21 Top Online Project Management Courses (Free & Paid)
There are no boundaries to learning. Trends are always changing and it is important for project managers to keep up with current best practices. From project management books to productivity apps, and online project management courses, there is an abundance of resources to help maximize efficiency at work.
In the past, learning has been restricted to classrooms and professors. But today’s new wave of technology, including online course platforms and virtual learning websites, make it easy to take classes from anywhere. Our online learning opportunities are endless, but given you clicked on this article, you are probably looking for ways to learn about project management online. To make it easy to get started, we have rounded up the top free and paid online project management courses from the best sites. So read ahead and get started today!
P.S. Have you tried Hive? Test our powerful project management tool for free today.
1. Simplilearn: PMP Certification Training Course
What we like about Simplilearn: We love the use of real-life examples where concepts can easily be applied. Jeff Allen is an experienced project management expert, and you will certainly learn project management from the best. Unlike most courses, this training course is intended to be an intensive preparation for your PMP certification. This is one of the best project management courses available.
Cost: Opt for the self-paced learning and get access to high-quality, self-paced content at $349 (30% off).
Author’s Note: Check out the reviews! It is all coming from LinkedIn accounts – Simplilearn is confident about their online project management courses.
How to sign up: Simplilearn website
2. BrainSensei: Online PMP Certification Exam Prep
What we like about BrainSensei: This is a cut above the rest! Learning is never dull with BrainSensei, as they utilize humor and stories in their lessons. It is extremely engaging while being comprehensive at the same time. With each modules having multiple-assessment, you can be well-prepared for the exams.
Author’s Note: Check out the free trial before committing.
Cost: $499.99 for 6 months
How to sign up: BrainSensei website
3. GoSkills: PMP Certification Training
What we like about GoSkills: Love the interface + free trial model. I absolutely love the free trial model where users are able to try out the courses before deciding to pay. If you finish the course within 7 days, then it’s a steal for you! However don’t stop at just project management for business professional.. GoSkills has amazing courses for project managers such as PMP certification, Scrum for project managers and more! This is why it is one of our top project management courses available.
Author’s Note: Go for Lite purchase if you do not prefer the subscription model.
Cost: Free trial for 7 days, $199 per year after that
How to sign up: GoSkills website
4. Prince2: 6th Edition Foundation Classroom
What we like about Prince2 Course: This course is through the official Prince2 governing body, and lets you take full advantage of their official training materials and methodologies. In this class, you’ll be taught: key concepts relating to Prince2, understanding of the basic Prince2 principles, basic understanding of Prince2 themes, knowledge about Prince2 processes.
Author’s Note: To attend this course, there is required pre-course work that must be completed.
Cost: 12-month access to the program starting at $760
How to sign up: Request a quote on the Prince2 Website
5. Pace University: Practical Project Management Certificate
What we like about the Pace course: In this online course, you’ll learn about the tenets of effective project management, learn project management tools and methodologies, learn how to identify and manage project scope, and garner a basic understanding of project management tools and definitions. This is a great basic project management course that can be applied to everyday life and roles, and another one of the best project management courses available.
Authors Note: This is a pricey course, but is packed in to only 2 weeks.
Cost: $695 for 2-week course
6. Cybrary: Project Management Professional (PMP) Course
What we like about Cybrary course: It is really short and precise. The PMP Course takes 5.5 hours to complete, broken into 10 different modules. This is one of our favorite online project management courses as it will teach you the basics of project management and prepare you to complete the PMP certification exam. You will also learn the most important principles of project management, “Time, Cost and Quality.”
Author’s Note: Once you are done with the course, you can continue with the next course “Practical Project Management”. Common mistakes, trends and future of project management in enterprise are discussed in the course.
Cost: Free to create a basic Cybrary personal account
How to sign up: Cybrary website
7. InSite by Velociteach: The Complete PMP Exam Prep Bundle
What we like about the InSite program: Velociteach was founded by PMP Author, Andy Crowe, with a niche focus on PMP Exam Prep training. They offer self-study resources including the number 1 textbook for PMP exam preparation, instructor-led PMP bootcamps, and an online, self-paced option through InSite. InSite, a mobile learning platform, offers 4 PMP Exam prep courses online providing 47 hours of audio & video training, formula sheets, exercises and 1100 practice questions in a simulated exam environment aligned to the current test. Save 20% when you purchase the online bundle with the added flexibility of choosing 1-month, 3-month or 6-month subscriptions.
Cost: The Complete PMP Exam Prep Bundle Starts at $389 but you can also purchase each course separately.
How to sign up: Velociteach website
8. Sybex: PMP Exam Review Platinum Course
What we like about Sybex course: This PMP exam review course is built on a 30 minute “bite sized” framework that ensures you will never be overwhelmed or overworked with one of the sessions. The sessions for the project management course also involve mini assessments and virtual flashcards, which are great for the working professional who wants to optimize productivity.
Author’s Note: Sybex also has a great online test bank, which helps it stand apart from other project management courses.
Cost: $495
How to sign up: Sybex website
9. Alison: Diploma in Project Management
What we like about Alison’s program: This online course includes case studies to help you learn about Project Management in the real world. After the end of every module, there are also practice questions to test your understanding, which is really useful in learning.
Author’s Note: While the diploma is not aimed to prep you for PMP Certification, it is still worth taking with the quality and quality of materials involved.
Cost: Free
How to sign up: Alison website
10. Coursera: Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management
What we like about Coursera’s course: This course is powered by the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Unlike many of the other online project management courses, you have to submit your work after every week and it is graded.
Moreover, you will also be assigned readings that are current to the trends of Project Management. The course is broken down into 4 phases. Introduction -> Developing a Project -> Risk Management -> Project Execution. This is one of the best project management courses available.
Author’s Note: Coursera is a registered Project Management Institute (PMI) Education Provider. Keep in mind that the course duration is 4 weeks long, with 4-hours of effort needed per week, which can be really taxing.
Cost: Free
How to sign up: Enroll on the Coursera website. Note: these courses have pre-determined start dates
11. edX: Introduction to Project Management
What we like about edX course: This course is powered by the University of Adelaide. It goes through the basic understanding of what a project is, and all the factors that could affect the outcome of a project. With a step-by-step approach, it goes through the core of what is of project management.
Author’s Note: It is a 6 weeks long course, with 3-hours effort per week. Instead of watching the video, you can download the transcripts and study while you are on your commute.
Cost: Free
How to sign up: Enroll on the edX website. Note: these courses have pre-determined start dates
12. University Of Washington: Introduction to Project Management
What we like about W Canvas course: This course is powered by the University of Washington. It is is a short module, with 4 lessons to get you the basic of project management. Throughout this course, the main focus is on understanding the role of top-level project management. The course has you focusing on project overview and learning to breakdown work structure (WBS).
Author’s Note: The small activities after every lesson is really fun. Do not miss it.
Cost: Free
How to sign up: Visit the University of Washington Canvas website
13. Cornell University: Project Management Certificate Program
What we like about Cornell University course: This project management course is instructor-led with a class size of less than 35. This means that you will be getting very dedicated and personalized teaching from the instructor. This program aims to allow participants to gain greater insights on project management through the teaching of proven strategies and hands-on tools.
Author’s Note: eCornell places a huge emphasis on proven strategies and practical solutions for project management.
Cost: This is a pricer option at $830/month for enrollment. But keep in mind, this is very hands on
How to sign up: Enroll on Cornell’s website
14. GreyCampus: PMP Certification Training
What we like about the GreyCampus course: This PMP certification training course is certified through the Project Management Institute, which is great. Throughout this project management course you’ll learn about the role of a project manager, project integration management, and so much more. It also comes with 6 months unlimited access to live bootcamps, which is why it’s on our list of best project management courses.
Cost: This course costs $900.
How to sign up: Enroll on GreyCampus’ website
15. Berkeley Extension PMP Training Curriculum
What we like about the Berkeley curriculum: Aside from the fact that this university is a Hive customer, we love that you can complete this curriculum totally online. The longest program on our list of best project management courses, it will take 1-2 years to complete depending on course load over time.
Cost: This curriculum costs roughly $6,900
How to sign up: Berkeley’s Extension website
16. General Assembly: Project Management Bootcamp
What we like about the GA curriculum: We love General Assembly as an option for project management courses. This bootcamp is a full-day program, that you can participate in on many different days, and it covers everything from agile to risk management. We’d recommend using this in conjunction with other project management courses
Cost: This course costs $250
How to sign up: GA’s website
17. BrainBok Exam Prep Simiplified
What we like about the GA curriculum: This is a complete self-study kit that is based on the PMBOK 6th edition. It’s one of our top project management courses because this prep course is also bundled with a study guide and an exam simulator which has over 1,000 questions. Additionally, they have interactive flashcards and an ITTO explorer.
Cost: You can join BrainBok for $149.99 for 90 day access.
How to sign up: BrainBok’s website.
18. Kellogg Project Management Course
What we like about the Kellogg program: This is a project management certification program that requires 15-20 hours of work per week, and stretches for 6 months. This project management course will teach you how to harness best practices, frameworks, and PM soft skills. The Kellogg course is one of our top project management courses if you want a comprehensive, long-term class.
Cost: $5,500
How to sign up: Kellogg’s website
19. Master of Project Academy
What we like about the MPA program: This is a great combination of several different project management courses that will help you reach your full potential as a PM. In this program, you’ll get access to six courses, over 400 lectures, and over 70 hours of content. The courses are self-paced, so you can really get the most out of it in your own time.
Cost: $677 for annual subscription
How to sign up: Master of Project Academy website
20. Shaw Academy: Professional Diploma in Project Management
What we like about Shaw Academy: The 16-week course dives right into the practical skills you need to be an effective project manager. It’s filled with real-world examples to help you apply your skills as you go, and will give you hands-on experience with a number of project management tools. Once you complete the course you’ll have the skills to plan, initiate, and successfully execute any kind of project, and you’ll be ready to take on new challenges at work.
Cost: $69.99 annual subscription; first four weeks free
Author’s Note: Your subscription gets you access to all of Shaw Academy’s courses, so the more you learn the better value you get.
How to sign up: Visit the Shaw Academy website and sign up for their online project management course here.
21. Grow With Google on Coursera
What we like about Grow with Google: This course is a great option if you’re familiar with many Google suite products. You’ll learn about traditional PM and agile methods, and the course is available via Coursera. You’ll also learn about Scrum, building Scrum artifacts, and learn how to create effective project documentation.
Cost: Enroll for free
How to sign up: Follow this link
There you go — 21 of the top online project management courses, including both free and paid PMP certification programs. Don’t get too comfortable though, because certifications are not the final milestone of project management. You can continue to refine your skills on a daily basis by investing in a project management software like Hive. What would you improve first?
This article originally appeared in Hive — the world's first democratically built productivity platform. Learn more at Hive.com.
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