Class Overview

Required Components

 

General Class Information

 

   Instructor Name and Contact Information: William Yates, wy7r@virginia.edu

Subject Area and Catalog Number: NCBM 407-701

Year and Term: Fall 2016

Class Title: Project Management Body of Knowledge Review

Level (Graduate or Undergraduate): Graduate

Credit Type: Non-Credit

Class Description (Use the SIS 400 characters from catalog description):

The Project Management Body of Knowledge Review (NCBM 407-701) is intended to systematically review and reinforce the student’s formal knowledge and understanding of the discipline of Project Management. This is an excellent means for preparing to sit for the Project Management Institute, Inc.'s Project Management Professional (PMP®) or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) professional certification exams. The certification credentials are recognized around the globe as associated with project management excellence. The PMP® credential is often found to be a preferred, if not formal requirement, for project managers in the workplace.

This course provides participants with a comprehensive review of the shared domain knowledge and understanding of generally accepted principles and practices of project management as identified and defined in PMI's published standard, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (or PMBOK® Guide). As actual certification exam questions are oriented to practitioner experience, an emphasis in the course is also made on identifying specific touch points of such application from the student’s own experience as well as augmented with case study inputs.

Since it is important for each person interested in taking a certification exam to understand the application process and information requirements associated with the target certification, students will greatly benefit from the information found at the PMI.org website, in the section associated with the specific certification of interest.

Please note that the actual certification exam is not conducted by the University of Virginia. The certification exams can only be taken from the single specific commercial vendor PMI has contracted for that purpose. Each student will determine when they believe the time is right to sign up and take the actual certification exam. This course will help the student understand their readiness as well as reasonable plan of action to take that step.

 (PMI®, PMBOK®, and PMP®, if and where used, are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.)

Required Text (Include ISBN, specific edition):

Course materials will consist of:

Text 1 (“Primary course text”): A guide to the project management body of knowledge, fifth edition. Newtown Square, PA: The Project Management Institute, Inc.  ISBN: 978-1935589-67-9. [Note: the course is based on the fifth edition, published in January 2013.]
 

Text 2 (Recommended but not required): Crowe, A. (2013). PMP exam: How to pass on your first try. Kennesaw, GA: Velociteach. ISBN: 978-0982760857.

Learning Outcomes:

The primary objective of this course is to provide participants with a systematic and comprehensive review of the subject matter associated with the primary course text. A secondary objective will be to also provide participants with information on the associated professional certification exam. At the completion of this course, the successful student will: (a) have enhanced awareness and understanding of generally accepted principles and practices of professional project management; (b) have a clear understanding of the certification process including candidate registration requirements, exam process, characteristics of the exam questions, and requirements for passing; (c) enjoy a “deeper learning” experience of the subject matter having utilized brain-based learning strategies in the process.

Students will have had a comprehensive review of the essential project management subject matter drawn from the primary text, instructional handouts, case study excerpts, and practice test questions. The learning strategy will involve a multi-modal deployment including an extensive reading component, online collaborative tools (primarily asynchronous), collegial discussion, with exam-taking reinforcement and assessment. A disciplined and timely reading expectation is a requirement for success with this course.

Course material focus will include:

• An overview of relevant  project management models, constructs, and approaches
• The project management framework
• Project management knowledge areas including:
  • Project integration management
  • Project scope management
  • Project time management
  • Project cost management
  • Project quality management
  • Project human resource management
  • Project communications management
  • Project risk management
  • Project procurement management
  • Project stakeholder management
• Project process groups (initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing)
• Tools and techniques consistent with successful management of projects
• Project management vocabulary
• Practice questions
• Certification exam test-taking strategies
• Brain-based strategies and authentic learning emphasis

 

There is an extensive reading component with this course. Students are expected to read the assigned materials associated with the course in a timely fashion.

Assessment Components:

The primary assessment components:

1. Three exams that will incorporate multiple-choice questions (practicing the type of questions found on the professional credential exam) and narrative response type questions.

Secondary assessment components:

2. Completion of all reading assignments; there are reading expectations for each week;
3. Weekly expectations include: (a) reading/completing session worksheets that include learning strategies, questions (multiple choice/narrative type questions related to that week’s reading; and reflective inquiry; (b) submission of a brief weekly “statement of learning” that reflects the student’s learning experience; (c) weekly online collab sessions (live/recorded);

Secondary assessments are made for individual components (shown above) and are then translated into an accumulated point total that is added to the primary assessment outcomes (exams) to determine the final course grade.

Students should remember that this course is treated as a graduate-level course. Course work completed as assigned and in a timely manner is a normal expectation, and from a grading perspective, reflects in a “C” to “B” grade range. To improve upon that basic expectation means that academic work completed will incorporate “above average” work, quality, adding to the academic discourse, and demonstrating mastery in the narrative and/or exam-based exercises.

Evaluation Standards

The course grade will be based on the collective result of: (a) exam outcomes (primary assessment components); and (b) secondary assessment outcomes.

Category                                                          Percentage            Total Points

Exam 1                                                                 15%                    150

Exam 2                                                                 15%                    150

Exam 3                                                                 25%                    250

Weekly* “Statement of Learning”                            10%                    100

Weekly* Collab online live/recorded session**         20%                   200

Weekly* Completed worksheet submission            15%                   150

                                                       Totals          100%                  1000 points

Note ^(*): Weekly” means within the Sunday to Saturday period for the specific week

Note ^(**): If session is not held, total grading points will be adjusted accordingly

Delivery Mode Expectations (Classroom/Internet and Web-based classes, specify any live (synchronous) meetings, dates, times, and location of delivery): The course is delivered online, primarily in asynchronous mode, utilizing the school’s online course site for access, distribution and reception of resource materials, assignments, weekly discussion forum, and access to the online/live Collab feature associated with the (synchronous) collaborative sessions. Specific times for the collaborative discussions will be determined after the first week in conjunction with student scheduling. (Unless otherwise noted, any weekly session recorded for students must be viewed within the specific week it is assigned, and will not carry over.)  

Required Technical Resources and Technical Components:

Students must be able to have online access sufficient to submit the weekly assignment(s), review what other classmates have submitted, and submit the reaction and integration paper assignments on time. This includes the following:

• Computer with basic audio/video output equipment sufficient for online meetings
• Internet access (broadband recommended)
• Microsoft Word