12 Best Project Planning Courses To Take in 2024

The right project planning course will help you start your projects on the right foot and have more control over them as you're executing the work.

Here's my picks for the best project planning courses, along with a summary of each course to help you choose the right option and get back to delivering project success.

Best Project Planning Courses Shortlist

Here's a shortlist of the best project planning courses I think are worth your time in 2024:

1. Mastering Digital Project Management
2. Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management
3. Planning & Scheduling: Be the Professional from Scratch
4. Project Planning and Control
5. Project Planning: Putting It All Together
6. Certificate of Project Planning and Scheduling
7. Project Planning
8. Project Planning and Control
9. Plan for Project Success: Project Planning and Management
10. Project Planning and Management
11. Project Planning and Control
12. Project Planning and Management

Find out more details about each course below.

Overviews Of The Best Project Planning Courses

1. Mastering Digital Project Management

Available through The Digital Project Manager's membership program, this certification equips you with the mindset, skills, and tools to lead digital projects confidently.

You'll also get practical lessons, hands-on experience, and expert-led discussions and mentorship in the course Slack channel. The course covers the entire project life cycle from start to finish using a variety of methodologies. 

Specific topics include holding project kickoffs, planning, defining scope, communicating effectively, staying in control, leading with purpose, and tackling all manner of project risks. 

• Who It’s For: New project managers and project leaders working on digital projects
• Topics Covered:
  • Planning and kicking off projects
  • Effective communication
  • Risk management
  • Defining project scope
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Duration: Self-paced
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: $399 per year
• Take The Course: The Digital Project Manager

Is the project managing you?

Sign up to get weekly insights, tips, and other helpful content from digital project management experts.

• Your email*
• Hidden
  Consent
  • Yes, I want to sign up to receive regular emails filled with tips, expert insights, and more to build my PM practice.
• By submitting you agree to receive occasional emails and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. Protected by reCAPTCHA; Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
• Phone
  This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Δ

2. Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management

This course covers essential concepts and techniques in project planning and management. You’ll learn what a project is, how to sequence and plan tasks and sub-tasks, and then execute on that plan.

• Who It’s For: Beginners in project planning and management
• Topics Covered:
  • Organizing projects
  • Sequencing tasks
  • Risk management
  • Project execution
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Duration: 9 hours
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: 3 hours per week
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: Free with a paid certificate option
• Take The Course: Coursera

3. Planning & Scheduling: Be the Professional from Scratch

This course provides comprehensive training in preparation for the Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) and Project Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) certifications. It covers both theoretical and practical aspects of planning and scheduling.

• Who It’s For: Project managers who want to enhance their skills, new graduates, and anyone who wants to acquire planning skills
• Topics Covered:
  • Project management
  • Use of planning software
  • Creating a schedule
  • Project communications
  • Quality management
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? Yes
• Duration: 16 hours
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: $27.99
• Take The Course: Udemy

4. Project Planning and Control

This short course is part of the University of Aberdeen's project management master's program. It focuses on developing detailed plans, schedules, and budgets for complex projects. You will also learn how to report project progress effectively.

• Who It’s For: Professionals seeking to enhance project planning, project managers
• Topics Covered:
  • Scope and estimating
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Reporting on project progress
  • Communication
  • Decision making
  • Transition from planning to execution
  • Project control
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 16 weeks
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: 10 to 15 hours per week
• Eligibility Requirements: None, although the course is designed for the master's level
• Price: £1,290
• Take The Course: University of Aberdeen

5. Project Planning: Putting It All Together

This course delivers an integrated various project planning process that will help you make your project a success. It describes how to estimate, track, and maintain a budget. Additionally, it explains why milestones are important and how to set them.

• Who It’s For: Aspiring project managers and professionals
• Topics Covered:
  • Project planning process and documentation
  • Resource management
  • Risk management
  • Communication plan
  • Project management tools
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Duration: 33 hours
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: Free with a paid certificate option
• Take The Course: Coursera

For more on managing documentation, try these document management courses.

6. Certificate of Project Planning and Scheduling

This program covers the fundamental elements of successful project planning and scheduling. You will learn how to analyze and forecast the impact of change and review progress throughout the project life cycle.

• Who It’s For: Project managers and professionals involved in project management
• Topics Covered:
  • Work breakdown structures (WBS)
  • Task relationships and dependencies
  • Resource allocation
  • Project schedule monitoring
  • Time management techniques
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 30 hours
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: $299.00 (Add $100.00 for optional printed materials within Australia only)
• Take The Course: Australian Online Courses

7. Project Planning

This course focuses on scheduling and budgeting for project management. You will also learn to identify bottlenecks and constraints. You should expect to complete readings and assignments, and actively participate in exercises, discussions, case studies, and presentations.

• Who It’s For: Professionals seeking to enhance project planning skills, and project managers
• Topics Covered:
  • Project management plan development
  • Work breakdown structures
  • Network diagram creation
  • Resource estimation and scheduling
  • Critical path method (CPM)
  • Preparing a project budget
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 2 days
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: $860
• Take The Course: Simon Fraser University

8. Project Planning and Control

This course provides participants with the skills and knowledge needed for effective project planning and control. This course will empower you with all the necessary skills to easily complete a project, achieve all the objectives, and overcome any constraints.

• Who It’s For: Project managers, project team leaders, project management professionals
• Topics Covered:
  • Project planning
  • Project controls
  • Challenges and risks
  • Methods and techniques
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Both
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 5 to 10 days
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: Variable based on location and schedule
• Take The Course: Zoe Talent Solutions

9. Plan for Project Success: Project Planning and Management

This course focuses on planning and organizing projects effectively. By the end, you’ll be able to analyze different scenarios, suggest solutions, and understand efficient ways of working within a project framework.

Additionally, you'll be able to explain key concepts related to project planning and success. The course also provides access to and encourages participation in discussions within a learning community.

• Who It’s For: Anyone interested in project management
• Topics Covered:
  • Project concepts
  • Tools and processes
  • Project success criteria
  • Case studies and examples
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 3 weeks
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: 4 hours per week
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Take The Course: FutureLearn

10. Project Planning and Management

The focus of this course is on development projects in the public sector or at non-profits, but the underlying principles apply to all types of projects, including those for commercial benefit. It teaches how to plan and manage development projects, so you can turn ideas into practical outcomes.

• Who It’s For: Professionals with interest and experience in development projects, and project managers
• Topics Covered:
  • Project and program management
  • Project planning, design, and appraisal
  • Management skills for project implementation
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Both
• Exam Required? No
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price:
  • Home: £7,938
  • International: £20,468
• Take The Course: University of Bradford

11. Project Planning and Control

This course focuses on project management processes and strategies. You'll learn about different planning techniques and how to use them, how to create a project delivery plan, how to schedule resources to achieve that plan, and key project evaluation and control techniques.

• Who It’s For: Project professionals and project managers
• Topics Covered:
  • Planning techniques
  • Evaluating cost and quality requirements
  • Resource allocation and scheduling
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Eligibility Requirements: A good honors degree and/or relevant industry experience
• Price: £840 (discounted for all students)
• Take The Course: Robert Gordon University

12. Project Planning and Management

This course covers technical and socio-cultural aspects of project management, and is aligned with the standards in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).

You'll learn about all aspects of the project life cycle, project management techniques and tools, and how to apply agile methods to your projects.

• Who It’s For: Project planning and management professionals
• Topics Covered:
  • Risk management
  • Project management tools, including Microsoft Project and Excel
  • Agile methods
  • Project selection and portfolio management
  • Scope management
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Both
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: Approximately 2 months
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: 2 hours per week
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Take The Course: University of Newcastle

What's Next?

Want to connect with other digital project managers to share resources and best practices? Join our membership community and get access to 100+ templates, samples, and examples, and connect with 100s of other digital project managers in Slack.