 1 – 3. These are the first three of the eight performance domains. The projects performance is the point, which is not separate from organizational performance, in that the project goal is to build upon an organizations value delivery capability or the components which lead to the advancement of business or services provided.

Lesson 5: Performance Domains 4-5

This lesson will cover Performance Domains 4-5: the Planning Performance Domain (2.4) and the Project Work Performance Domain (2.5).The projects planning and work performance covered in our reading, paying particular attention to the planning performance domain as it will be our activity and represents a significant level of information that if mastered will help you with test questions and answer identification.

Lesson 6: Performance Domains 6-7

This lesson will cover Performance Domains 6-7: The delivery Performance Domain (2.6) and the measurement Performance Domain (2.7).The project’s execution includes this lesson’s domain focus areas to deliver results, measure performance, and deal with the inevitable uncertainty.  Project team and leadership engagement in the various activities and competencies in this lesson are determinative to e projects success.  Many focus items in this lesson are not only core project principles but also focus areas for the CAPM exam preparation.

Lesson 7: Uncertainty and Tailoring

This lesson covers the Performance Domain (2.8): Uncertainty. The lesson also covers selected readings in GUIDE chapter 3 covering an introduction to the topic of Tailoring. The sub-topic of Risk will also be covered in this lesson.

Lesson 8: Models, Methods, & Artifacts

Every organization will make decisions on employment of various Models, Methods, and Artifacts (MMAs).  While MMAs all fall into the approach (methodology) chosen and discussed in many of the previous lessons, MMAs are a roster or slate of players and tactics to be employed in a particular portfolio or project.  MMAs are found in PMBOK Guide 7e, Chapter 4; Models, Methods, & Artifacts pp. 153-195. Readings in the APG will introduce the concepts of lean framework and its own MMAs (while not necessarily listed as MMAs.) Understand all possible MMAs are not covered in the PMBOK Guide, and it may not be possible to implement all that are covered fully.  Because the Guide introduces them, we will cover them.

Lesson 9: Guide Appendix Overview

This lesson wraps up the coverage of core and CAPM prep topics with a focus on Agile team requisites that of the Sponsor, Product, and Agile Team composition.  While Glossary is assigned, students can choose to review it to a level they require, which is based on each one’s own confidence level.  This lesson will cover core concepts and with additional coverage of the division between the adaptive and predictive projects.  The glossary is not assigned to read per se but to use as a resource to improve vocabulary of projects.  Study tip would be to tag those acronyms and terms you think most important and study them your way.  Add them to the slide set is one way to drill on them.

Lesson 10: Final Exam

Organizational and Behavioral Leadership Curriculum:

Lesson 1: Understanding Leadership

In this lesson, students will explore the different ways of looking at leadership and their impacts on what it means to be a leader. First, students will define leadership and explore the evolution of the concept of leadership. From there, students will be introduced to the different theories of leadership and identify how those theories shape leadership.

Lesson 2: Recognizing Your Traits

This lesson will focus on the different traits of effective leaders. It will strive to answer questions such as “Why are some people leaders while others are not? What makes people become leaders? Do leaders have certain traits?” This lesson will also begin to explore the traits that are not found in effective leaders.

Lesson 3: Engaging People's Strengths

This lesson will help students understand the importance of engaging people’s strengths through the leadership process. The goal in this lesson is to explore how understanding strengths can make one a better leader. First, students will explore the concept by defining strengths and describing the historical background of strengths-based leadership. Students will learn how to identify strengths, followed by a description of different measures that can be used to assess individual strengths. The final section of the lesson will look at the concept of strengths-based leadership in practice, including specific strategies that leaders can employ to use strengths to become more effective leaders.

Lesson 4: Understanding Philosophy And Styles

In this lesson, students will learn how a person’s view of people, work, and human nature forms a personal philosophy of leadership. In addition, this lesson will examine how that philosophy is demonstrated in three of the most commonly observed styles of personal leadership: the authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire styles. Students will identify the nature of these styles and the implications each has for effective leadership performance.

Lesson 5: Attending To Tasks And Relationships

In this lesson, students will learn about the importance of attending to both tasks and relationships. Leaders do two major things: (1) They attend to tasks, and (2) they attend to their relationships with people. The degree to which leaders are successful is determined by how these two behaviors are exhibited. Situations may differ, but every leadership situation needs a degree of both task and relationship behaviors. This lesson will help students develop the skills necessary to be effective in both areas.

Lesson 6: Developing Leadership Skills

This lesson will provide an understanding of the importance of developing leadership skills. Leadership skills give people the capacity to influence others. They are a critical component in successful leadership. Although there are many different leadership skills, they are often considered as groups of skills. In this lesson, leadership skills are grouped into three categories: administrative skills, interpersonal skills, and conceptual skills.

Lesson 7: Creating A Vision

An effective leader creates compelling visions that guide people’s behavior. To better understand the role of vision in effective leadership, this lesson will address the following questions: “What are the characteristics of a vision?” “How is a vision articulated?” and “How is a vision implemented?” In the discussion of these questions, students will focus on how to develop a workable vision within any context of leadership.

Lesson 8: Establishing A Constructive Climate

In this lesson, students will learn how to establish a constructive climate that helps improve workplace efficiency and effective teamwork. Students will also learn how to listen to out-group members and find ways to include them in the group process to improve cohesiveness. Establishing a constructive climate demands that a leader provide structure, clarify norms, build cohesiveness, and promote standards of excellence. By establishing a constructive climate for the group, a leader ensures that members work more effectively together.

Lesson 9: Handling Conflict

This lesson will emphasize ways to handle conflict. First, students will define conflict and learn about the role communication plays in conflict. The different kinds of conflict will be discussed. From there, students will explore ideas about effective negotiation as well as other communication strategies that help resolve conflict. In the final section of this lesson, students will examine styles of approaching conflict and the pros and cons of these styles.

Lesson 10: Addressing Ethics In Leadership

This lesson will focus on the importance of ethics in leadership. Leadership has a moral dimension because leaders influence the lives of others. Because of this influential dimension, leadership carries with it an enormous ethical responsibility. Hand in hand with the authority to make decisions is the obligation a leader has to use his or her authority for the common good.

Lesson 11: Overcoming Obstacles

This lesson will provide an overview of the role of obstacles in leadership and the importance of overcoming them. First, students will learn about the different types of obstacles that leaders might face. From there, students will learn a variety of strategies that can be used to overcome these obstacles and lead effectively.

Business Management Career Prep Curriculum:

Lesson 1: Introduction to Management

In this lesson, you will receive an overview of management.  You will define management and identify the characteristics of an effective management.  Different management styles will be discussed and explored.  In addition, you will learn about the history of management and the ways it has evolved over the years.

Lesson 2: Sustaining - A Balanced Approach to Management

In this lesson, you will begin to learn about implementing a balanced approach to management.  You will learn about the importance of critical thinking for managers, as well as strategies to manage during times of organizational change.  This lesson will also provide an overview of diversity, ethics, and social responsibility in management.

Lesson 3: Planning

In this lesson, you will learn how to implement planning into management.  Planning is a crucial component of effective management, yet many managers fail to do it.  This lesson will focus on making better decisions, setting goals, and designing strategies.

Lesson 4: Organizing

In this lesson, you will learn about the organizing component of management.  Effective managers must be able to organize people and processes to ensure that the system does not break down.  This lesson will cover all aspects of organizing, including structuring organizations, managing team performance, and being aware of the human side of management.

Lesson 5: Leading

In this lesson, you will learn about leadership.  You will learn about the importance of leadership skills in management, and you will identify the qualities and strategies that promote effective leadership. This lesson will cover a variety of topics relate to leadership, including the role of managers as leaders, how to understand individual behavior, and the importance of communicating and motivating others. 

Lesson 6: Controlling

In this lesson, you will learn about the importance of controls in management.  A control is a tool that helps managers use information to influence behavior and affect operational performance through greater efficiencies and effective decision making. By exercising control, managers are better able to oversee activities and direct employees toward achieving organizational goals. 

Lesson 7: The Future of Management

In this lesson, you will learn about the future of management.  You will begin to consider the ways in which the role of the manager may change and will develop strategies for managing that changing role effectively.  As part of this lesson, you will learn about entrepreneurship and its potential for changing the face of management.

Workplace Essential Soft Skills Curriculum:

• Appreciative Inquiry
• Business Acumen
• Business Ethics
• Business Etiquette
• Change Management
• Civility In The Workplace
• Conflict Resolution
• Customer Service
• Customer Support
• Cyber Security
• Delivering Constructive Criticism
• Developing Corporate Behavior
• Handling a Difficult Customer
• Networking Outside the Company
• Networking Within the Company
• Risk Assessment and Management
• Safety In The Workplace
• Team Building For Managers
• Teamwork And Team Building

All necessary course materials are included.

Certification(s):

This course prepares a student to take the Project Management Institute (PMI) Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) national certification exam.

To apply for the CAPM, students will need to have:

• Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or the global equivalent)
• 23 hours of project management education completed by the time you sit for the exam.

System Requirements:

Internet Connectivity Requirements:

• Cable, Fiber, DSL, or LEO Satellite (i.e. Starlink) internet with speeds of at least 10mb/sec download and 5mb/sec upload are recommended for the best experience.

NOTE: While cellular hotspots may allow access to our courses, users may experience connectivity issues by trying to access our learning management system.  This is due to the potential high download and upload latency of cellular connections.   Therefore, it is not recommended that students use a cellular hotspot as their primary way of accessing their courses.

Hardware Requirements:

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 4 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher.  1920x1080 resolution is recommended for the best experience.
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone for Webinar or Live Online sessions.

Operating System Requirements:

• Windows 7 or higher.
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions
  

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

Web Browser Requirements:

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

Basic Software Requirements (These are recommendations of software to use):

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is described in the above course outline.