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Project Management

Overview

Project Management Institute Authorized Training PartnerThe Project Management Certificate Program covers A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), which serves as the fundamental knowledge base for project management. The UCI DCE program has been reviewed and approved as a provider of project management training by the Project Management Institute (PMI)®.

Upon completion, you will satisfy the education requirements to sit for the PMP® exam. Recognized domestically and internationally, PMP® certification sets the standard for excellence in project management.

Who Should Enroll

Individuals in any discipline who work on projects in either the public or private sector will benefit from coursework, as well as those with 3-5 years work experience who are preparing to pursue career opportunities in the area of project management.

Career Insight

Occupational summary for Managers in the U.S. Source: Lightcast™ 2022

561,182
Annual Job Openings
(2021)
8%
Projected Growth
(2021-2031)
$209k
Salary for Highly Experienced Professionals
(Median Salary $125k)

Program Benefits

  • Apply fundamental project management principles, theories, and practices, including the basic concepts described in the Project Management Institute’s newest release of the PMBOK® Guide
  • Practice using the most effective project management tools and techniques to launch, plan, and execute a project
  • Identify characteristics of high performance teams and ways to manage stakeholder expectations
  • Develop documentation on simulated projects to gain a deeper understanding of Project Management principles and practices
  • Satisfy the education requirements to sit for the PMP®exam
  • Earn continuing education credits for professional certifications

Course Schedule

Scheduling & Course Formats

Each course format provides you with the same comprehensive, in-depth level of study and instructional excellence. To personalize your experience and manage the time it takes to earn your certificate, we encourage you to mix and match course formats according to preference.

  • Campus
    In this 6-week, on-campus format, meetings are scheduled on a recurring weeknight basis and students complete coursework from home and online.

  • Online
    This course is delivered entirely online over 6 weeks and although students must meet weekly coursework deadlines, material may be accessed and completed any time of day.

  • Remote
    Synchronous class instruction using web-conference technology.

Required Courses

TitleWinterSpringSummerFall
MGMT X472.75
Project Launch (3.00 Units)
MGMT X472.75
to be scheduled CampusOnline Online to be scheduled
MGMT X472.76
Project Planning (3.00 Units)
MGMT X472.76
to be scheduled CampusOnline Online to be scheduled
MGMT X472.77
Project Execution (3.00 Units)
MGMT X472.77
to be scheduled CampusOnline CampusOnline to be scheduled
MGMT X472.79
Project Practicum with Multiple Projects (3.00 Units)
MGMT X472.79
to be scheduled CampusOnline CampusOnline to be scheduled

Elective Courses

TitleWinterSpringSummerFall
Non-Certificate Courses
MGMT X472.20
Intensive Project Management Review (3.50 Units)
MGMT X472.20
to be scheduled Online Online to be scheduled

Course schedules are subject to change. Individual courses may be taken without enrolling in the full program.

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Academic Calendar

Event Spring 2023 Summer 2023 Fall 2023 Winter 2024
Registration Begins (after 2pm PT) Jan 19 Apr 20 Jul 13 Oct 19
Courses Begin* (week of) Mar 27 Jun 20 Sep 25 Jan 8
Courses End* (week of) Jun 5 Sep 5 Dec 11 Mar 18
Administrative Holidays Mar 31, May 29 Jun 19, Jul 4, Sep 4 Nov 10, Nov 23-24, Dec 25-26, Jan 1-2 Jan 15, Feb 19

*Actual dates may vary by program.

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3-month Global Accelerated format also available

Learn How To Earn Your Certificate

Earn a Certificate

Apply to become a candidate for the program: A Declaration of Candidacy is required to establish candidacy in this program. Complete the application and pay the application and candidacy fee of $125 (non-refundable). Learn more about the benefits of becoming a candidate. Candidacy is not required to enroll into individual course in a program.

A candidate in the program is awarded a certificate upon the successful completion of four (4) required courses totaling 12 units, each with a letter grade of “C” or better. All requirements must be completed within five (5) years after the student enrolls in their first course. To receive the Certified Digital Certificate after the completing all the program requirements, students must submit the Request for Certificate to initiate the certificate audit process. Students not pursuing the certificate are welcome to take as many individual courses as they wish.

“The instructors were all very open and encouraging and supportive in my learning experience which is where I got the highest value out of the whole process.” David Bartholomew
Management Consultant and Author

Transfer Credit

Students who complete the Project Management Certificate Program are eligible to transfer credits into a graduate degree from the universities listed below:

Advisory Committee

  • Kenneth Binnings, EDD, MBA, PMP, Director, Customer Implementation and Migration Office, Sprint
  • Timothy Covington, M.S., PMP, Senior Manager – Engineering, The Boeing Company
  • Susan Embry-Busch, Senior Vice President of Information Technology, American Health Care
  • Kristine Hayes Munson, IT Risk and Compliance Manager, VP, State Street
  • Karen Nguyen, M.S., PMP, National Manager, Program & Technology Integration, Kia Motors America
  • Janice Y. Preston, PMP, CPA, Chief Operations Officer, Core Performance Concepts, Inc.
  • Tony Roberts, M.S., PMP, Director, Trivista
  • Tariq Shaikh, PMP, PMI-OC President
  • Marty Wartenberg, MBA, PE, Business Consulting & Training
  • Debora Wright Henley, MBA, Manager, Project Management – IT Solutions, Northrop Grumman Corp

Career Advancement Network (CAN)

We are proud to provide our certificate students and alumni with newly enhanced career services that include one-on-one coaching, technology tools, webinars and workshops, networking events, mentorship/internship opportunities, and a rich collection of free online career resources. Learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does the program cost?
  • Each required course costs $840 due at the time of enrollment. Any “Also of Interest” courses are optional and may have a different course fee. There is also a one-time candidacy declaration fee of $125, to be paid before your third class. Therefore, the entire program costs $3,485. Please keep in mind that this cost does not include parking fees (when applicable) or textbooks, which some of our instructors do require. Textbook information for specific courses can be found on our website on the enrollment page. You may order books from a third-party vendor such as Amazon.com. If you are an international student, be sure to order your textbooks well in advance of the start date of your online course to allow time for international shipping. Prices are subject to change without notice.
  • How long will it take me to complete the entire program?
  • That depends on how many classes you can take at once. Given that the program consists of 4 classes, if you take two classes per quarter you would be done in 6 months. Most students who work full time take one or two classes per quarter, depending on their work schedules and other obligations.
  • Do I have to apply and be accepted before I start?
  • No. Since UCI Division of Continuing Education (DCE) is the continuing education unit of the university, there are no academic requirements needed to apply for the certificate program. However, the coursework is at a post-baccalaureate level.
  • What is the “declaration of candidacy”? When do I have to complete it?
  • The declaration of candidacy can be thought of as declaring your major for the certificate program. This lets our student services know that you intend to complete the entire program and puts you on track for the certificate when you have completed all requirements. We strongly recommend that you complete the declaration of candidacy and pay the applicable fee before you enroll into your third class.
  • Where can I find the course schedule? Do I have to take the classes in order?
  • The course schedule can be found here. Courses need to be taken one at a time, in the order listed on the website.
  • What course formats are available for this program? Can I complete the entire program online?
  • Each course, regardless of format, is 6 weeks long. There are currently two formats available for the open enrollment program: Online and Campus. The Campus option meets one evening per week, at our Continuing Education building, from 6:30-9:30pm. You can pick and choose the formats each time you register. For example, you may wish to take three courses online, and one in person, or any combination that works best for you. You may take the entire program online if you wish.
  • I’ve never taken an online class. How does it work? Is it self-paced?
  • No, the classes are not self-paced. Each course is instructor-led. All our classes run asynchronously, meaning classes are not in “real time” and you can access the content 24 hours a day. Still, each course has a specific start and end date, and students must complete assignments by the deadlines listed in the course syllabus to earn credit. The courses are structured week-to-week, from Monday to Sunday, and you are expected to log in multiple times during the week to keep up with class discussions and assignments.
  • I am an international student / I am located overseas – am I able to enroll?
  • Yes. As an open-enrollment program, international students are welcome in the program. Please note that if English is not your native language, enrollment in this program assumes that you have a working proficiency in English to allow you to engage in high-level academic discourse without any additional language coaching. If you are interested in taking the program fully online, you may enroll in courses via the Continuing Education website at your convenience and on a quarter-by-quarter basis. You are not required to have a student visa while taking online courses from your home county.

    If you wish to apply for an F-1 student visa to study in person at UC Irvine Division of Continuing Education (DCE), you must formally apply to UC Irvine DCE’s International Programs and request an I-20. Please keep in mind that not all evening certificate programs are available to F-1 student visa holders based on the availability of classes that meet on campus. We cannot issue an I-20 for fully online programs. Please contact our International Programs office at uciesl@uci.edu or visit International Programs for more information.
  • What is the Global Accelerated Program (GAP) format?
  • In addition to the open enrollment format, we have the Global Accelerated Program (GAP) option for the Certificate (also known as Accelerated Certificate Program (ACP)). The ACP/GAP program invites international and domestic to study in person, on campus, and complete all courses in a cohort style over the span of one quarter (3 months) by meeting every day for 3 hours. One difference between the GAP and public offering is that the open enrollment program consists of 4 courses, whereas the GAP program consists of 5 courses total. There is an additional “Global Aspects of Team Leadership” course for the GAP program. We welcome both international and domestic students to take the program. The program offers additional support, workshops, and activities alongside its accelerated format. US students can visit the Global Accelerated Program (GAP) page for more information. International students can visit the Accelerated Certificate Program (ACP) page or contact our International Programs team at ip@ce.uci.edu.
  • Do you offer job placement at the end of the program?
  • No. While UCI DCE does not offer placement services, our certificate certainly puts you in a good position to find employment. Additionally, the networking to be done in the class can also be invaluable. Our advisors, instructors, and a sizable number of our students, are current professionals in the business analysis field, and are an excellent resource for hiring trends and opportunities.
  • Is UC Irvine Division of Continuing Education an accredited institution?
  • Yes. We are affiliated with the University of California system of schools and are accredited through WASC. DCE programs are all approved by the respective school within UCI (i.e. Project Management classes are approved through UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business). For more information, please see UCI Accreditation.
  • Where can I learn more about the PMP or CAPM credential?
  • If you are looking for the PMP credential, we highly encourage you to learn about the requirements directly from PMI. More information about their credentials can be found on the PMI website. The PMP® Credential exam is not provided by UCI Continuing Education. It is administered only by the Project Management Institute (PMI) after applying. PMI will issue the credential after successful completion of the exam. UCI DCE does offer an exam preparation course, titled Intensive Project Management Review. Please check out our website for the latest schedule for the course.
  • How does UCI’s program help me toward my career goal?
  • The UCI Project Management Certificate fulfills the educational requirements for the PMP application. Further, completion of UCI Project Management Certificate will demonstrate to employers that you have an established foundational skillset for a project manager, whether you are an individual breaking into the project management field, or you have been the accidental project manager for years. Lastly UCI’s courses will provide the opportunity for hands on application through class project work as well as learning from the experiences of the instructor and the other students.
  • I can’t find the answer to my question.
  • If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Vonessa Yu at vonessa.yu@uci.edu.

On-site Training Available

Our Corporate Training specialists can deliver this program or customize one that fits your organization’s specific needs. Visit Corporate Training or call (949) 824-1847 for information.

English Proficiency Requirement
All certificate programs at UCI Division of Continuing Education (classroom and online formats) require professional-level English language proficiency in listening and note-taking, reading comprehension and vocabulary, written expression, and oral presentation.

PMI, PMP, PMBOK and the PMI Authorized Training Partner seal are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

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