Just one semester in, the College of Lifetime Learning’s new project management classes are serving as "career catalysts" for Georgia Tech students who are accessing an approach to learning that moves fast, connects to the real world, and is designed for multiple disciplines.
The College of Lifetime Learning's new project management courses are translating into real-world impact, just one semester in.
As industries evolve and careers take on more flexible pathways, learning must move faster and stay closer to the pace of work. In response to this rising demand, the College launched its first two graduate-level project management offerings this spring.
Learning at Market Speed
These first courses are setting learners up to meet a rapidly growing need in the workplace. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 78,000 openings for project management specialists are projected to open each year over the next decade.
“We are extremely pleased to kick off graduate-level courses to support a wide range of our students and believe this multidisciplinary approach to project management will prove worthwhile for our engineering, business, computing, and technical-oriented learners," Chris Carter, academic program director for project management said.
Both offerings equip learners with foundational skills that can be immediately used in the workplace — an outcome supporting the College's mission of advancing lifelong learning by integrating workforce-aligned education and flexible pathways that serve learners across every stage of life.
"Project management is both a system for delivering value and a system for learning,” Carter added. “From a systems thinking perspective, both industry and academia require vigorous approaches to benefit realization and project-based learning.”
A Career Catalyst
The courses, taught by experienced project management professionals, are held in Midtown Atlanta in the new 18-story George Tower in Tech Square.
Sarv Kohli, a project management executive, leads one of the courses and sees it as a forward-looking shift in higher education, and an important way to help students build essential adaptability skills.
"Being part of the College of Lifetime Learning’s first Agile Program Management course is a journey into the future of project management delivery,” he said. “As AI and tech redefine the landscape, an Agile mindset is essential for speed-to-market. Agile leadership currently ranks among the fastest-growing global professions across all industries. It's more than a class; it’s a career catalyst.”
Skills for Instant Impact
Candace Washington, the CEO and founder of Concave Management and Concave Engineering, is the latest instructor to join the team and currently teaches the Introduction to Project Management course.
“This course prepares students to lead in complex, interdisciplinary environments, as reflected in the diverse representation of learners from multiple colleges across Georgia Tech,” she explained.
Her approach emphasizes real-world impact.
“We equip students with the practical skills needed to drive outcomes across industries while positioning the College at the forefront of workforce-ready education,” she said.
Built for the Pace of Industry
Through iterative content grounded in real-world context, the students enrolled in these courses are moving at the pace of industry. The result is a more dynamic model of education — one that emphasizes continuous learning.
By bringing together graduate learners from various backgrounds and pairing them with experienced industry practitioners, the College is creating a learning ecosystem that reflects today's realities while anticipating what may come next.
Explore the Courses
Introduction to Project Management (CRN 35327) provides students with a thorough overview of fundamental project management methodology, introducing both principle-based and process-based approaches. Learners gain a foundational understanding of project life cycle management, including predictive/waterfall, adaptive/agile, and hybrid approaches, and learn how to initiate a project and ensure strategic alignment within the organizational context.
Introduction to Agile Program Management (CRN 35329) offers learners a deep dive into the Agile Manifesto, along with principles, mindset, and multiple development approaches that are most relevant in today’s industry. Learners gain an in-depth understanding of scaled process-based approaches for strategic alignment, benefit delivery, value optimization, and the iterative nature of balancing program resources and risk thresholds.
Author: Maria Guerra