- Best edX Data Analytics Courses to Help You Achieve Your Career Goals - August 16, 2022
- The Best edX Project Management Courses for All Levels - August 16, 2022
- Best EdX Certifications Guide - August 16, 2022
I always believed that a team is as strong as its weakest link, but I lacked the expertise to elevate my team’s performance. Enrolling in several best edX project management courses provided me with the knowledge and confidence to improve my leadership skills.
I choose this platform over Udacity because of the versatility of programs it offers and the quality of the learning experience. Also, I liked having the freedom to attend a course for free and decide if I would like to continue taking the courses offered by a particular educational institution.
Selecting a project management course on this platform doesn’t have to be a painstakingly long and tiresome process, so in this article, I’ll show you how to pick a class or a program that will bring you up to speed with the latest project management practices.
Bottom Line Up Front
I spent a few years managing projects before realizing I needed to improve my understanding of certain aspects of this field.
Courses like Strategic Applications of IT Project & Program Management or Agile and Scrum Fundamentals are designed for professionals like me who want to work on their managerial skills.
Also, enrolling in the MicroMasters Program in Project Management might be a good option if you have spent over five years in different managerial positions.
The Project Management MicroMasters program from RIT is a graduate level series of courses designed to provide you with the in-depth knowledge and skills needed to be a successful project manager in any industry.
My Top Picks at a Glance
| Course | Course developer | Duration | Price range |
| MicroMasters Program in Project Management | Rochester Institute of Technology | Eight months | $$$$ |
| Fundamentals of Project Management | The University of Adelaide | Three months | $$$ |
| Project Management: Mastering Complexity | Delft University of Technology | Five weeks | Free/$$$ |
| Strategic Applications of IT Project & Program Management | University of Washington | Six weeks | Free/$$$ |
| Agile Project Management | University of Maryland | Five months | $$$$ |
| Project Management Life Cycle | Rochester Institute of Technology | Ten weeks | Free/$$$ |
| Project Management For Development | Inter-American Development Bank | Ten weeks | Free/$ |
| Agile and Scrum Fundamentals | IBM | Three weeks | Free/$$$ |
EdX Project Management Course Options
The platform features more than two hundred individual courses that cover different areas of the project management field. Moreover, you can pick one of several programs composed of multiple courses focused on a specific aspect of project management.
EdX also hosts a variety of Master’s and Bachelor’s degree programs. Still, you’ll have to gather additional information to determine if you meet the prerequisites to enroll in any of the platform’s project management degree programs.
Optionally, you can consider executive education courses, but remember that these programs are offered through the GetSmarter platform or the institutions that created them.
The instructors are active in discussion forums and answer any questions students might have, but contacting them directly isn’t possible. However, you can rely on edX’s support if you encounter a problem during the course.
Course Requirements and Educational Institutions
As a highly competitive person, I want to stay on top of the latest industry developments. Each of the project management courses I attended at the edX platform has enabled me to do that, as it supplied me with relevant information I could apply to real-life situations.
Moreover, the platform hosts programs developed by prominent institutions such as:
- The University of Maryland
- The Delft University of Technology
- MIT
- IBM
- The University of Washington
- RIT
EdX has a variety of business courses that can help you gain a more comprehensive view of how the decisions you may have to make while managing a project affect the entire organization. The prerequisites for participation in project management classes you can find on this platform depend on the course.
Most introductory courses don’t have any requirements participants must meet to attend them, while some intermediate and advanced courses are designed for professionals with years of experience.
Course Duration, Schedule, and Syllabus
My weekly calendar is hectic, and I don’t have much time for self-improvement. That’s why I prefer attending edX’s self-paced courses that don’t have high engagement requirements.
Most self-paced individual project management courses last between three and ten weeks if you dedicate three to four hours per week to them. However, nothing is stopping you from finishing a course sooner if your schedule allows you.
Some but not all platform’s project management certification programs are instructor-paced, so you should look for the option that gives you the most flexibility in terms of time management.
The syllabuses are designed to help the participants gain a fundamental understanding of project management concepts and obtain the skills they need to manage projects more efficiently.
The level of access to course materials depends on the pricing option you choose, so attending these courses for free will limit the range of materials you have at your disposal.
Career Development Possibilities
Becoming a professional in any industry doesn’t happen overnight. So, expecting that attending an introductory course on project management will launch your career is unrealistic.
Still, project managers are in high demand, and you can consider opportunities in marketing, IT, engineering, or finance industries if you have the necessary qualifications.
Completing one of the professional certification programs at the edX platform can help you get a job in one of these industries. The platform doesn’t guarantee that students will find employment after completing one or more project management courses.
Attending intermediate or advanced courses can help you get senior project manager or general manager roles if you already have sufficient experience for these positions.
I also think enrolling in an undergraduate or master’s program available at the edX can be an excellent decision for young people who are still choosing their career paths.
Pricing Options for edX’s Courses
Individual courses at the edX online learning platform, including those focusing on project management, are free. Choosing the Audit Track option is possible within a limited timeframe, and you won’t be able to upgrade to the Verified Track after the course expires.
The free Audit Track version of a project management course doesn’t include all notes and reading materials or graded exams. Most importantly, you won’t receive a certificate you can show to potential employers after you finish one of the free courses this platform offers.
You’ll have to pay between $50 and $300 if you’d like to choose the Verified Track version of a project management course you’re interested in. The platform’s professional certification programs in this field can cost more than $1,000.
Selection Criteria
The project management courses on this platform are designed for participants with different knowledge and experience levels. I utilized the enrollment requirements as the primary criteria during the selection process.
I considered factors like the price and duration to pinpoint project management courses suitable for seasoned professionals and young people looking to get a foothold in the IT or engineering industries.
All courses you’ll find in this article are led by skilled educators that can help you understand the challenges of project management. Moreover, I featured self-paced and instructor-paced courses to allow you to pick the option that best fits your schedule.
Top 8 edX Project Management Courses
MicroMasters Program in Project Management
Adding the MicroMasters Program in Project Management to your CV will increase your chances of getting a managerial role in any industry.
The program includes three courses that last for 9 to 11 weeks and the final exam that evaluates the competencies students obtained during the eight-month program.
However, you can only enroll in this program if you already have a university degree in a related field or over five years of professional experience.
The Project Management MicroMasters program from RIT is a graduate level series of courses designed to provide you with the in-depth knowledge and skills needed to be a successful project manager in any industry.
Pros
- Students can decide how fast they want to go through the syllabus
- The Paychex company endorses this program
- Knowledgeable and friendly instructors
Cons
- The participation fee is high
Fundamentals of Project Management
I strongly encourage you to enroll in the Fundamentals of Project Management if you’re considering a career in this field. The professional certificate you’ll obtain after the program ends can be helpful in the job search, but it might not be enough to get you the position you want.
You won’t have to spend more than three hours per week to complete both courses offered within this program, and you can choose how much time you want to dedicate to them daily.
Throughout your learning journey, you will apply project management methodologies to the key characteristics of a project life cycle. You will learn about the application of core principles through carefully considered scenarios with broad-ranging contexts. 
Pros
- Students work with five instructors
- The syllabus is well-structured and easy to follow
- Participants develop practical project and risk management skills
Cons
- The program isn’t aimed at students with previous knowledge about project management
Project Management: Mastering Complexity
You should consider attending the Project Management: Mastering Complexity course if you’d like to build a career in the engineering industry.
This instructor-paced course is a part of the Engineering Project Management: Mastering Project Complexity program that prepares students for the challenges they’ll face while overseeing multifaceted engineering projects.
During the course, students learn to assess the complexity of a project with the TOE network and utilize it to their advantage.
Develop the project management skills you need to handle complexity in engineering, infrastructure and other large projects.
Pros
- All course materials are created by TU Deft teachers
- It doesn’t require a high-engagement level
- The course takes a novel approach to project complexity
Cons
- Students can’t create their schedule
Strategic Applications of IT Project & Program Management
You don’t need previous knowledge about IT to enroll in the Strategic Applications of IT Project & Program Management course.
Moreover, you can try this course for free and decide if you’d like to continue with other courses from the IT Project Management professional certification program offered by the University of Washington.
This introductory course takes you through the core concepts of project management in tech companies and helps you understand the differences between Agile-based, predictive, and iterative strategies.
Pros
- Participants learn the concepts of the Scrum Master facilitator
- The course is self-paced
- The instructor is a certified project management professional
Cons
- This course expires soon
Agile Project Management
Don’t miss out on the University of Maryland’s Agile Project Management program if you’d like to work in the aerospace, finance, or tech industries. I think completing this program can bring you up to date with the latest project management trends and help you acquire the skills to manage large teams.
The program contains five courses that explore applications of the Agile methodology and SCRUM framework. It also teaches students how to tackle backlogs, solve problems they might encounter on a project, or increase their team’s efficiency.
Pros
- Each of the program’s courses have low engagement requirements
- Completing the course improves the student’s job outlook
- No enrollment prerequisites
Cons
- The program is expensive
Project Management Life Cycle
Taking an intermediate course like the Project Management Life Cycle can be a good idea if you’d like to find out what managing a project from the beginning until the end looks like. Taking this course can also help you decide if you wish to enroll in the RIT’s MicroMasters Program in Project Management.
During the course, you’ll learn to initiate, plan and execute projects and acquire the skills needed to complete each project stage.
Pros
- Students can attend this course for free
- The course takes a multidisciplinary approach to project management
- The course instructor has more than 25 years of project management experience
Cons
- Participants must assign 8 to 10 hours to this course every week for two and a half months
Project Management for Development
Although it doesn’t have any enrollment requirements, the Project Management for Development course is only suitable for professionals who want to learn how to manage government or NGO projects dedicated to social and economic development in the Caribbean or Latin America.
Participants learn to use methods and tools that enable them to lead projects in an international environment while developing a deeper understanding of public policies. EdX platform offers assistance to students who cannot afford the Verified Track version of this course.
Pros
- The course trains students to use time, cost, and risk management tools
- Project materials are created by seasoned industry professionals
- The full version of the course isn’t expensive
Cons
- It’s aimed at students with previous project management experience
Agile and Scrum Fundamentals
Even though it is a part of IBM’s DevOps, Cloud, and Agile Foundations program, attending the Agile and Scrum Fundamentals can help aspiring project managers gain a better understanding of Agile techniques.
You’ll also learn to use the Scrum framework to organize teams, track their productivity levels or monitor their progress with a Kanban board. This course is short, and you can complete it in less than three weeks if you spend on it one hour per day.
Pros
- The course offers practical team management experience
- The instructor is a senior member of IBM’s technical staff
- Excellent learning materials
Cons
- It’s best suited for IT professionals
Frequently Asked Questions
Answer: You can use the platform’s website to search for project management degree programs you can attend online. Still, you’ll have to contact the school to acquire more details about a particular program.
Answer: The platform has no limitations regarding the maximum number of participants on a single course.
Answer: You don’t have to pay the entire fee in advance, as you can purchase one course at a time as you progress through the program.
My verdict: Deciding Which edX Project Management Course is the Best
Each project I’ve ever worked on was different, so gaining practical experience is, in my opinion, the best way to prepare for a project manager role.
Still, the project management courses you can find on the platform can help you gain theoretical knowledge and learn how to apply it to real-life situations.
I think the Agile and Scrum Fundamentals is among the platform’s best project management courses because it teaches students to utilize these tools to improve their team’s performance.
Attending the MicroMasters Program in Project Management will grant you valuable insight into the latest project management practices if you have the necessary skills and experience to enroll in this program.
The Project Management MicroMasters program from RIT is a graduate level series of courses designed to provide you with the in-depth knowledge and skills needed to be a successful project manager in any industry.
Continue reading related edX courses guides: