Online Graduate Certificate in Project Management

Project managers can be found across nearly every industry, though their exact job titles may differ from company to company. By using a combination of business skills and industry knowledge to ensure that productivity goals are being met, project managers help organizations of all sizes optimize their day-to-day operations.

Yes, a graduate certificate is different from a master's degree. A graduate certificate in project management is a credential that sits between a bachelor's degree and a master's degree or an MBA with a Specialization in Project Management. A project management graduate certificate typically takes less time to earn than a master's degree, making it a great choice for people who wish to add an extra credential to their resume but do not have time to enroll in a longer degree program.

At DeVry, several of our graduate certificates are stackable,⁴ including our online Project Management Graduate Certificate. With stackable programs, you can earn a graduate-level credential and then directly apply any qualifying credits toward one of our related master’s degrees.

Yes! At Keller we offer an online Graduate Certificate in Project Management program that enables you to work towards your certificate on your own schedule. This can be a great solution for people who are already in the workforce, or for those who have other commitments that may make it a challenge to attend in-person project management classes.

As a Premier level Authorized Training Partner (ATP) of the Project Management Institute (PMI), Keller offers the project management exam preparation course PROJ605, which provides authorized content helping students meet education requirements for the Project Management Professional (PMP)^® certification exam.¹ Faculty teaching this course have completed specialized project management training and have earned the ATP Instructor badge. Complete information can be found in the Program Guide.

Certifications offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and CompTIA are examples of certifications intended to benefit project managers at varying stages of their careers.

PMI offers a half-dozen certifications¹ aligned with various aspects of project management, such as risk management, portfolio management and program management, and project managers’ career stages:

·       Project Management Professional (PMP)^®
·       Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)^®
·       Program Management Professional (PgMP)^®
·       Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)^®
·       PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)^®
·       PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)^®

The Project+ certification from CompTIA is designed for project management professionals in the IT industry and covers methodologies, frameworks and Agile skills needed to manage IT projects effectively.

Coursework in this online program covers project management skills such as risk management, contract and procurement management, project cost and schedule control, IT project management and more, with some aspects of the curriculum focusing on Agile methodology, a project management framework that breaks down projects into several phases or “sprints.” The methodology’s 6 sprints are plan, design, develop, test, deploy and review.

Certificate and certification are both important in terms of your career development, but are different in some key ways. A certificate is an education credential that is earned by successfully completing a series of courses. Industry experience isn’t required to earn a certificate, but there may be certain education prerequisites (for example, a bachelor’s degree is a prerequisite for our Graduate Certificate in Project Management program.)

Certifications are industry credentials offered by third-party organizations that set industry standards and are earned by passing specific exams to verify relevant skills in a particular industry or profession (for example, the CAPM^® certification in project management.) Earning an industry certification generally requires you to have some level of professional knowledge and experience in the field.