Talk to me about project management training in Boston.
January 20, 2012 8:06 AM Subscribe
Does anyone have experience with UMass's Practical Project Management course? Did you take it online or F2F, and how successful was it in teaching you PM skills? Do you have any other suggestions for obtaining PM skills in the greater Boston area?
I have the opportunity to get trained as a project manager through my workplace. This is the first time my company has invested in something like this--they will be paying for the tuition, but I am trying to figure out what the best options are. UMass seems like the best bang for the buck, but I am curious to know if anyone here has gone through the PPM course and how you found it. Did you take it face-to-face or online? What was the format of the online class? Did you in fact walk away from the class with the skills you needed?
Are there any other programs (F2F or online) that you'd recommend instead? I saw several programs through other universities but they were more on the order of a year+ and 5 classes to complete (not to mention a price tag with an extra digit on the end).
Anything else I should know?
For context, I'm a special librarian working at an executive recruitment firm. My role is pretty free-form but includes a lot of finding areas for increasing efficiencies and making it happen, with probable career pathing towards an operations-type role. I am the person who Fixes Shit and I need more tools to Fix Shit Betterer. Getting a certification at the end is a bonus but not a requirement, but a course with the structure to MAKE me take time from putting out fires is going to be very helpful.
I have the opportunity to get trained as a project manager through my workplace. This is the first time my company has invested in something like this--they will be paying for the tuition, but I am trying to figure out what the best options are. UMass seems like the best bang for the buck, but I am curious to know if anyone here has gone through the PPM course and how you found it. Did you take it face-to-face or online? What was the format of the online class? Did you in fact walk away from the class with the skills you needed?
Are there any other programs (F2F or online) that you'd recommend instead? I saw several programs through other universities but they were more on the order of a year+ and 5 classes to complete (not to mention a price tag with an extra digit on the end).
Anything else I should know?
For context, I'm a special librarian working at an executive recruitment firm. My role is pretty free-form but includes a lot of finding areas for increasing efficiencies and making it happen, with probable career pathing towards an operations-type role. I am the person who Fixes Shit and I need more tools to Fix Shit Betterer. Getting a certification at the end is a bonus but not a requirement, but a course with the structure to MAKE me take time from putting out fires is going to be very helpful.
Response by poster: Thanks for the input - I believe that the UMass course would cover the 35 hours of education required to apply for the PMP certificate; the other requirement is 3 years / 4,500 hours of PM experience. At this point, I'm most concerned with acquiring the skills with the certification being a bonus, not a necessity. My employer isn't particularly concerned about the cert either.
Brings up a new question though: WITHOUT several years of PM experience, am I going to be totally at sea in this class?
posted by athenasbanquet at 8:28 AM on January 20, 2012
Brings up a new question though: WITHOUT several years of PM experience, am I going to be totally at sea in this class?
posted by athenasbanquet at 8:28 AM on January 20, 2012
I took a similar course through Boston University - the Certificate in Applied Project Management course. It was great. Did it on location in Waltham.
As far as going and getting your PMP, unless your employer will pay you to go get it, put in the hours, and also pay for your continuing ed, it's a waste. I know a ton of PMPs that just let their credentials expire, but still put PMP on their resumes.
posted by thatgirld at 12:22 PM on January 20, 2012
As far as going and getting your PMP, unless your employer will pay you to go get it, put in the hours, and also pay for your continuing ed, it's a waste. I know a ton of PMPs that just let their credentials expire, but still put PMP on their resumes.
posted by thatgirld at 12:22 PM on January 20, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
And, for better or worse, employers seem to value it.
I don't really know much about it beyond that people seem to like it as a certification of some sort.
posted by dfriedman at 8:20 AM on January 20, 2012