The Impact of a Project Management Course on Student Perceptions of the Importance of Expertise Needed by Project Managers: An Empirical Assessment

Project management is an increasingly important subject in both practical and academic circles. Good project managers are in high demand and short supply. Pressure has been increasingly placed on universities to better prepare students for project management positions. The short supply of project managers has also motivated companies to take advantage of project management training and certification programs offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). This paper assesses the impact of a project management course on student perceptions of the extent to which numerous areas of expertise contribute to project manager effectiveness. Perceptions of the importance of change management, PERT, CPM, and function point analysis demonstrated the greatest modification as the result of taking the course. Other areas of expertise that increased in experience as well as areas of expertise that decreased in importance in the minds of project management students are also identified.