UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOUNDATIONS

In collaboration with leaders in online education, GetSmarter

Duration

10 weeks, excluding
orientation

Effort

7–10 hours per week,
entirely online

Learning Format

Weekly modules,
flexible learning

ON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH:

1

The practical skills and knowledge you need to get project-based work done more effectively and efficiently, on time and within budget.

2

The ability to identify and address risks, estimate time and cost, manage a team, and communicate with stakeholders.

3

A certificate of completion from Africa’s leading university,1 recognising your new-found knowledge in project management.

1 QS Top Universities (2023).

Accreditation Logo

GetSmarter is approved by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) as an Authorized Training Partner (ATP), a partnership that enables you to join the world’s largest project management network. This Project Management Foundations online short course will count for 68.25 PDUs in total, and the division of hours is as follows: Technical – 38.25, Leadership – 14.50, Strategic – 15.50.

PMI is responsible for setting project management standards and providing certification. By taking this course, you’ll gain PMI-endorsed skills that are globally recognised. You can also use these learning hours towards furthering your professional project management development. See PMI.org for more information.

Please note that GetSmarter and UCT bear no responsibility for the reporting of these PDUs and/or hours to the PMI. The onus, therefore, falls on you to do so.

The PMI® Authorized Training Partner seal is a mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

COURSE CURRICULUM

Module 1 Introduction to Project Management
Learn about the various aspects involved in project management.

Module 2 Getting Started: Identifying Stakeholders and Initiating a Project
Learn how to identify the key stakeholders in a project and how to define the scope of a product.

Module 3 Managing Risk
Gain an understanding of risk within the context of a project.

Module 4 Work Breakdown Structure
Learn about the work breakdown structure as a tool for breaking down a project into its component parts.

Module 5 Realistic Scheduling and Accurate Estimating
Explore the importance of accurately estimating the time and money a project requires to support good business decision-making.

Module 6 Understanding Cost, Time, and Scope
Examine issues of efficiency and productivity and how to get the most out of a project with the resource limitations of a given project.

Module 7 Managing a Project Team
Create a high-performance team framework and learn how group dynamics can affect a project’s success or failure.

Module 8 Clear Communication Among Project Stakeholders
Explore the importance of communication as a key factor in all successful projects.

Module 9 Measuring Progress and Solving Common Problems
Minimise additional costs and delays by identifying and addressing problems timeously.

Module 10 Advancing Your Practice of Project Management
Examine different opportunities for individuals and organisations to improve their practice of project management.

Please note that module titles and their contents are subject to change during course development.

COURSE CONVENOR

Ayanda Pekane

Lecturer, Department of Information Systems, UCT

Ayanda Pekane is a PhD Candidate who is passionate about research, particularly the adoption and use of emerging technologies in organizations and society. She holds an MTech in information technology from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Pekane facilitates and lectures courses such as systems analysis, systems development projects, and project management. She has a background in electrical engineering and project management. She has worked for the South African Navy and Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) in the stream of telecommunications and railway signaling engineering.

<p style='color: black;'>LOUISE HEYNS - PAST STUDENT</p> image

"I recently started a new job and people regularly mention how organised I am. Initially I thought the way I work is normal and that everyone manages their work that way. I soon realised that this is not the case and that the principles I learned during the course have just become so embedded in the way I work that I don’t notice them anymore. This has not only impressed my managers but has also resulted in people trusting me, something that is key if you want to succeed in any working environment."

LOUISE HEYNS - PAST STUDENT

AN ONLINE EDUCATION THAT SETS YOU APART

This UCT course is presented in collaboration with GetSmarter, part of edX. GetSmarter collaborates with the world's leading universities to select, design, and deliver premium online short courses through a people-mediated model with a data-driven focus on learning gain.

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Gain verifiable and relevant competencies and earn invaluable recognition from an international selection of universities and institutions, entirely online and in your own time.

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Enjoy a personalised, people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step.

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Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones.

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