Introduction to the course

Whatever your background and interest in project management, welcome to the course.

This course is one of eight available in the Business and Finance Fundamentals program. Successful completion of all eight (as evidenced by upgrading and then receiving a Certificate of Achievement for each course when you become eligible) can lead to academic credit at Level 1 of The Open University’s Business Management BA degree, subject to registration and separate fee for a linked Open University assessment module.

‘Project management’ is a term used to describe the management of projects – one-off activities such as developing of a new model of car, putting on a large event or building work. In the video you hear from Giacomo Carli, your lead educator on this course. He is a lecturer in Strategic Management at the Open University Business School (OUBS), having previously taught project management at the University of Bologna in Italy and having worked both in research and management consulting, in project management positions.

During the four weeks of this course, you will develop the essential skills to manage projects in a way that allows you to apply them to your own context. You will learn techniques to help you to initiate, plan, implement and close a project. You will be introduced to essential methodologies which support project management, as well as the key skills of team selection, management and evaluation. The course will also cover evaluating project performance and learning for the future.

Project management is a hands-on subject. Throughout the course you will be provided with project document templates to try out the skills, giving you the opportunity to practically engage with the course. They will help you gain confidence and will guide you in the planning and management of your own project – whether it’s a real project you want to develop or an imaginary plan. Working on project documents will also be a test for your own understanding of the course topics. You will be able to download the documents as you work your way through the course.

Who will support your learning?

Alongside the course lead educator, Giacomo Carli, will be the course mentor, Liz Moody. You can ‘follow’ the educators and the mentor by visiting their profile pages.

A key feature of the learning experience on a FutureLearn course is the idea of social learning. Our learning is at its best when we share and debate ideas with fellow learners, and we therefore encourage you to ask questions and engage with others via comments and participation in the discussions that take place.

At various points in the course you’ll be invited to share your project documents with other learners via Padlet boards and discuss them with your fellow learners. This will help you to hone your ideas and focus on each core area of learning. There are tips and guidance on using Padlet in the ‘See also’ links below.

If this is the first FutureLearn course you have studied, you might find it useful to visit the Using FutureLearn page.

Get extra benefits, upgrade your course

You can now get extra benefits by upgrading this course, including:

Unlimited access to the course: Go at your own pace with unlimited access to the course for as long as it exists on FutureLearn.

Access to tests: Ensure you’ve mastered the material with access to tests on the course.

A Certificate of Achievement: To help you demonstrate your learning we’ll send you a Certificate of Achievement when you become eligible.

Find out more

Introduce yourself

Before you move onto the next step, click the ‘comments’ icon and spend a few minutes introducing yourself, including a brief outline of your motivations for joining this course. Find out about your fellow learners by reading and replying to other comments.

When you’re ready to move on, mark this step as complete before selecting ‘next’.