The Project Management Essentials Certificate is a five-course online program designed for professionals who are new to project management, have project experience but no formal project management training, or are completing project management education in preparation for the CAPM® or PMP® certification exams.
The program provides foundational training aligned with Project Management Institute (PMI®) standards and covers essential project management principles, tools, terminology, and practices.
Want to learn more about the program, career benefits, or whether Project Management Essentials is right for you?
Explore the Project Management Essentials Certificate on Academics.charlotte.edu →
Already Have Project Management Experience?
If you already have foundational project management knowledge and want to develop more advanced strategic and leadership capabilities, consider the Project Management Specialist Certificate.
Certificate Requirements
To earn the Project Management Essentials Certificate, participants must successfully complete all five required courses.
Project Management Fundamentals (PJM121) must be completed first. After completing PJM121, the remaining four courses may be completed in any order.
Required Courses
PJM121 – Project Management Fundamentals
Introduces essential project management principles, terminology, methodologies, tools, and techniques.
PJM122 – Project Leadership and Communication
Focuses on project team leadership, stakeholder engagement, communication planning, and interpersonal skills.
PJM123 – Project Scheduling and Lifecycle Planning
Develops practical skills in project planning, scheduling, work breakdown structures, critical paths, and project methodologies.
PJM124 – Improving Project Quality
Covers approaches for monitoring performance, managing risk, and improving project quality and outcomes.
PJM125 – Project Performance and Control
Explores digital tools, emerging technology, and approaches for managing and improving project performance.
Course Format and Schedule
Courses are delivered online and combine approximately eight hours of self-directed coursework with an optional live online session for interaction, discussion, and practice.
Participants begin with Project Management Fundamentals and may then complete the remaining courses in any order.
View the Current Project Management Essentials Course Schedule →
CAPM® and PMP® Education
The Project Management Essentials Certificate provides project management education hours that can help participants meet education requirements associated with the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® and Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification exams.
The UNC Charlotte certificate is an educational program and is separate from PMI certification. Participants planning to pursue CAPM® or PMP® certification should review PMI eligibility requirements and consider additional exam preparation before taking the certification exam.
Bundle and Save
Participants who plan to complete the entire certificate can purchase the Project Management Essentials Bundle and save compared with registering for courses individually.
Certificate Bundle: $3,804. Click on "Add to Cart" on this page to start the registration process.
Individual Course Registration
Not ready to purchase the entire certificate? Participants may register for individual courses. Individual courses may also be purchased separately for $895 per course.
Begin with PJM121 – Project Management Fundamentals, which is required before enrolling in the remaining Project Management Essentials courses.