Professional Certificate in Contract Management
Spring Courses Now Available
Contracts are the vehicles through which all essential work is performed. Learn how to manage contracts in nearly any industry by earning your Professional Certificate in Contract Management from SDSU Global Campus.
- Overview
- Courses
- How To Apply
- Resources
About the Program
San Diego has long enjoyed a strong presence of large federal contractors, including the defense industry. Our region has also experienced a rapid growth of telecommunication and biotech firms serving a wide array of commercial markets. The work brought to the area has created abundant opportunities for smaller subcontractors as well. Regardless of the specific industries that these companies serve, they all generate revenue through contracts awarded by their clients. Contracts are the vehicles through which all essential work is performed. A keen understanding of the contracting process and the ability to effectively work within it is paramount to the success of every organization.
If you’re interested in working with contracts, SDSU’s Professional Certificate in Contract Management program will help you acquire the in-demand skills you need to thrive in San Diego’s robust contracting environment. The program is taught by experienced professionals who pair instruction with case studies and hands-on exercises. You’ll learn from a curriculum that’s been continuously updated with topics of interest to both federal and commercial practitioners.
The Professional Certificate in Contract Management is offered in cooperation with the San Diego Chapter of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) and will help you earn the program hours you need to prepare for your CCMA, CFCM, CCCM, and CPCM Certification exams.
With about 20,000 members, the NCMA is the world’s leading resource for contract management professionals. No matter what industry you are focused on, the stage of your career, or your location, there’s an NCMA community for you to join. NCMA connects contract management professionals to help deliver valuable career tools and resources.
Meet Your Instructors
Bryan Felber
Richard McCarvell
Rochelle Lowe
Sean Behan
What Our Students Say
Each instructor was very seasoned in the contracts world, offering structured lessons as well as applying real-world scenarios relatable to the content being presented. The experience the instructors brought to the classroom allowed for excellent discussions in addressing potential solutions that can be applied in the real world. I’m very appreciative for these discussions and excellent presentation of valuable contract management lessons, tools, and skills.
Is This Program Right for Me?
SDSU’s Professional Certificate in Contract Management program is designed for professionals currently working with contracts who want to enhance their résumé, prepare for industry exams, and take on leadership roles in the workplace. It’s also ideal for people who are working with contracts for the first time and need guidance on proper procedures and best practices.
Your classmates hold a variety of positions in all types of industries, including:
- Contract administrators
- Procurement managers
- Quality assurance personnel
- Subcontractors
- Project managers
This program can also help you learn more about the contract management process in engineering, law, business, and other commercial enterprises.
All contract management courses are 100% online and accessible from anywhere in the world. Instructors hold classes one night a week starting at 6:00 pm Pacific Time, which makes it easier to fit the program into your busy schedule. You’ll be able to earn your Contract Management Certificate in as few as twelve months, or take up to five years to complete the program.
I started the SDSU Contract Management program when I worked in the nonprofit sector and wanted to grow my career. As soon as I finished (in a little over a year), I started applying for entry-level defense contractor positions and started receiving replies very quickly. I knew it was mostly due to the professional certificate I was able to highlight as a valuable resource in my resume and cover letter. Having this certificate really opened doors for me to advance my career.
SDSU Alumni Lifetime Member Discount
Are you an SDSU Alumni Lifetime Member? Click here to learn more about how you can receive 20% off registration for this program.
What Can I Learn?
From procurement to proper management, our expert instructors will help you take your career in contract management to new heights. Through a series of intensive online courses, you’ll be able to earn the formal credit hours you need to prepare for your CCMA, CFCM, CCCM and CPCM Certification exams.
You’ll also gain a deeper understanding of the seven core competencies recognized by the National Contract Management Association’s CMBOK, which are:
Leadership
Find out why adept leadership skills are necessary for Contract Management professionals at all levels.
Management
Discover how management competency involves setting goals to enhance both individual proficiency and organizational capability.
Guiding Principles
Learn how to look for defining principles through all phases of the contract life cycle, no matter what each unique situation throws your way.
Pre-Award
Familiarize yourself with the first phase of the contract life cycle, when buyers produce solicitations and sellers prepare offers.
Award
Let us walk you through this often-complicated phase in which the buyer and seller work together to produce a contract.
Post-Award
Dig into contract execution and completion — the contract administration process.
Learn
Continuing education ensures Contract Managers’ commitment to professional development and lifelong learning.
You’ll learn more about contract management through a series of core courses that will help you:
- Develop an understanding of contract types, effective contracting methodologies, and contract law.
- Gain knowledge related to ethical and regulatory aspects of contracting, intellectual property, teaming, and international contracting considerations.
- Learn how to develop proposals that will be responsive to your customer’s requirements, negotiate contracts that will contribute to your company;s success, and effectively manage contracts through completion.
- Increase understanding related to subcontracting such as acquisition planning, solicitation development, sourcing, and cost/price analysis.
In addition to the core courses, you’ll also get the opportunity to customize your curriculum by choosing from several unique elective courses, based on your individual professional needs. Elective topics include advanced negotiation skills, financial management, cost/price analysis, ethics, FAR fundamentals, and more.
I enrolled in the Contract Management program to obtain continuing education units for my existing certifications. I’m extremely satisfied with the program – the courses are led by expert instructors who present interesting and useful information during each session. I regularly used what I learned in each class on the job soon after.
Why Should You Choose Us?
Versatility
Our contract management certificate program is not just for professionals already established in the industry. Whether you’re preparing for an industry exam or you’re just beginning your journey in contract management, our program will help you prepare to work with contracts in nearly any industry.
Local Connections
San Diego is an emerging hub for contract management professionals. You learn directly from some of San Diego’s leading professionals in the federal and commercial fields. Our program gives you the opportunity to form meaningful connections with industry professionals and your fellow classmates.
Accessibility
All courses are 100% online and hold sessions one evening per week, which makes our program more accessible for today’s busy students and working professionals.
Enroll in the Program
Enroll in the program at any time, even before registering for a course. It’s free, and offers many benefits:
- Secure your curriculum (should the requirements change in the future).
- See upcoming courses when you log into your student account.
- Track your progress.
Enrolling in a program doesn’t mean you’re registered for courses. You’ll still need to register and pay for each course you wish to take.
To earn the Professional Certificate in Contract Management, you’ll need to successfully complete six (6) core courses and four (4) elective courses. To earn the affiliated Advanced Certificate, you’ll need to take four (4) additional electives for a total of eight (8) electives.
- You may take as many individual courses as you wish, but all requirements must be completed within five (5) years to earn the Professional Certificate.
Fall 2024 Term Dates
Registration Opens
June 5, 2024 (Deadline dates vary.)
2025 Spring Term Dates
Registration Opens
Oct. 9, 2024 (Deadline dates vary.)
Click the course names below to see Registration Deadline Date, read the course description, view course dates, and register for available courses.
Courses
The entire spectrum of the contracting process (market research to contract closeout) at federal, state, commercial, and international levels will be covered. Topics include: past performance, socioeconomic programs, oral proposals, the political process, plus emerging topics. The student will learn the concepts, terminology, and essential rules of contract management. The course will furnish the student with a solid foundation for more advanced studies in contracting.
Designed to provide a working knowledge of contract types, grants, and effective contracting methodologies. Students will receive an overview of the contract types most frequently used in federal contracting, including factors in the selection of contract types, applicable contract clauses, as well as the basic principles and limitations governing their use. Course topic will also cover how contracts differ from grants.
Spring ’25 Registration Ends: January 10, 2025
Designed to enhance knowledge of negotiations and provide negotiating experience to individuals involved in contract administration, pricing, purchasing, project management, marketing, and engineering. Classes will include a combination of lectures (covering buyer, seller, government, and commercial perspectives) and mock negotiations, seeking to reach agreement on a variety of issues.
Next Session: Spring 2025, 1/15-2/19
- Section:
- 25SP 99170 CS
- Location:
- Online
- Day(s):
- Wednesday
- Time:
- 6:00pm – 9:00pm PST
- Instructor
It’s recommended to first enroll in the program (it’s free and no obligation!) Then register for the course(s) you intend to take!
Spring ’25 Registration Ends: February 27, 2025
Students will follow the day-to-day management of government and commercial contracts in this course. This will include the review and execution of new contractual authorizations; coping with daily administration matters; obtaining timely and full payments; dealing with contract changes, modifications and terminations; and issuance of subcontracts.
Next Session: Spring 2025, 4/1-5/6
It’s recommended to first enroll in the program (it’s free and no obligation!) Then register for the course(s) you intend to take!
This course will focus on writing effective proposals (cost and business volumes) and other communication topics encountered in the contracting environment. Topics will include effective solicitation review, proposal writing strategies and techniques, proposal review scenarios, and appropriate communication methods for various proposal and contractual situations. A number of case studies and hands-on exercises involving verbal and written communication scenarios will be utilized to emphasize key concepts.
Spring ’25 Registration Ends: February 13, 2025
This course focuses on those legal and regulatory aspects of the government acquisition process important to the creation and administration of contract formation, interpretation, and performance.
Next Session: Spring 2025, 2/18-3/25
- Section:
- 25SP 99172 CS
- Location:
- Online
- Day(s):
- Tuesday
- Time:
- 6:00pm – 9:00pm PST
- Instructor
- Claudia Marquez Puebla
It’s recommended to first enroll in the program (it’s free and no obligation!) Then register for the course(s) you intend to take!
Elective Courses
Spring ’25 Registration Ends: January 22, 2025
This course will discuss the strategic and practical aspects of partnering with other companies including the use of a variety of contractual documents to implement these relationships such as teaming agreements, joint ventures, reseller agreements and subcontracts. The applicability of each potential relationship will be addressed along with implementation practices and risks associated in both the government and commercial business sectors. Emphasis will be on strategy and planning necessary for the successful use of each technique, typical negotiation issues and approaches, and keys to successful management of such agreements once established.
Next Session: Spring 2025, 1/27-3/3
- Section:
- 25SP 99171 CS
- Location:
- Online
- Day(s):
- Monday
- Time:
- 6:00pm – 9:00pm PST
- Instructor
- Bryan Felber
It’s recommended to first enroll in the program (it’s free and no obligation!) Then register for the course(s) you intend to take!
The emphasis of this course is on how to maximize the use of adequate price competition in the source selection process. It includes how to remove barriers to competition and find qualified, responsible sources, at a fair and reasonable price. In the absence of competition, other price analysis methods and techniques are used to develop contract price objectives and provide a basis for negotiation. Instruction covers the application of cost analysis techniques, when it is performed, and how to analyze specific elements of a suppliers cost. Cost elements include direct material, direct labor, other direct costs, indirect costs, and profit or fee. Using case studies, students will learn about the tools and techniques involved in cost/price analysis.
San Diego is a “hotbed” of high technology with heavy concentrations of biotech, telecommunication, and defense firms. Many contract managers and procurement professionals encounter intellectual property issues on a daily basis. This course will introduce students to the four areas of intellectual property; patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, and how they interact with the contracting/procurement profession. One class session will specifically address the licensing of intellectual property and technology. Students in this course will be able to directly apply course information to their job or business.
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Spring ’25 Registration Ends: February 21, 2025
This course will discuss the practical aspects and critical requirements of compliance and ethics within any organization. Emphasis will be on compliance and ethical issues relating to contracting, project management, and the statutory and other regulatory requirements of these activities. The course will cover topics such as: creating and maintaining an ethical workplace; how to ensure compliance with laws, rules and regulations; what can go wrong, and the business implications if it does.
Next Session: Spring 2025, 2/26-4/2
- Section:
- 25SP 99173 CS
- Location:
- Online
- Day(s):
- Wednesday
- Time:
- 6:00pm – 9:00pm PST
- Instructor
- Rochelle Lowe
It’s recommended to first enroll in the program (it’s free and no obligation!) Then register for the course(s) you intend to take!
Spring ’25 Registration Ends: March 31, 2025
What you need to know to establish an accounting system that can be audited for a government contract and financially manage the contract once it is awarded. This course presents an overview of government cost accounting practices, concepts and controls; government audit and contractor interface relationships, FAR cost principles, TINA, role of DCAA/DCMA, and emerging patterns of government financial policy. The course examines financial and administrative issues related to management of government contracts and funding government contracts including various types of direct and indirect costs for different forms of organizations and operations; elements of indirect rates, billing, fee recovery and final settlement; contract cost principles of allowability, advanced agreements, and disallowance of costs; cost accounting standards, rules, regulations, and contract provisions, including administration of accounting changes and noncompliance actions.
Next Session: Spring 2025, 4/3-5/8
- Section:
- 25SP 99175 CS
- Location:
- Online
- Day(s):
- Thursday
- Time:
- 6:00pm – 9:00pm PDT
- Instructor
It’s recommended to first enroll in the program (it’s free and no obligation!) Then register for the course(s) you intend to take!
Fall ’24 Registration Ends: November 7, 2024
The objective of this course is to prepare the student to use the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to solve Federal contract management issues. The course will cover the origin of the FAR System, the organization and arrangement of the FAR, agency implementation and supplementation of the FAR, deviations from the FAR, and the incorporation of clauses and provisions. Students will learn techniques for researching, interpreting, and applying the FAR to real-world contracting scenarios. The emphasis of the course will be on the development of practical skills.
Most projects involve buying goods or services. Project managers don’t have to be expert technical buyers, but they do need to understand the buying process, particularly how to clearly define what they want and manage what they get. Clearly drawing the line between scope performed by the team and what has been outsourced has important ramifications for the ultimate success of the project. Participants will learn the processes required to ensure their projects meet their original goal and gain an understanding of the activities that determine the quality policy, objectives, responsibility, and implementation.
Learn the best-known technique for monitoring overall project performance against cost and schedule expectations. Gain a “big-picture” view of how your project is progressing and then drill down to specific problem areas.
- Prerequisites:
- PM0004 Introduction to Project Management or PM0008 Scope, Schedule and Cost.
Dates and fees subject to change. This schedule is tentative and dates subject to change. Courses meet one night a week, 6-9pm.
Finished All The Required Courses?
Click the button below to receive your certificate.
Enroll in the Program
Enroll in the program at any time, even before registering for a course. It’s free, and offers many benefits:
- Secure your curriculum (should the requirements change in the future).
- See upcoming courses when you log into your student account.
- Track your progress.
Enrolling in a program doesn’t mean you’re registered for courses. You’ll still need to register and pay for each course you wish to take.
Registration Instructions
To register for courses in the Project Management program, please complete the following steps:
- Log into your SDSU Global Campus Account, if you haven’t already done so.
- Choose your courses in the “Courses” tab.
- Click here to get started!
- Check the dates and times to ensure that you can attend all sessions of the course.
- Click “Add to Cart.”
- Add more courses to your cart or click “Checkout.”
- Pay for your course(s).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This certificate program aligns to NCMA standards and provides students with the competencies and skills to be successful on any of the four NCMA Exams (CCMA, CFCM, CCCM and CPCM). Each class counts as 18 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits.
Yes! Our students have found that the skills they learn in the contract management certificate program have helped them move up in their careers, either into a contract management role or another position that requires some contract management knowledge.
You can check your progress by logging into your SDSU Global Campus student account. If you need assistance with your account, contact our Registration staff at 619-594-5152 or enrollment.global@sdsu.edu
Our courses are fully-online and accessible from anywhere in the world, unless otherwise noted. Instructors hold classes one night per week, which makes it easier to fit the program into your busy schedule.
Classes in the Project Management Certificate program are held via live (synchronous) Zoom sessions, usually held in the evenings for students who may work or have family commitments during the day. Please click on the course descriptions for specific dates and times.
No textbooks are required. All materials will be provided through the program.
Once you’ve completed all the program requirements, fill out and submit a certificate request form. SDSU Global Campus will verify that you’ve completed all the required courses and assignments. Once you’ve been verified, you’ll receive a digital copy of your certificate.
Ready to take the next step? First, enroll in the program. Then click on the Courses tab to browse our courses and register. If you have any questions about the program, our Welcome Center can help! Fill out the form at the bottom of this page to get in touch.