Abstract:

Projects are key drivers of innovation, and project management is the essential qualification for managing them efficiently and effectively. In times of rapid technological change, economic and social challenges, and increasing competition, project management is crucial to success.

Many universities now recognize the importance of project management skills and have integrated related courses into their curricula. However, these courses vary widely in focus, traditional plan-based or agile approaches, available time, and achieved competence levels. Some follow international standards, while others take empirical approaches. This makes it difficult for both students and their potential future employers to assess the actual skills and plan a realistic career path in project management.

Some students, thus, pursue professional certificates from institutions such as the Project Management Institute (PMI), the International Project Management Association (IPMA), PRINCE2, Scrum.org, or the Scrum Alliance. However, these certifications often restrict student access due to prerequisites like prior professional experience, high costs, or mandatory training. Moreover, many focus exclusively on either traditional or agile methods, whereas modern managers need a broad range of tools to address complex challenges.

To overcome these limitations, several German universities launched the “Modern Project Management” certification system in 2019, available in German and English. Open to all degree programs and partner universities, it offers free materials and exams. Based on Bloom’s revised Taxonomy, it defines three competence levels:
- The first level, “Foundation”, covers the “remembering” and “understanding” levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. It is assessed through a 50-question online multiple-choice exam.
- The second level, “Professional”, reflects the “apply” and “analyze” levels. Students must plan and execute a real project, documented in a 20-page report, often linked to internships or theses.
- The third level, “Excellence”, represents the “evaluate” and “design” levels. Assessment occurs in a one-day assessment center where participants solve a complex case study.

These levels build on one another. Topics include project management standards, process models, plan-based, agile, and hybrid approaches (including tailoring), and leadership.

This paper explains and evaluates the certification system through an online survey. For the latter, all successful participants since 2019 were surveyed, showing high satisfaction. Many, already employed, confirmed the certificates’ career relevance. Most rated the content and qualification levels as appropriate. Employers value the cross-university cooperation establishing a shared understanding of modern project management. The paper concludes with key insights and improvement opportunities.

The paper is expected to comply to the call for papers of the 2026 INTED conference, e.g. to the topic “Employability Issues and Trends”.

Keywords:

Project management, certification, education, cross-university collaboration.