Computer Project Management

The Computer Project Management Certificate of Achievement Program is a workforce program providing instruction in the application of Software Engineering skills to Business projects that use Computers for process improvement or innovation. It includes training in both principles of management and software engineering to support successful completion of these projects. It also equips the non-technical project manager to manage software projects enabling them to compete for project management positions in the software development work force.

Specifically, students will learn use of the software engineering process and application of skills, tools, and techniques to manage project activities; enumeration of project goals as sequences of tasks with clearly defined beginning, end, scope, and resources; analysis of project goals to create a prioritized task list that will lead to successful completion; analysis of budget and human resources to develop a utilization plan; and communication of progress, status, and milestones. Skills applicable to any kind of project are supplemented by instruction in software engineering to support one of the prevalent project management needs of the local Silicon Valley and Bay Area workforce. These enable the design of integrated software systems to efficiently fulfill business processes and needs.

To qualify for the Computer Project Management Certificate of Achievement Program, students must complete 14-15 units of required core courses with the option to complete 2 units (120-150 hours) of Occupational Work Experience (OWE) in Project Management. This OWE qualifies them to take the Certified Associate Project Manager (CAPM) examination from the governing body Project Management Institute.

The expected capacity for this program is 28 students each semester for a total of 56 annually. If we use the average CIS course completion of 73% for Merritt College we estimate approximately 41 annual completers for this program.

The Computer Project Management Certificate of Achievement Program is a workforce program providing instruction in the application of Software Engineering skills to Business projects that use Computers for process improvement or innovation. It also includes training in both principles of management and software engineering to support successful completion of these projects. It also equips the non-technical project manager to manage software projects enabling them to compete for project management positions in the software development work force.

• Computer and Information Systems Managers (SOC 11-3021): Plan, direct, or coordinateactivities in such fields as electronic data processing, information systems, systems analysis,and computer programming. Excludes “Computer Occupations" (15-1111 through 15-1199).
• Computer Systems Analysts (SOC 15-1121): Analyze science, engineering, business, and otherdata processing problems to implement and improve computer systems. Analyze user requirements, procedures, and problems to automate or improve existing systems and review computer system capabilities, workflow, and scheduling limitations. May analyze or recommend commercially available software.
• Information Security Analysts (SOC 15-1122): Plan, implement, upgrade, or monitor security measures for the protection of computer networks and information. May ensure appropriate security controls are in place that will safeguard digital files and vital electronic infrastructure. May respond to computer security breaches and viruses. Excludes “Computer Network Architects” (15-1143).

To qualify for the Computer Project Management Certificate of Achievement, students must complete 14-15 units required core courses with the option to complete 1 unit (60-75 hours) of Occupational Work Experience (OWE) in Project Management. This OWE qualifies them to take the Certified Associate Project Manager (CAPM) examination from the governing body Project Management Institute. https://www.pmi.org/certifications/types/certified-associate-capm

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
BUS 50	Principles of Management	3	S1
CIS 001	Intro. to Computer Information Systems	4	S1
or CIS 005	Intro. To Computer Science	5	S1
CS 080	Software Engineering	3	S1
CIS 051	Introduction to IT Project Management	4	S2
BUS 083	Introduction to Digital Marketing	3	S2
and/or CIS 469	Occupational Work Experience in Security Administration	2	S2

Career opportunities include but are not limited to: assistant/associate project manager, project coordinator, project scheduler, IT project manager, software project manager, office manager, event planner, and administrative assistant. The format of certificate requirements and optional electives is very similar to the Project Management Certificate of achievement at Las Positas College. http://www.laspositascollege.edu/degrees/projectmanagement-certificateofaccomplishment.php

Las Positas College has a similar program led by Vicki Shipman (vshipman@laspositascollege.edu. We consulted on content and TOP Code and Labor Market Information in February 2021 reaching concurrence.