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Budgeting and Scheduling Projects

Margaret Meloni, MBA, PMP

4.7

Based on 9,155 ratings

, see reviews

Margaret Meloni, MBA, PMP

A good project schedule helps all team members’ work together to meet project objectives. A project budget with realistic cost constraints is also an essential bedrock of any project. In this course you’ll learn to plan and stick to time and cost constraints in order to ensure the success of your projects.

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Identify the resource needs of the project

2. Decompose work packages into activities

3. Define what is needed to estimate activity durations

4. Define milestones and create a milestone schedule

Read more

A good project schedule helps all team members’ work together to meet project objectives. A project budget with realistic cost constraints is also an essential bedrock of any project. In this course you’ll learn to plan and stick to time and cost constraints in order to ensure the success of your projects.

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Identify the resource needs of the project

2. Decompose work packages into activities

3. Define what is needed to estimate activity durations

4. Define milestones and create a milestone schedule

5. Determine the critical path and calculate float

6. Describe the purpose of using leads and lags in a project schedule

7. Estimate the quantities and costs of resources required to perform project activities

8. Select one of three common cost estimating techniques to determine a project budget

9. Use a responsibility assignment matrix to assign responsibilities

10. Recognize the components of a project’s quality management plan

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What's inside

Syllabus

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Get started in this module by reviewing the course overview and participating in the course survey.

Resource Needs & Quality Management

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Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Useful for learners with no background in project management

Develops skills that are core for project managers in any industry

Taught by instructors who are experienced project management professionals

Facilitates strong understanding of project planning and budgeting

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Reviews summary

Budgeting and scheduling fundamentals

According to learners, this course provides a strong foundation in project budgeting and scheduling. Students particularly appreciate the clear explanations of core concepts like critical path analysis and cost estimating techniques, finding the material well-structured and easy to follow. While many find the course valuable for grasping fundamentals, some note a perceived lack of depth and desire more focus on practical application and the use of specific project management tools. Overall, it is seen as a solid introductory or refresher course for those new to project management or looking to formalize their understanding.

Excellent introduction for newcomers.

"As someone completely new to project management, this was a fantastic starting point."

"Perfect for understanding the core vocabulary and processes without being overwhelming."

"Recommended for anyone starting out in project planning roles."

Well-organized flow of topics.

"The course is well-structured, moving logically from resources to estimating to scheduling."

"Modules flow nicely from one concept to the next, building knowledge progressively."

"I appreciated the clear breakdown of topics in the syllabus."

Complex topics explained well.

"The explanations of critical path and float were particularly clear and easy to understand."

"I finally understood cost estimating techniques thanks to the way they were presented."

"The instructors did a good job breaking down potentially confusing scheduling concepts."

Course offers a good basis in PM concepts.

"This course gave me a really solid foundation in project budgeting and scheduling techniques."

"Great for getting the basics down, especially if you're new to project management."

"I feel much more confident in understanding fundamental project planning concepts after completing this."

Could use more real-world examples.

"Felt a bit too theoretical at times; I wish there were more real-world case studies."

"Could use more guidance on how to apply these techniques using actual project management software."

"I was hoping for more hands-on exercises applying the concepts to simulated projects."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Budgeting and Scheduling Projects with these activities:

Create a Project Charter

Show steps

This will help you to define the project's scope, objectives, and success criteria.

Browse courses on Project Charter

Show steps

Define the project scope.
Establish the project objectives.
Identify the stakeholders.
Document the project charter.

Read “Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide”

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The PMBOK Guide is widely recognized as the global standard for project management best practices. It will provide you with a comprehensive foundation in the field.

View Risk Management in Portfolios, Programs, and... on Amazon

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Review the key concepts of project management.
Understand the different project management processes.
Apply the PMBOK Guide to your own projects.

Practice Creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

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Completing this tutorial will provide you with hands-on experience in creating a WBS, which is an essential project management tool.

Browse courses on Resource Management

Show steps

Identify the project deliverables.
Decompose the deliverables into smaller, manageable tasks.
Organize the tasks into a hierarchical structure.

Three other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all six activities

Estimate Activity Durations

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By practicing duration estimation, you will improve your ability to accurately predict how long tasks will take, leading to more effective project scheduling.

Browse courses on Project Estimation

Show steps

Identify the factors that can affect the duration of an activity.
Use appropriate estimation techniques.
Refine your estimates based on feedback.

Calculate Project Float

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Calculating float will help you identify which activities have flexibility in their schedules and which ones are critical to the project's success.

Browse courses on Project Scheduling

Show steps

Understand the concept of float.
Calculate the float for each activity in a project.
Analyze the float to identify critical and non-critical activities.

Develop a Project Cost Management Plan

Show steps

A solid cost management plan is essential for keeping your project within budget. This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating one.

Browse courses on Project Cost Management

Show steps

Identify the cost categories for your project.
Estimate the costs for each category.
Develop a budget for your project.

Career center

Learners who complete Budgeting and Scheduling Projects will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Project Manager

Project Managers utilize scheduling techniques to organize teams of engineers, architects, and other staff members who contribute to building projects. They use budgeting skills to manage their teams' resources. The course Budgeting and Scheduling Projects from the University of California, Irvine can help aspiring Project Managers with developing the expertise they need. This course will help you learn to create a project budget with realistic cost constraints, decompose work packages into activities, define what is needed to estimate activity durations, and create a network diagram. The course will also teach you how to determine the critical path and calculate float, define milestones and a create a milestone schedule, describe the purpose of using leads and lags in a project schedule, and recognize the components of a project’s quality management plan. These skills are all essential for Project Managers working to lead teams in planning, executing, and controlling any project.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Construction Manager

Construction Managers need to plan and stick to time and cost constraints in order to avoid delays and cost overruns. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course can help aspiring Construction Managers with developing the expertise they need. The course teaches students how to create a project budget with realistic cost constraints, decompose work packages into activities, and define what is needed to estimate activity durations. Students will also learn to create a network diagram, determine the critical path and calculate float, and define milestones and create a milestone schedule. These skills are all essential for Construction Managers working to plan, execute, and control any construction project.

See salaries and explore the career path for Construction Manager

Civil Engineer

Civil Engineers oversee projects from start to finish, including planning, budgeting, and scheduling. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course from the University of California, Irvine can help aspiring Civil Engineers with developing the expertise they need. The course teaches students how to create a project budget with realistic cost constraints, decompose work packages into activities, and define what is needed to estimate activity durations. Students will also learn to create a network diagram, determine the critical path and calculate float, and define milestones and create a milestone schedule. These skills are all essential for Civil Engineers working to ensure that their projects are completed on time and within budget.

See salaries and explore the career path for Civil Engineer

Estimator

Estimators need to be able to estimate the quantities and costs of resources required to perform project activities. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course from the University of California, Irvine can help aspiring Estimators with developing the expertise they need. The course teaches students how to estimate the quantities and costs of resources required to perform project activities. This is a key skill for Estimators who need to be able to provide accurate estimates to clients.

See salaries and explore the career path for Estimator

Scheduler

Schedulers play a vital role in planning and executing projects. They use scheduling techniques to create a project schedule that outlines the tasks that need to be completed, the order in which they need to be completed, and the resources that will be needed. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course from the University of California, Irvine can help aspiring Schedulers with developing the expertise they need. The course teaches students how to create a network diagram, determine the critical path and calculate float, and define milestones and create a milestone schedule. These skills are all essential for Schedulers who need to be able to create realistic and achievable project schedules.

See salaries and explore the career path for Scheduler

Financial Analyst

Financial Analysts may be involved in the budgeting process for projects. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course from the University of California, Irvine may be useful for aspiring Financial Analysts who will work with project teams to develop project budgets.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Cost Engineer

Cost Engineers estimate and control costs for projects. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course may be useful for aspiring Cost Engineers who want to learn more about project budgeting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cost Engineer

Project Controller

Project Controllers monitor and control project costs. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course may be useful for aspiring Project Controllers who want to learn more about project budgeting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Controller

Quantity Surveyor

Quantity Surveyors estimate and control costs for construction projects. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course may be useful for aspiring Quantity Surveyors who want to learn more about project budgeting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quantity Surveyor

Construction Estimator

Construction Estimators estimate the costs of construction projects. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course may be useful for aspiring Construction Estimators who want to learn more about project budgeting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Construction Estimator

Budget Analyst

Budget Analysts develop and manage budgets for organizations. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course may be useful for aspiring Budget Analysts who want to learn more about project budgeting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Budget Analyst

Accountant

Accountants may be involved in the budgeting process for projects. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course may be useful for aspiring Accountants who want to learn more about project budgeting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Accountant

Financial Manager

Financial Managers oversee the financial operations of organizations. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course may be useful for aspiring Financial Managers who want to learn more about project budgeting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Manager

Operations Manager

Operations Managers oversee the operations of organizations. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course may be useful for aspiring Operations Managers who want to learn more about project budgeting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Manager

Business Analyst

Business Analysts analyze and improve business processes. The Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course may be useful for aspiring Business Analysts who want to learn more about project budgeting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Reading list

We've selected ten books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Budgeting and Scheduling Projects.

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Effective Project Management

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Widely respected and authoritative guide to project management, providing a comprehensive overview of the field and emphasizing practical applications.

Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile,...

Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile,...

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The Project Management Tool Kit

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Comprehensive and detailed guide to project management, providing in-depth knowledge and techniques for experienced project managers and professionals.

The Project Management Tool Kit: 100 Tips and...

The Project Management Tool Kit: 100 Tips and...

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Project Management for Construction

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Comprehensive textbook that covers all aspects of project management in construction. It follows the PMBOK guide and provides practical guidance on how to apply project management principles to design and construction projects.

Project Management for Construction: Fundamental...

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Software in 30 Days

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Comprehensive guide to agile project management using the Scrum framework, providing practical insights and techniques for effective project execution.

Software in 30 Days: How Agile Managers Beat the...

(中文) 30天软件开发：告别瀑布拥抱敏捷 (图灵程序设计丛书 84) (Chinese Edition)

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Construction Contracts

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Provides in-depth coverage of cost management techniques for capital projects, including budgeting, cost estimating, cost control, and cost reporting.

Construction Contracts

Construction Contracts

An Introduction to Project Management

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Focuses on project management in the context of information technology projects, covering topics such as agile methodologies and software development.

An Introduction to Project Management

An Introduction to Project Management

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Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project 2013,...

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Provides a comprehensive overview of construction scheduling, covering the planning, control, and execution of construction projects.

Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project 365...

Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project 2013,...

Planning and Control Using Microsoft Project 2013,...

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AQA A-level Geography Fifth Edition

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Focuses on quality management in projects, covering topics such as quality planning, quality control, and quality assurance.

AQA A-level Geography Fifth Edition

AQA A-level Geography Fifth Edition: Contains all...

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Project Management

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Provides a step-by-step guide to cost estimating for construction projects. It covers all aspects of cost estimating, from data collection to cost analysis.

Project Management: A Value Creation Approach

Project Management: Creating Sustainable Value

The Project Management Minimalist: Just Enough PM...

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Offers a beginner-friendly introduction to project management, covering essential concepts and providing practical guidance for managing small-scale projects.

The Project Management Minimalist: Just Enough PM...

The Project Management Minimalist: Just Enough PM...

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Rating

4.7

Effort

6 hours to complete

Via

Coursera

Institution

University of California, Irvine

Instructor

Margaret Meloni, MBA, PMP

Language

English

Transcripts

Español Français Português Deutsch Italiano 中文 العربية 한국어 日本語 हिंदी Nederlands Svenska Pусский Türkçe Polski Ελληνικά українська мова magyar nyelv Bahasa Indonesia ไทย қазақша اُردُو, فارسی বাংলা tiếng Việt پښتو آذربایجان دیلی

This course belongs to a collection called Project Management Principles and Practices. It's comprised of four courses:

Budgeting and Scheduling Projects (viewing)
Managing Project Risks and Changes
Initiating and Planning Projects
Project Management Project

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Useful for learners with no background in project management

Develops skills that are core for project managers in any industry

Taught by instructors who are experienced project management professionals

Facilitates strong understanding of project planning and budgeting

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