Best Free MOOCs In Business For December

Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management

School: University of Virginia (Darden)

Platform: Coursera

Registration Link: CLICK HERE

Start Date: November 30, 2015 (Four Weeks Long)

Workload: 2-4 Hours Per Week

Instructor: Yael Grushka-Cockayne

Credentials: A Ph.D. from the London Business School, Grushka-Cockayne is an assistant professor of business administration at the Darden School, where she teaches decision analysis and project management. An award-winning teacher at Darden, her research focuses on “forecasting, project management, strategic and behavioral decision making.”

Graded: Students will earn a verified certificate for completing this course.

Description: An introductory course, Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management will help students evaluate, plan, and execute projects. As part of the course, students will learn “basic concepts from project planning, critical path method, network analysis, and simulation for project risk analysis,” along with the “language and the frameworks for scoping projects, sequencing activities, utilizing resources, and minimizing risk.” When the course is completed, students will understand what makes projects successful and which pitfalls to avoid. They will also master agile project management principles, understand the requirements in various project stages, and be able to choose the right methodology based on a project’s scale and scope. For a detailed course syllabus, click here.

Review: “Very interesting course. Perfect mix between theory and practical example. Focus on main tools/methodology useful in a professional environment. Lots of discussion around supplemental case studies. Great staff availability.” For additional reviews, click here.

Additional Note: Grushka-Cockayne’s course includes several suggested readings, which are available under the registration link.