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In an increasingly competitive job market, how can employees seek ways to advance their occupational opportunities? Furthermore, how can these individuals find the time to develop these new skills in the midst of already demanding career schedules?

Villanova’s Office of Continuing Studies seems to have found a solution to this pervasive concern through its online certificate programs. With courses exploring the various facets of project management, these programs serve the diverse needs of today’s students. Instead of attending regularly scheduled classes, enrolled students can log on and complete the course work whenever they choose.

The courses are comprised of streaming video lectures and certified professor-led programs that the student can access based upon their own schedule. The programs also feature professor and student e-mail, professor-led chat sessions, bulletin boards and an online faculty support. These components of the online certification courses offer students unparalleled training opportunities without interfering with their current work or even family schedule.

“This area has grown extensively because people may already have a degree and are looking additional education to enhance that degree, or maybe they are career-changers wanting to do something different and, as a result, are looking for that extra experience that will allow them to be able to advance in that new field,” explained Dr. Robert Stokes, the associate dean for Part-Time Studies and University Outreach.

While there is a diverse spectrum of certificate courses offered through Continuing Studies, Villanova’s online project management series remains one of the most popular programs. This past year, the program celebrated an enrollment of 4,500 students. Project management helps professionals acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to excel as a manager of projects in today’s competitive business world.

“This program offers a Villanova quality education to people throughout the world in a time when many business people, particularly project managers, are not able to travel or come to the Villanova University campus in person. They are receiving the same kind of experience as someone who attends one of our classes, but they do it on their own time and wherever they are,” said Gary Bonas, director of Continuing Studies.

Villanova University is a Project Management Institute (PMI) Registered Education Provider that works in collaboration with the International Project Management Institute. Together they provide the necessary tools that enhance strategic planning, minimize risk and increase quality results while assisting organizations with developing empowered leaders and maximizing profits.

“While students work at their own pace, through on-line class facilitation and message boards, they experience the ‘give and take’ that is normally associated with a traditional classroom. In addition, we have literally hundreds of study guides, sample forms, procedures and techniques that students have been willing to share with their classmates,” explained Charles Arnao, Villanova’s project manager and lead developer.

Each program has an estimated completion time of 35 to 40 hours, with 15 hours of the streaming video lectures. Each certification program has an eight week time limit within which the student must complete all work. Throughout the course, there are a series of challenging examinations which each student must answer online before receiving his or her certificate.

The online project management program is a Villanova University program offered in conjunction with Bisk Education. Bisk has an extensive history of providing training and education through online and correspondence courses. Bisk helps handle the registration, billing, technology issues and marketing of the program. For example, they videotape the Villanova faculty member’s lectures for the program and then digitize them for online use.

“What’s interesting about the online program is that Villanova is responsible for the development and design of the content, so the quality of the University is maintained. Bisk is a partner that allows this program to be presented to people, have them become interested in it and have a great educational experience,” said Stokes.

The individual certificate programs that are offered through the online project management certificate program are: Essentials of Project Management, Mastering Project Management, Project Management Professional Certification Preparation and Advanced Strategic Project Management. After completing three of the above courses a student will be granted a master certificate in Applied Project Management.

“What’s so attractive about the program is that Villanova has the capability of providing a timely curriculum, internationally, that lives up to the University’s mark of excellence. Bisk, our partner organization, is a firm that has excellent contacts with most Fortune 500 companies as well as the military and the government, and so through this program, Villanova is receiving the exposure that it might not normally experience” said Stokes.

The program also offers students the ability to interact with a vast assortment of individuals from different backgrounds and experiences. Arnao explained, “In a typical class there is a wide diversity of students from varying regions of the country as well as international participants. A wide variety of disciplines and organizational sizes are also represented.”

Currently, the Project Management Certificate programs are the only courses available through online access, however the Office of Continuing Studies is looking to develop additional online opportunities based on current offerings.

For additional information about the program, you can access the web site www.villanovau.com.