20 Online Training Resources for Project Managers

What makes a great project manager? Experience? Communication skills? Planning prowess? Or is it the desire to constantly improve and develop new abilities?

We’ve collected 20 online project management training resources for you to sharpen your skills, broaden your knowledge, collect PDUs, and earn notable certificates to advance your career. Take a look and be one step closer to obtaining a project management certification like the PMP - Project Management Professional certification .

Here's the list, in alphabetical order:

1. Corporate Education Group presents a variety of individual classes on topics like risk management and project scope , plus PMP exam prep. Courses usually consist of 3-hour sessions spread over a period of several weeks.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Partner; PRINCE2 Accredited Training Organization.

2. ESI International creates online training courses in subjects like cost control , requirements management, and negotiation skills, plus Associates and Masters certificates through their academic partner The George Washington University. ESI employs 600 instructors with an average of 20 years experience, and course lengths vary from a few days to just over a month.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider and Registered Consultant Program participant

3. Global Knowledge has instructors who are certified PMPs and consultants with an average of 15 years experience. Sign up for virtual learning or self-paced courses on Agile, Project Portfolio Management , preventing project failure, and managing high- risk projects. Or, enroll in an exam prep boot camp.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

4. International Institute for Learning, Inc. provides a comprehensive course catalogue, covering both core project management concepts and advanced strategies. The IIL conducts virtual and on-demand courses on topics like project scope, risk management, and Earned Value Management systems (we have our own guide on how to calculate earned value , too!), plus prep courses for a variety of certifications. If you're looking to pick up a few PDUs, they also supply a library of on-demand webinars.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider; PRINCE2 Accredited Training Organization (ATO); Managing Successful Programmes ATO; Management of Risk licensed affiliate; Management of Portfolios ATO; Portfolio , Programmes and Project Offices licensed affiliate; Change Management ATO; Benefits Management ATO; Agile Project Management ATO; International Association for Six Sigma Certification; Association for Project Management ATO

5. Passionate PM has a wide selection of on-demand learning modules for earning PDUs, or enrolling in live online prep courses for the PMI-RMP exam, PMP/CAPM exam, or an accelerated PMP "Exam Cram.” All instructors have at least a decade of project experience, and many hold an impressive list of certifications.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

6. PDU Insider is maintained by OSP International, LLC (the founder is well-known PMP Cornelius Fitchner, host of the PM Podcast and PDU podcast). Check out the site for a list of on-demand PDUs that you can access and complete whenever your schedule allows.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

7. PDU of the Day highlights a new way to earn PDUs every weekday. People refer opportunities to the site and then site owners review opportunities before posting. Many (but not all) of the opportunities are free, including live webinars and recorded presentations.

8. PDUs2Go.com is run by PMP Jennifer Bridges and offers self-paced Category A PDU courses to purchase and complete at your convenience. Choose the delivery method that best fits your needs: either have a hard copy shipped to you or download digital course materials to review during your commute, on the treadmill, or over a leisurely cup of coffee.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

9. PMCentersUSA gives you interactive online classes taught by seasoned project professionals and which cover a variety of topics, including time and cost management , managing multiple projects, portfolio management, and 5-day advanced skills virtual workshops. All courses align with the current edition of PMBOK , and when industry standards change, they update their course materials. Check out their weekly webinar series for a chance to score PDUs.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

10. Project Management Institute (PMI) E-Learning allows you to earn PDUs through online seminars, on-demand courses, and publication quizzes straight from PMI. And be sure to consult your local chapter for convenient Professional Development Days close to home!

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

11. PMstudy can get you certified online in Program Management , Six Sigma green and black belts, Human Resource Development, and Risk Management. PMStudy also offers PMP and CAPM online exam prep. All instructors are certified project management professionals with an average of 15 years project experience and 400 hours PMP teaching experience.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

12. PMSOFT presents live, online accelerated PMP prep and Agile Management methodologies courses, plus continuing education in topics like Work Breakdown Structure standards. Classes are scheduled on weekends to fit around your busy work schedule, and include online reading material and downloadable presentations.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider, PRINCE2 Accredited Training Organization

13. Prodevia Learning provides advanced courses, developed by industry leaders for highly-experienced project managers. Throughout the course you have access to a personal instructor, and you can set your own learning schedule with an unlimited amount of time to complete coursework. Courses include "Mastering Project Risk," "Managing Politics and Conflict in Projects," and " PMO Design and Implementation." They also offer a Professional Project Executive (PPE) certification program.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

14. RMC Project Management hosts live, instructor-led online classes on project planning, scheduling ,  communication, work breakdown structures, and more. Online classes use collaborative technologies like live chat, virtual white boards, and file sharing to connect students and instructors. They also offer an extensive selection of exam prep courses, plus free webinars to earn PDUs. All instructors have at least 15 years experience and hold multiple certifications.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

15. Simplilearn has developed two options for online learning: self-paced or instructor-led. Choose from exam prep in several areas of project management, including Agile and Scrum certification. Complete practice tests and interact with other students in Simplilearn's online discussion forums.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider, PRINCE2 Accredited Training Organization, Scrum Alliance Registered Education Provider

16. Watermark Learning courses are built on interactive case studies, so students get hands-on, practical learning opportunities. Courses include "Getting Real Results from Virtual Teams ," "Defining and Analyzing Requirements," "Recovering Troubled Projects" and more. Instructors have an average of 25 years of experience managing projects.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

17. Udemy Project Management Training gives you access to on-demand courses on a variety of devices. In short, learning with Udemy works with your schedule. You'll need to check each course description to determine if it qualifies for PDUs, who the provider is, how many hours of content it includes, and how much it costs. Udemy's collection of courses includes project planning, project integration, a Project Management master class by Exner Education, and PMP/CAPM exam prep.

18. University of Waterloo Center for Extended Learning delivers online course offerings that include project management applications and fundamentals, along with PMP certification prep. Courses run for six weeks, after which you have two weeks to complete a final exam. Once new lessons are posted, you can access them at any time.

Accreditation: Partners with World Class Productivity, a PMI Registered Education Provider, to provide PDUs for online courses

19. Villanova University administers online classes in project management essentials, advanced strategies, team effectiveness, Six Sigma, and PMP/CAPM exam prep. They've also developed industry-specific courses for IS/IT and healthcare professionals. Class sessions use streaming video, or you can download video lectures and audio presentations to learn on the go. Engage with classmates and instructors in real time through instant messaging, shared whiteboards, and two-way VOIP calls.

Accreditation: PMI Registered Education Provider

20. UDN Task Manager webinars present our very own experience-based strategies to increase productivity , establish good team habits , and improve collaboration . Plus, they qualify for PDUs under Category C: Self Directed Learning. Each hour of viewing recordings or participating in live webinars earns 1 PDU.

What's your experience with taking an online project management course ? What was the best project management certification for you? Check out these resources for yourself and learn how to become a certified project manager . Be sure to share your recommendations and tips in the comments, too!

NOTE: PMI, PMBOK, PMP, CAPM, PMI-RMP, and REP are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.