Centennial College

The professionals who attend Centennial College’s Project Management courses in Canada already have a college diploma or university degree in any discipline. Inevitably, they often come from the business world in which they are looking to move into positions where they will ensure that projects are delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner. However, the Project Management offering is also geared to those in non-business fields who are looking to increase their employability with a globally recognized certificate, experienced project managers who want to upgrade their leadership skills and leaders who want to manage innovation in a structured manner. It is worth noting that Centennial College does consider applicants with partial post-secondary and relevant work experience (transcript and resume review is required). Proof ofEnglish proficiency and an assessment of numeracy skills may also be requested for admission.

Because the offering only takes three semesters to complete, students delve into project management topics right away, using the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide) – Fourth Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc. 2008 methodology. Centennial College has chosen to base its program on this method as it is internationally recognized as the standard in project management. To further enhance the PMBOK® Guide curriculum, the program incorporates practical application of skills by teaching students to use tools such as Microsoft Project and having them partake in leading-edge industry case studies with a focus on organizational leadership.

Once students complete courses such as Business Principles and Requirements Management, Business Communications, Project Planning and Scheduling, Project Management Tools and Applications, Project Risk and Quality Management, Project Management Office, Project Estimation and Cost Management, they are ready for Business – Experiential Learning. Taking up the entire final semester, this course is actually delivered off-campus with students spending 12 weeks at a participating organization applying the skills they learned in their classes. They also have an opportunity to build their network of potential employers and other professionals. The experience can be used towards work requirements for the PMI® designation. During the time they spend in the field, students participate in an online course and prepare assignments related to the experiential learning opportunity.

Not only does this Project Management program offer students an Ontario College Graduate Certificate, it also prepares them to write the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification Exam from the Project Management Institute (PMI®) by meeting the eligibility criteria and to work towards the PMI®’s Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) designation, a valuable entry-level certification for project practitioners. It is worth nothing that registration in this incurs costs in addition to tuition.