Foundations of Project Management (Coursera)

Offered by Google,
Foundations of Project Management (Coursera)

This course is the first in a series of six to equip you with the skills you need to apply to introductory-level roles in project management. Project managers play a key role in leading, planning and implementing critical projects to help their organizations succeed. In this course, you’ll discover foundational project management terminology and gain a deeper understanding of the role and responsibilities of a project manager. We’ll also introduce you to the kinds of jobs you might pursue after completing this program. Throughout the program, you’ll learn from current Google project managers, who can provide you with a multi-dimensional educational experience that will help you build your skills for on-the-job application.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Learners who complete this program should be equipped to apply for introductory-level jobs as project managers. No previous experience is necessary.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Define project management and describe what constitutes a project.
  • Explore project management roles and responsibilities across a variety of industries.
  • Detail the core skills that help a project manager be successful.
  • Describe the life cycle of a project and explain the significance of each phase.
  • Compare different program management methodologies and approaches and determine which is most effective for a given project.
  • Define organizational structure and culture and explain how it impacts project management.
  • Define change management and describe the role of the project manager in the process.

What You Will Learn

  • Describe project management skills, roles, and responsibilities across a variety of industries
  • Explain the project management life cycle and compare different program management methodologies
  • Define organizational structure and organizational culture and explain how it impacts project management.

Course 1 of 6 in the Google Project Management Professional Certificate

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Embarking on a career in project management
You will learn how the program is structured, what project management is and what a project manager does, how to apply your skills from previous work experience to project management roles, what types of project management roles you could pursue after completing this certificate, and how to search for those positions.

WEEK 2
Becoming an effective project manager
You will learn how project managers add value to organizations and to their teams, what the role and responsibilities of a project manager entail, and what core skills a project manager needs to be successful.

WEEK 3
The project management life cycle and methodologies
You will learn about the phases of the project life cycle, what tasks they involve, and why it is important to complete them. You will also learn about the different project management methodologies and approaches and which is most effective for a given project.

WEEK 4
Organizational structure and culture
You will learn about common organizational structures and how they impact project management, how organizational culture impacts project management, and how a project manager contributes to the change management process. Optionally, you can start to develop your strategy and professional network to help you prepare for your job search.

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

Related Courses

Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector, Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Leadership and Governance (Coursera) Coursera
The State University of New York

Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector, Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Leadership and Governance (Coursera)

This course introduces you to the nonprofit sector, nonprofit organizations, and the concepts of leadership and governance. While this course has been developed with North American culture in mind, we do appreciate that in other parts of the world the nature of the nonprofit sector, nonprofit organizations, nonprofit leadership and governance may not be the same. Nevertheless, it is our hope that much of the course content will still be of value to those in other parts of the world.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Writing Skills for Engineering Leaders (Coursera) Coursera
Rice University

Writing Skills for Engineering Leaders (Coursera)

Engineering leaders must write extensively for their jobs, and their writing needs to be professional, reader-focused, and error-free. What leaders write in particular can affect productivity and the bottom line, so the written communication that leaders create must be clear and concise. In this course, you’ll learn essential writing skills that you can apply in your daily activities on the job as an engineering leader.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
International Organizations Management (Coursera) Coursera
University of Geneva

International Organizations Management (Coursera)

This course provides an introduction to International Organizations and the United Nations, and explores how business and management tools can be applied in these settings to achieve better, more effective results. With a focus on cross-sector partnerships in a changing world, the course offers you insights into the inner workings of international organizations and the challenges they face today.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Managing the Company of the Future (Coursera) Coursera
University of London,London Business School

Managing the Company of the Future (Coursera)

The aim of the course is to provide you with a comprehensive framework for understanding both the traditional principles of management inside companies today as well as the alternative principles that are becoming increasingly important. It provides both theoretical and practical perspectives on the nature of management in today’s organisations.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introducción a la Gestión de Operaciones (Coursera) Coursera
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Introducción a la Gestión de Operaciones (Coursera)

Aprende a analizar y a mejorar los procesos empresariales en servicios o en la industria. Aprende cómo incrementar la productividad y a ofrecer niveles de calidad mayores. Después de que finalices con éxito este curso, podrás aplicar estas habilidades en un reto empresarial del mundo real como parte de la Programa Especializado de Fundamentos Empresariales de Wharton.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Leading Diverse Teams & Organizations (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Leading Diverse Teams & Organizations (Coursera)

In this new course, you'll gain evidence-based knowledge and practical tools to help you design and lead diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) teams and organizations. You’ll better understand yourself and your personal identity in the workplace and gain new skills to identify privilege, implicit bias, and microaggressions in your organization and to take action as an active ally and change advocate. After hearing from experts representing a diverse array of real-world perspectives, you’ll understand best practices for equitable organizational processes and norms and inclusive behavioral practices in teams.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Business Process Outsourcing Strategies in Hospitality (Coursera) Coursera
Starweaver

Business Process Outsourcing Strategies in Hospitality (Coursera)

Welcome to "Business Process Outsourcing: Opportunities and Applications in the Hospitality Industry," a beginner-level, pre-recorded 4-hour course. In today's ever-evolving hospitality industry, mastering Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is a crucial skill. Whether you're a hospitality professional looking to enhance your career or an aspiring newcomer, this course offers a comprehensive understanding of how BPO can optimize operations and create opportunities in the dynamic world of hospitality.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace (Coursera)

Diversity is a fact. It is also paradoxical. We need to be capable of seeing and hearing differences in order to reap the benefits of diversity. But seeing and hearing differences hone our discriminating reflexes and can also lead to discrimination. If you take this MOOC, you will: 1. understand this paradox, 2. understand its dynamics, and 3. identify ways to manage it, so that you can better channel the diversity potential in the workplace for greater performance and innovation.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Business Models for Innovative Care for Older People (Coursera) Coursera
University of Copenhagen,Copenhagen Business School

Business Models for Innovative Care for Older People (Coursera)

This course will introduce you to healthcare innovation within the field of healthy living and active aging. By following two specific cases on diabetes and rehabilitation, this interdisciplinary course will provide you with key theories, tools and concepts for analyzing and developing viable innovative solutions for aging populations. The lectures will cover demographic, biological, economic, social and cultural aspects of active aging and healthy living, along with lectures on current innovation theories and methods.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
IBM Data Privacy for Information Architecture (Coursera) Coursera
IBM

IBM Data Privacy for Information Architecture (Coursera)

Data privacy controls how information is collected, used, shared, and disposed of, in accordance with policies or external laws and regulations. In this course, students will gain an understanding of what data privacy is along with how to identify and understand typical data protection and privatization objectives that an enterprise may have, and how to choose a data protection approach.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Managing Innovation: Ambidexterity, Teams and Leading Change (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Managing Innovation: Ambidexterity, Teams and Leading Change (Coursera)

You may have noticed that what is new often behaves differently than what has become accepted over time, whether it is in a market, or a technology, or involves people and firms. Much research supports these general ideas, and one implication is that management of innovation often requires different approaches and skills than management in established arenas. This course helps you develop a perspective on managing innovation. That is, you will build your capability to lead and design your organization to effectively implement innovation initiatives and achieve their strategic intent.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Fundamentals of Organization (Coursera) Coursera
Politecnico di Milano

Fundamentals of Organization (Coursera)

Organization is a fundamental theme to understand the real functioning of each company or, more in general, of any institution, and it is part of the basic know-how of each manager. Organization design implies decisions on how work is subdivided and how coordination between the various activities and people who autonomously perform them is guaranteed.

Sep 14th 2026
3 Weeks