Class Central is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

University of Maryland, College Park

PMP Exam Prep: Project Management Principles

University of Maryland, College Park via Coursera

Go to class Write review

Overview

Coursera Flash Sale
40% Off Coursera Plus for 3 Months!
Grab it
Pass the PMP® Exam. This Prep Course is designed to equip aspiring project managers with the essential knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to excel in today’s dynamic business environment—and pass the PMP® certification exam. This course provides an in-depth exploration of leading project management methodologies, including predictive (waterfall), agile, and hybrid approaches. What You’ll Learn: Master the Fundamentals: Gain a thorough understanding of project management concepts, terminology, and best practices as outlined in the PMBOK® Guide and Agile Practice Guide. Explore Methodologies: Compare and contrast agile and traditional project management, learning when and how to apply each approach for optimal results. Develop Core Skills: Build expertise in planning, scheduling, budgeting, risk management, stakeholder engagement, and quality assurance. Enhance Team Performance: Learn strategies to foster collaboration, improve communication, and motivate teams for successful project delivery. Prepare for the PMP® Exam: Receive in-depth practice questions with explanations and exam strategies to boost your confidence and readiness for certification.

Syllabus

  • Week 1: What Is Project Management Really?
    • This module introduces the foundations of project management, outlining the essential differences between projects and operations and highlighting best practices that align with PMP exam standards. Learners will compare key updates from PMBOK Guide 6th to 7th Edition and explore the PMI Talent Triangle to assess and develop core project management competencies. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of modern project management frameworks and your areas for growth as a project manager.
  • Week 2: A Deeper Dive into Project Management
    • This module deepens your understanding of project management by introducing the system view of value delivery and evaluating how project management aligns with broader organizational objectives. Learners will define progressive elaboration and rolling wave planning, review both internal and external influences on projects, and explore the connections between product management and project management. By the end, you will be able to integrate these advanced concepts into your project management approach and recognize their impact on organizational success.
  • Week 3: Ways of Working - The "Right" Approach
    • This module guides you through the full spectrum of project management approaches, empowering you to recognize when to use predictive, incremental, iterative, or agile methods in your work. You’ll learn how iterative and incremental life cycles drive continuous improvement and delivery, explore the distinctive features of each approach, and review practical examples to illustrate their application. By applying the Agile Suitability Filter, you’ll also develop the skills to evaluate when Agile is the best fit for your projects and organization
  • Week 4: Agile - The Basics
    • This module traces the evolution of Agile project management, uncovering how its adaptive values and iterative practices shaped the modern landscape. Learners will review the Agile Development Model, mastering the three key roles, four core ceremonies, and three foundational artifacts that underpin successful Agile teams. You’ll compare leading frameworks—Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming (XP), and DSDM—clarifying their unique strengths and applications. Throughout, you’ll dispel persistent myths about Agile, and discover how the Agile Inverted Triangle of Constraints redefines project priorities to balance scope, time, and cost more effectively
  • Week 5: Tailoring to Meet the Project Needs
    • This module introduces the concept of tailoring, emphasizing its importance in adapting project management methods and processes to best suit individual project needs. Learners will review a practical case study demonstrating tailoring in action, discuss the reasons tailoring is necessary—including project uniqueness, organizational context, and stakeholder requirements—and outline the key steps involved in successfully tailoring project practices. By the end, you'll understand when and how to customize your approach for optimal project outcomes.
  • Course Final Exam

Taught by

Crystal Richards

Tags

Reviews

4.5 rating, based on 142 Class Central reviews

4.6 rating at Coursera based on 149 ratings

Start your review of PMP Exam Prep: Project Management Principles

  • Earle Phillips
    7
    I love the course and Crystal is an AWESOME teacher! I’m impressed! Go Crystal! The course content is excellent. I saw a couple of grammatical errors that need correcting. My biggest challenge was not knowing what questions I got wrong on the quizze…
  • Nicolas MONGENY
    1
    It was a pleasure to attend this course, and this e-learning method is nice with the teacher and course introduction like if we are in a classroom. The course materials are also interesting as well as the online teacher who we can ask question to. A…
  • Anonymous
    I really like this course and the setup of the course. The instructor is pleasant to listen to.
    It is challenging to digest all the information for the whole course by the end of the course and some of the questions can be quite tricky.
    My only real concern is that there is a disclaimer at the end of each module that this course will not prepare you for the PMP exam, when that is the sole purpose for me taking this course.
    I am learning a lot, so I hope it will definitely help prepare me as a beginner to project management.
  • Anonymous
    This course was very helpful in strengthening my understanding of core project management principles and how they apply to the PMP exam. The material is well structured and explains key concepts such as project processes, stakeholder engagement, ris…
  • Anonymous
    This course is great in terms of giving an initial exposure to PMP. I do like the course set up of video first and then reading material second to reinforce what I just learned. However, there are a few things I would ask to improve on based on the first Course. 1) For the quizzes, feedback for why the answer is wrong would be great and 2) For Course 1, Module 1, the quiz have contents that was not covered in that module but later on... 3) It would be nice to understand if this course is indeed intended to prep us for the PMP exam or if it is just a supplemental.
  • Anonymous
    I took this course via Coursera as part of the "PMP Exam Prep Certification Training" specialization program. The course was well organized, and I learned much from it.

    I appreciated the "feedback" that were given during the brief Knowledge Check quiz for each training topic but wish that similar feedback was provided as part of both the Weekly Quiz and Final Exam. That would have been extremely helpful, especially with regards to incorrect answers the trainee gave. At the very least, clarity as to which question(s) the trainee got wrong would have been helpful.
  • Anonymous
    I found the course content to be excellent and truly essential for anyone preparing for the PMP exam. The principles were well-structured and highly relevant. However, the delivery felt quite academic, and the course would benefit from more generalized examples. While a specific case study was included, adding simple, universal examples to each business term would help reinforce understanding for beginners. Overall, it was a very valuable resource for my preparation.
  • Anonymous
    I enjoyed the first course. I had just a few issues with the presentation: 1) there was some jargon that weren't clearly defined; it didn't take away much from the course, as I paused and looked the terms up; 2) the quality of the sound of the speaker differed from the intro comments at the beginning of the video, vs. the content presentation. The intro was clear, but the content was too bassy and not quite as clear. I had to find a way to to minimize the bass and increase the treble for the content presentation.
  • Anonymous
    Wow, what a fantastic course! I truly enjoyed the entire curriculum, from the introduction to the final recap. The lessons are clear, the visual aids in the summaries are excellent, and the practice exercises perfectly reinforce the key concepts. The whole structure is designed for efficient learning. > A huge thank you to the instructor, Ms. Crystal R.; her positive energy and encouraging smile at the end of each video really kept me motivated to move forward. Thanks to Coursera and the University of Maryland for providing such high-quality content
  • Anonymous
    I found the course to be very helpful. I wish the lesson summaries provided as much detail as the videos. I also hoped for more application questions for the quizzes since I heard the PMP is mainly those types of questions. I would've liked to receive an outline of the exam study guide as a resource. I know PMI has one, but it is not all that helpful. But I would recommend it especially for working adults who need a more flexible schedule.
  • Anonymous
    This course was very informative. As someone who came in pretty green on project management though, I found that some of the questions asked were not answered in my notes so it seems it is for someone with more knowledge and who has already reviewed the PMBOK Guide. But that being said you do get multiple tries and I like that I can do that til I reach 100% and know I was able to find the answer eventually.
  • SABRON BENJAMIN KALYOLYO
    This course This PMP Exam Prep: Project Management Principles course has been an exceptionally enlightening and constructive learning experience. The content is expertly structured, practical, and aligned with real-world project management scenarios…
  • Anonymous
    I often found there to be a disconnect between the information in the lessons and the questions being asked during the lessons. When you got a question wrong on a learning assignment, it didn't provide any feedback for why the answer was wrong, which would have been more helpful than providing feedback for correct answers. I also did not find it helpful that on the quizzes that it didn't tell you which questions you got incorrect, so you didn't know what you needed to revisit for deeper understanding. So if you had to retake the quiz, you were often guessing at what was incorrect, and could potentially scoring lower than on the previous try.
  • Anonymous
    This PMP Exam Prep training on Project Management Principles is a comprehensive and well-structured course that effectively bridges theory with real-world application. The content aligns closely with PMI's standards and the PMBOK® Guide, covering ke…
  • Anonymous
    The instruction was easy to follow and an easy way to get your 35 PDUs to prepare for the exam. The summary material is a good reference when studying for the exam.
  • Anonymous
    his course provided an excellent foundation in project management principles. The content was well-structured, starting with the basics and gradually introducing more complex concepts, which made learning easy and engaging. The examples and case studies helped connect theory to real-world applications, and the interactive activities reinforced understanding. I particularly appreciated the clear explanations of project life cycles, roles, and planning techniques. The instructor’s approach was practical and motivating, making the subject accessible for beginners. Overall, this course has equipped me with valuable skills and confidence to manage projects effectively. I highly recommend it to anyone starting in project management.
  • Anonymous
    The course was great and I learned a lot from Crystal. Penning down a few issues and suggestions below - 1. Some of the questions were confusing; and as per the lessons, there could've been multiple correct answers. 2. We are not made aware of whi…
  • Anonymous
    Very informed facilitator Madam Crystal. Big up
    Am excited to be one of your participant. Thank you for everything
  • Anonymous
    Actually it was hepp me to understand carefully the agile methodolgies, predictive, hybrid, so all the real concepts of the PMP are there.My advice for anyone want to take his PMP exam TO follow thsi course.
  • Anonymous
    The PMP Exam Prep: Project Management Principles course was incredibly well-structured and informative. The content was clear, concise, and aligned perfectly with the PMBOK Guide and PMP exam domains. I especially appreciated how the course connecte…
Go to class

Never Stop Learning.

Get personalized course recommendations, track subjects and courses with reminders, and more.

Sign up for free
Someone learning on their laptop while sitting on the floor.