After receiving an email from Munster Technological University (MTU) to promote their new Project Management Diploma course for 2022, it brought back some fond memories from my time on that course back in 2018. I was working in Marketing at the time and wasn’t working as a full-time Project Manager. However I would often get asked to run various initiatives and projects in addition to my day job, so I jumped at the chance when my manager suggested I pursue a suitable course in PM.
On my first day, I was nervously waiting to introduce myself, feeling imposter syndrome to be part of a class of PMs. However as people went around the table, I saw that there was a great mix of individuals involved – some full-time PMs, some who were just starting their careers in this area, and a lot of people like me who had experience running projects but had never learned the formal or “best” way to run them. It was also eye-opening to be in the class with people from different industries. Hearing some of the war stories and case studies from pharma companies, the pace of change within IT companies, the change management practices required to deliver public service projects – all contributed to a huge learning experience.
This course has been life-changing for me in relation to my organisational skills in my everyday work life. It gave me the tools and techniques which I can bring to any project I work on in the future, and I can be much more confident of a successful outcome. What I learned in the Project Management Diploma will stay with me forever.
On our last day, looking around the room six months on from when we first started, the big difference amongst us was our level of confidence;
- Confidence that we had learned the latest and greatest ways to deliver a project;
- Confidence in presenting to a room full of people and dealing with probing questions;
- Confidence in using tools such as MS Project;
- Confidence that we could take on a project brief through to detailed planning and all the way to delivery;
- Confidence that we had taken on a challenging course and passed with flying colours.
I actually felt sad when the course was over (though happy I had no more assignments to complete!).
The Diploma has evolved with the times, with the addition of new content, a streamlining of the assignments and an increased emphasis on ‘Agile Project Management’, and the ability to deliver projects in a virtual world.
I cannot recommend this Diploma highly enough and for anyone considering it, I am happy to have a chat and can be contacted at Sales@Aspira.ie
For those who may be interested in this course, applications are now being taken for the next cohort of the MTU Diploma in Project Management. The course starts on 28th January and takes approximately five months in duration and contains
120 contact training hours. The timetable consists of just one session per week; a mixture of eight Fridays (9am to 4.30pm) and fifteen evening sessions (6.30pm to 9.30pm). The Diploma provides deep insight into the latest thinking on industry standards covering traditional Predictive methods of project planning and delivery and helps students evaluate which PM Certification option may be the best fit, providing dedicated support for exam certification application and preparation.
As Agile Project Management has become commonplace, the Diploma includes detailed insight into the use of Agile methods to deliver projects, showing how Scrum, Lean, Kanban and Agile hybrids apply to different industries. The Diploma incorporates a two-day ScrumMaster Bootcamp, which enables students to sit the Professional Scrum Master™ (PSM) certification exam – a certification that is in high demand with over half a million certified professionals.
For more information, or to apply for the MTU Diploma In Project Management, visit the course page here: https://www.cit.ie/course/CREPMAN8


Clodagh Geary - Sales
Clodagh Geary has worked in Sales & Marketing with Aspira for the past six years, with nine years prior experience in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. In that time she has taken on numerous projects, including the running of the Ireland Chapter PMI National Conference in 2019. Clodagh has worked in diverse industries, from Retail to Healthcare to IT, and through this breadth of experience she sees the value in applying project management skills to different situations.
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