Project Management Capstone | Villanova University

8-Week Course

8 Continuing Education Units

80 Military Clock Hours

About the Course

The Project Management Capstone course is the suggested final elective course in the Applied Project Management Certificate Program for students interested in sitting for the PMP^® exam offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The course includes a rich case study integrated throughout the course, plus engaging lectures from highly experienced PMPs. Additionally, students gain access to customized study plans, flashcards, practice exams, progress reports and a resource center full of test-taking tips, feedback links and more.

Prior to enrolling in this course, you should take Essentials of Project Management and Mastering Project Management. In this course, you’ll build on and develop the skills acquired in previous Villanova online project management courses.

Ideal for working professionals, all Villanova University project management courses support the PMBOK^® Guide-Seventh Edition update.

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Villanova students will earn a digital badge when they successfully complete an individual course or full certificate program. These badges help to emphasize their skills and commitment to professional development and enables them to easily share and display the badge on a resume and/or social media.

Curriculum

8 Week Course

Week 1

Introduction to Project Management

Introduction to the PMBOK^® Guide – Seventh Edition
Project Management Professional (PMP)^® Certification
Projects and project management basics
What constitutes a successful project?
Identifying stakeholders
Process group and knowledge area mapping

Week 2

Integration Management

Value of project integration
The project charter
What is in the project management plan?
Direct and manage project work
Monitor and control project work
Properly closing a project

Week 3

Scope & Schedule Management

Defining scope
Project scope statement
Work breakdown structure (WBS)
Precedence diagramming method (PDM)
Three-point estimation techniques (PERT)
Critical path method (CPM)

Week 4

Cost & Quality Management

Scheduling and budgeting
Estimating costs for scheduled resources
Creating a budget
Controlling costs
Earned value management (EVM)
Cost and schedule indexes
Prevention in quality management

Week 5

Resource, Communication & Stakeholder Management

Roles and responsibilities, organizational charts and resource management plans
Improving PM soft skills
Tuckman Ladder
Stakeholder and project constraint factors
Communication dimensions
Communication methods

Week 6

Risk Management

Identifying risks, threats and opportunities
Order of risk management processes
Risk breakdown structure
Defining risk probability and impact
Creating risk responses
Variance analysis

Week 7

Procurement Management

Using a make-or-buy analysis
Managing the procurement process
Procurement statement of work
Evaluating and choosing sellers
Selecting the ideal contract type
Managing the contracting process

Week 8

Course Review & Exam Preparation

Preparing a study plan
Exam preparation strategies
Memorization activities
Process group and knowledge area map
Review key points about each knowledge area

Learning Objectives

Skills Learned

Project Management Budgeting Contract Management Resource Management Communication Risk Assessment Risk Management Procurement

What You’ll Study

PMP^® Exam Prep and PM Capstone

Implementing Project Management in Your Organization
Personal Project Management Development
Project Management as a Profession
Project Management Processes

Initiation and Planning

Explanation of Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
Scope, Time, Cost and Procurement Planning
Human Resource, Risk and Quality Planning
Communications Planning
Integration Planning
Scheduling

Executing

Execution Communication
Human Resources and Project Execution
Quality and Project
Execution
Execution Procurement

Controlling

Communication and Project Control
Integration and Project
Control
Scope and Project Control
Time and Cost and Project Control
Quality and Project Control
Human Resources and Project Control
Risk and Project Control
Procurement and Project Control

Closing and Professional Responsibilities

Closing the Project
Project Management Ethics
International Aspects of Project Management

Best Practices

Critical Chain Project Management
Managing Multiple Projects
Portfolio Management
Portfolios vs. Multiple Projects
Project Management Maturity Models
Project Management Office Introduction
Enterprise Project Management Office
Typical Steps to Implement a Project Management Office
Project Management Scorecard

Related Certificate Programs

Applied Project Management Certificate

16+ Weeks

3 Courses

$5,883+

Learn to become an expert in project management while preparing for the PMP® or CAPM® Certification exam.

Certification Prep

Who Should Register?

For students preparing to sit for the PMP^® Exam, there are additional prerequisites you need to meet before you are qualified to take the exam (i.e. hours worked as a project manager). These prerequisites can be found on the Project Management Institute’s website.

Project Management Capstone uses real-world examples and case studies to help you build on and develop the skills acquired in previous Villanova online project management courses. It’s designed to help those employed by large corporations, the government or the military.

PMBOK, PMP, Project Management Professional (PMP) and CAPM are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Tuition & Payment

Total Course Cost

$2,295

Enroll Now

Course offerings and associated prices are subject to change without prior notice. Pricing for multi-course certificate programs varies depending on course selection. View the Professional Education Catalog for more information on the courses and programs.

Payment Options

There are multiple ways to pay for your certificate program. Just let your enrollment representative know the choice that works best for you.