Project Management for the Biological Sciences

Effective project management is crucial in research, conservation, community outreach, and other endeavors in the biological sciences. In this interactive course, you will build skills and knowledge that will help you run projects more efficiently and strengthen your ability to clearly explain project plans to various audiences. We will examine the stages of the project life cycle focusing on best practices for each stage as we cover topics including planning processes, management tools and strategies, and evaluation metrics. We will also consider the human elements of projects, including navigating team dynamics and coordinating with external collaborators and stakeholders. The course will comprise engaging pre-recorded lectures, interactive discussions, and activities where you will apply your learning to real projects on which you are working.

Summer: July 7 – September 21, 2025

*Early bird saves $75

Early bird ends June 7

Module 1: Building a foundation in project management

Learning Objective: To understand core concepts in project management.

Lecture 1: Course overview/intro to project management

Lecture 2: The project life cycle

Lecture 3: Roles and responsibilities

Learning Outcomes:

• Define key terms in project management

• Describe the stages of the project life cycle

• Identify roles and responsibilities for team members

• Define a project’s success

Module 2: Defining a project

Learning Objective: To understand internal and external factors affecting projects and use that knowledge to develop a clearly defined project.

Lecture 4: Project scope and constraints

Lecture 5: SWOT analyses and logic models

Lecture 6: Project rules and assessment metrics

Lecture 7: Stakeholder analysis

Learning Outcomes: 

• Develop statements of project scope

• Identify and evaluate project constraints

• Perform SWOT analyses and interpret their results

• Develop and apply logic models and project rules

• Evaluate the roles of various stakeholders

Module 3: Project planning

Learning Objective: To understand tools and strategies for planning a project and efficiently managing resources.

Lecture 7: Breaking work into objectives, goals, and tasks

Lecture 8: Risk management

Lecture 9: Time management

Lecture 10: Budgets

Learning Outcomes:

• Develop a project plan, including identifying goals, objectives, and tasks

• Identify and evaluate risks to the project

• Develop and implement time management strategies 

• Estimate budgets

• Identify and implement project management tools/technology

Module 4: Navigating team dynamics

Learning Objective: To learn strategies for managing personnel.

Lecture 12: Team science and effective communication

Lecture 13: Project leadership

Lecture 14: Working with external partners

Learning Outcomes: 

• Assess team dynamics and implement strategies for maintaining motivation

• Develop and implement effective communication strategies 

• Identify and evaluate leadership styles

• Evaluate the role of external partners and their associated challenges and opportunities

Module 5: Project execution and evaluation

Objective: To learn strategies for maintaining project progress and coping with common challenges.

Lecture 15: Measuring progress and performance

Lecture 16: Scope creep and other challenges

Outcomes:

• Develop and implement metrics for assessing project progress and team performance

• Develop and evaluate project reports

• Identify and mitigate project challenges, including scope creep

Module 6: Project closure

Objective: To understand the key steps in closing out a project, ways of sharing results, and how to leverage lessons learned.

Lecture 17: Final reporting, archiving, and communicating results

Lecture 18: Examining lessons learned

Outcomes:

• Develop and implement a checklist for project closure

• Identify and select channels for communicating results

• Develop effective communication products

• Develop a plan for archiving project materials

• Evaluate the overall project life cycle to identify lessons learned

FORMAT:

• 3 months of access to course materials as you work at your own pace 

• Get instructor support for the 3-month term via email, discussion threads, group meetings, and one-on-one appointments

• After working through the course materials, set up an optional meeting with the instructor to discuss your own personal project from work or school

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

• 16 CEUs with The Wildlife Society

CERTIFICATIONS:

• Earn 1 credit toward certification as an Associate/Certified Wildlife Biologist® (at any level) with The Wildlife Society

FORMAT:

• 12 months of access to course materials as you work at your own pace 

• Get instructor support for the 3-month term via email, discussion threads, group meetings, and one-on-one appointments

• After working through the course materials, set up an optional meeting with the instructor to discuss your own personal project from work or school

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

• 16 CEUs with The Wildlife Society

• Go to our Continuing Education Page for more details

CERTIFICATIONS:

• Earn 1 credit toward a Professional Certificate in Conservation Planning with CWS

ACADEMIC CREDIT:

• Earn 1 academic credit (go to our Academic Credit Page for details)

• Earn an additional 1-2 academic credits with an Applied Project