The Best Project Management Books & Online Courses

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Are you looking to brush up on your project management skills? Check out our top 9 project management books and top 10 project management online courses for professionals!

 

Project management is a goal-oriented discipline, and the course, besides professional focus, is shaped by scheduling and resources. In my view project management should be part of crucial supply chain competencies.

Learning project management also involves earning and maintaining professional certification that improves your experience on the Job. There are many online courses and books to learn project management or prepare for the certification exam.

Although it would seem like the idea to learn project management are more reserved for big players in large corporations, small businesses and new professionals can learn more on several online platforms. There is a rising need to make the most of investments and meet up with increasing demands set by the market. This makes matters rather complicated, but fortunately, below are some great online courses and books to learn project management online. These online materials can provide you with a better insight into how the whole system works. We have compiled only the best for you.

Project Management Online Courses

 

There are several options for Learning Project Management with Online Courses. Online courses are designed to create flexibility (for example, Project Management Professional Certification Training). These allow for learning from virtually anywhere and typically on their own time. Online courses are great for everybody, from professionals seeking education to students seeking to learn more.

Learn Project Management with these Online Courses detailed out below can help teach students about the application of knowledge, skills, techniques, and tools to successfully meet requirements for different projects types. The various Project Management processes may include communications, completing, cost, initiating, integration, monitoring, time, risk management, and quality planning. To get started, below are the top Online Courses.

Project Management

 

This course is created from experience gathered from years of successful project management. The course also provides a model to learn a project management process that can be adapted to any size project.

Target Audience

• Aerospace industry staffs are seeking a project management process that matches aerospace standards.
• Anybody is seeking a way to accomplish any size project effectively.
• Project managers were struggling to finish projects either on time or on budget.

What Will You Learn?

• Discover a universal project management process applicable to any group.
• How to complete projects on time and within budget.
• Know the differences between process and project management.
• Receive insight, instruction, and processes to make the viable project management process

RATINGS: 4.4/5 (18 ratings)

“This is exactly the content that I need. Owing to my previous work experience and exposure to some other project and process management methodologies, I feel that this is a well-tailored course for project management students and professionals.” – Vishal Anthony

Project Management Professional (PMP)

 

PMP is the most coveted industry-recognised certification, and it is recognised globally. It demonstrates your abilities, competency, education, and experience to lead and direct projects. PMI provides a comprehensive certification program for practitioners with different levels of knowledge and experience. The PMP® certification scheme is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) against the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17024.

Target Audience

• Experienced project manager accountable for all aspects of project delivery, leading, and team direction.

What You Will Learn?

• Comprehensive certification program with different levels of education and experience.
• Prepare you to excel in Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification exam.

RATINGS: 3.9/5 (4 ratings)

“The presentation is easy to follow and simplified” – Jennifer Pappas

One Month Project Management

 

Taught by Alex Bisker, Project Manager at 18F, One Month Project Management intends to aid you to save time and money while successfully implementing projects from ideas to reality. You will learn project management and receive an excellent overview of the practicalities involved. This course is designed to deliver hands-on and immediately applicable knowledge including email optimisations, schedule planning, work breakdown structures, and more.

Target Audience

• Experienced project managers
• Small-scale business Owner.

What You Will Learn?

• Accurately assess risk and keep your goals in check with stakeholders happy.
• Effectively communicate with your team and manage time and schedule.
• Refine your PM skills through project works of your own.
• Use professional project management tools & techniques to manage the scope of your projects.

RATINGS: 4.5/5 (198 ratings)

“Thanks a lot for this course, I created my first demo project, and I plan on creating a real-world project as well. Everything was clean and seemed like lots of fun. The instructor was using the most popular websites and apps, and she explained everything in detail. The super helpful lesson, and gave out lots of energy and passion. Still missing the resources for week 4 and five though, hope to see them added soon.” – Melina Renzi

Project Risk Management

 

Project Risk Management (PRM) make available an effective method to improve decision-making, lesser threats, and increase the probability of project realising its cost, time and other objectives This Course provides a basic understanding of risk management concepts and how to learn project management, identify, analyse, and mitigate risks.

Target Audience

• Project managers
• Planning engineers
• Construction engineers

What You Will Learn?

• Gain knowledge and technique to apply project risk management alongside to learn project management.

RATINGS: 4.7/5 (54 ratings)

“The course covers all areas and processes for project risk management in easy, simple explanation” – Serag Khaled

Project Management Crash Course

 

Surpass others by learning the essential tools and techniques needed to prepare for your PMP exam. This course on the Project Management Life Cycle provides a detailed overview of the fundamentals to learn project management and manage projects from its idealisation through to project completion. The Project Management Crash Course also dives into the primary deliverables of each phase and explains how to use various tools to complete a Business Case, Implementation Plan, Project Plan, Project Schedule, and lessons learned documents to enable you to succeed.

Target Audience

• Experienced professionals.

What You Will Learn?

• Attain success in managing projects
• Gain knowledge required through Project Management Life Cycle.
• Possess a strong understanding of the tools and techniques

RATINGS: 4.0/5 (13 ratings)

“I am learning a great deal about terms I have heard but up until now did not know the correct meaning of” – Patsy White

Introduction to Project Management

 

The Introduction to Project Management course is a comprehensive course to learn project management based on the curriculum advised by the Project Management Institute for Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. The course also covers the basic concepts of project initiation, planning, and execution. The course is based on practical scenarios which afford the chance for an interactive and practical knowledge-gaining experience.

Available PDUs for this Course Series: 21

Target Audience

• Aspirants are working towards PMI certification or similar certificate.

What You Will Learn?

• Get the knowledge needed to run a small to medium sized project.
• Professional business skills.

RATINGS: 5.0/5 (1 rating)

“Covering all the essentials to get up and running from scratch using Scrum or Kanban, it also looks in-depth at day-to-day practicalities, offering great tips and pointers for those already working in Agile teams.” – James Tudor

Professional Project Management By A Top 1% Project Manager

 

The key to learning project management effectively is to learn from successful project managers. This course starts with sharing knowledge from authors experience with products that work for many years. This course is a strictly practical course, and you also get to learn how to define and manage your scope to avoid scope creep. Various examples on scope components are given, which represent them and how to handle them in real life situations.

Target audience

• Anyone seeking to learn how to manage their projects and get more structured in the day to day work
• Entrepreneurs struggling with scope creep and incorrect estimations
• Project Managers seeking to understand how other project managers manage projects.

What You Will Learn.

• Aspects of projects to consider to achieve the project scope.
• Define and plan your projects to avoid scope creep.
• Improved communication skills in projects and how to define the quality process in projects
• Meaning of stakeholder and which stakeholders to consider in plans.
• Meaning of risk and how to maximise the real risks.
• Team stages and what to do at every step as project manager.
• Use the power of assumptions when it comes to effort estimations.

RATINGS: 4.1/5 (38 ratings)

“This is well put together, and it is giving me a good sense for project management and how to run things the right way.” – Lilia Zhornist.

Microsoft Project: MS Project for Project Management Mastery

 

Microsoft Project for Project Management Mastery provides step-by-step creation of a project plan through a real project example. This course is for every professional who wants to use Microsoft Project 2013 and 2016 to learn project management. This course will let you discover and learn all the several features in Microsoft Projects.

This course is planned to structure from the essential features to more advanced ones gradually. At the end of the course, you will get a bonus section about Earned Value Analysis.

Target Audience

• Anyone who wants to learn Microsoft Project 2013 or 2016

What You Will Learn.

• Creation of expert-level project plans using Microsoft Project 2013 or 2016
• Learn how to create a project WITHOUT CAUSING any overallocation problem
• Learn the Critical Path Method (CPM) and Earned Value Management (EVM) and apply it to your project by using Microsoft Project.
• Learn how Microsoft Project do the calculations
• Learn how to create work breakdown structure (WBS) and make Microsoft Project calculate the task’s duration.
• Learn how to track costs, manage cost rate changes, and measure a project against a baseline.
• Make daily/weekly/monthly tracking and reporting alongside the effective use of budgets.
• Utilize calendars and timelines in Microsoft Project 2013 and 2016.

RATINGS: 4.4 (140 ratings)

“Great refresher course for me and I learnt some new and enhanced functionalities within the MS project software itself. The Instructor was comprehensive particularly with the use of contextual examples. The Bonus section on EVM was especially useful.” – Delores Thomas

You will also find this Microsoft Project® Training alternative option to above.

Microsoft Excel – How to create a Project Management Plan

 

The Microsoft Excel – How to create a Project Management Plan is built to simplify your life and help you manage your plan successfully. With this concise one-hour course, you will get both required knowledge of Project Manager and necessary skills of using Microsoft Excel. This course gives you step-to-step instructions to build the Project Plan by using Microsoft Excel. There are also prepared files to practice what you have learned through the video lecture.

Target Audience.

• Anyone seeking to master Microsoft Excel to create and manage a Project Management Plan

What You Will Learn.

• Microsoft Excel
• Learn Project Management Plan

RATINGS: 4.0/5 (7 ratings)

“Great course for absolute beginners, doesn’t require any prior knowledge in Project Management. Also, excel functions like grouping, freezing, conditional formatting is explained in detail. The accent and speed were comfortable. This course was a life-saver for me!” – Ratna Hubli

Project Management Fundamentals for Executives

 

Focused on an executive/strategic view to Learn Project Management, this course features lots of hands-on exercises, case studies, and fun historical examples in addition to tricks, tips and “guerrilla” tactics. There is also a focus on soft skills to enable effective stakeholder communication. The completion of this course earns you 4.5 PDUs that may be applied to PMP certification/re-certification requirements.

Target Audience.

• Seasoned professionals or executives involved with projects

What You Will Learn.

• Discover how to manage scope and customer expectations.
• Learn how to control project risks, communications, and tracking
• Learn how to initiate projects and write project charters
• Learn about requirements elicitation, analysis, and documentation
• Successfully engage in project negotiations.
• Understand the benefits of lessons learned and how to capture them
• Earn 4.5 PDUs

RATINGS: 4.2/5 (27 ratings)

“Jamal amazed me. I enjoyed this course very much and would recommend it to anyone looking for a way to extend his/her knowledge in this area of Jamal’s expertise. I finished this course in few “off-time” sessions – but I will certainly come back to it many times in the future. My project management skills are inferior, but I am sure that this course was the right beginning (kickstart) of my education path in this area. One more thanks for sample templates.” – Jan JANATA

Project Management with these Books

 

To Learn Project Management also involves the use of Books. These books listed here are intended to arm and guide every intending professional with the right knowledge. Below are the top books to Learn Project Management.

Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager: A FranklinCovey Title

In today’s workplace, staffs are regularly expected to coordinate and manage projects.  Experts Kory Kogon, Suzette Blakemore, and James Wood understand the importance of leadership in project completion and explain that people are crucial in the formula for success. Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager offers practical, real-world insights for practical guides to learn project management through the essentials of the people and project management process.

Target Audience.

• Anyone struggling to keep projects organised
• Unofficial project managers

What You Will Learn

• Understand the importance and the fundamental principles of project management
• Understand both the art and science of project estimation
• Understand how to conduct walk-throughs, inspections and peer reviews and why they’re essential.

RATING: 4.8/5 (81 ratings)

“Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager gets to the HEART of a challenge so many now face in the workplace—the need to ORGANIZE Projects, on the fly, without training, to lead their companies to a new future. This is a GREAT book . . . you’ll take control fast with the knowledge in these pages.” —Julie Morgenstern, New York Times bestselling author of Time Management from The Inside Out

Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling

 

Project Management, or the “Project Management Bible” as it’s widely known, provides practical guidance on all aspects to learn project management. It features a streamlined approach to PM functions without stinting on detailed coverage of the tools and methods used at all stages of a project. It also reflects industry changes and features in-depth coverage of emerging topics, including global stakeholder management, causes of failure, agile project management, project governance failure, customer approval milestones, classifying project metrics, and more. Also, supplementary materials are available for students, professionals, and instructors.

Target Audience

• All professionals, students, and upcoming experts.

What You Will Learn

• Examine different methods used for planning, scheduling, QA, and more
• Learn how to control costs, manage risk, and analyse trade-offs
• Understand organisational structures and project management functions
• Work effectively with customers and stakeholders from around the globe

RATINGS: 3.9/5 (216 ratings)

“The book speaks to you as if you’re a PM professional with years of experience. This approach is not necessarily a bad thing. The book provides a concise definition of terms at the beginning of chapters. While reading the chapters, you realise those definitions were important. The books use an increased amount of project management terms, jargon, and acronyms. I used this book for a 300-level course. The book aligned with the course description and level.” – Joseph Banks

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The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management (Fast Forward MBA Series)

The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management is the comprehensive guide to real-world project management methods, tools, and techniques. Practical, easy-to-use, and deeply thorough, this book gives you answers you need to master project management. You will find cutting-edge ideas and hard-won wisdom amongst the field’s leading experts, delivered in short, lively segments that address common management issues. This book shows you how to get it all together and get it done, with expert guidance every step of the way.

Target Audience

• Young Professionals and Student

What You Will Learn

• Keep your project on track, on time, and on budget
• Learn from case studies of today’s leading experts
• Navigate complex management issues effectively
• Master key concepts and real-world applications

RATINGS: 4.5/5 (164 ratings)

“I have had my PMP certification for years, the book gives tips (sample questions) on what to expect for the PMP exam, but it is not a resource to pass the exam.” – Pesuazo

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)–Sixth Edition

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge reflects the latest good practices needed to excel in project management. New to the Sixth Edition, each knowledge area will contain a section entitled Approaches for Agile, Iterative and Adaptive Environments, describing how these practices integrate into project settings. It will also provide more emphasis on strategic and business knowledge—including discussion of project management business documents—and information on the PMI Talent Triangle™ and the essential skills for success in today’s market.

Target Audience

• Young Professionals and Student

What You Will Learn

• Brief descriptions of essential concepts.
• Compact case studies illustrate the most sought-after skills and the pitfalls you should note.
• Tips on real-world applications.

RATINGS: 4.2/5 (1723 ratings)

“Good informative book with good information for refreshing knowledge or learning about project management.” – Adams Bullock

HBR Guide to Project Management (HBR Guide Series)

Whether you are managing your first project or just tired of improvising, this guide will give you the tools and confidence you need to define smart goals, meet them, and capture lessons learned, so future projects go even more smoothly.

Target Audience

• Young Professionals and Student

What You Will Learn:

• Monitor progress toward your goals
• Manage stakeholders’ expectations
• Wrap up your project and gauge its success

RATINGS: 4.1/5 (38 ratings)

“I love this book. I have been in management before when I was younger 12-15 years ago, and it is nice to see the something in writing that fits the way a business manager, supervisor etc…. should run his/her ship! Fast, I mean fast on their shipment! Thanks, guys!” – Christophe R Kimball

Project Management For Dummies

The Project Management for Dummies offers everything needed to manage projects from start to finish successfully. This hands-on guide takes out the puzzle from being a successful PM to laying out all the steps necessary for organisational, planning, and execution skills. Whether it is managing distressed projects, embracing the use of social media to drive efficiency and improve socialisation, or resolving conflicts, the guidance inside will aid you to learn project management more prominently—and proudly.

Target Audience

• Young Professionals and Experts

What You Will Learn:

• Execute projects on time and with maximum efficiency
• Motivate any team to gain maximum productivity
• Prepare for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam

RATINGS: 4/5 (4 ratings)

“Perfect”– Darren Waldron

Project Management: The Managerial Process (Mcgraw-hill Series Operations and Decision Sciences)

The Managerial Process is notable for its balanced treatment of both behavioural and technical issues in project management along with coverage of a broad range of industries to which project management principles can be applied. This book focuses on how project management is integral to the organisation as a whole. It not only delivers the tools and processes essential to successful project management but also the considerate effectiveness of these tools and methods. They are well shaped and determined by their prevailing culture and interpersonal dynamics of the people involved. As such, Larson/Gray presents a holistic view that focuses on methodology in addition to the human dimension and how they interact to determine the outcome to learn project management.

Target Audience

• Young Professionals and Student

What You Will Learn

• Build a robust and focused team
• Break significant objectives into manageable tasks
• Create a schedule that keeps all the moving parts under control

RATINGS: 4/5 (13 ratings)

“It was a brand-new book. The book is excellent, and case studies helped to understand the summary of each chapter.” – Swapna

Project Management Step by Step: How to Plan and Manage a Highly Successful Project (2nd Edition)

Almost every professional at some time finds they need to complete a task with sufficient complexity and importance that a standard ad-hoc approach would not be enough. In such scenarios, the Project Management Step by Step is all you need. Such a situation requires a project structure with a management approach, but only a few managers are formally trained in project management. Project Management Step by Step offers a plan that is confidently sufficient and robust enough to ensure success, but also simple enough to be implemented immediately to learn project management.

Target Audience

• Professionals looking to Expand

What You Will Learn?

• A practical and immediate way to become a competent project manager.
• Project Management Step by Step

RATINGS: 4.9/5 (17 ratings)

“very easy to understand and instructive.” – Diego Petrin

Brilliant Agile Project Management: A Practical Guide to Using Agile, Scrum and Kanban

If you desire a solid understanding of Agile Project Management works, then this book is essential to you. Brilliant Agile Project Management does more than talk you through the techniques and processes focus on the actual use of Agile in business settings; it also delivers practical advice and techniques on how to implement and work with Agile, so you always know exactly what to do and say to make your project a success.

Target Audience

• Professional and Practicing Experts

What You Will Learn?

• Assess whether your organisation or project is right for using APM
• Get up to speed with Agile Project Management
• Overcome common problems with APM
• Understand how to implement APM into any plan

RATINGS: 4.4/5 (20 ratings)

“A great read – taking a clear and practical approach to Agile, with lots of insightful real-life examples – ideal for anyone wanting to quickly get up to speed with Agile and start a project with confidence.” – Jay Priest

 

Conclusion

To Learn Project management from online courses and books are a great way to extend your education and skill set. But then again, they also show you how to get the best from each project, while expanding your business, and satisfied customer base.

Further, you can refer to following blogs if you are looking for ideas for online courses:

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Top 13 Best Six Sigma Books and Courses For 2018 

10 Amazing Online Lean Six Sigma Courses for Supply Chain Professionals

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The 12 Great Online Supply Chain Management courses For The Modern-Day Supply Chain Professional