A three-tiered pathway starting with the Preparatory Institute for Project Management (PIPM), advancing through the Institute for Project Management (IPM), and culminating in the Advanced Institute for Project Management (AIPM). Each course builds on the last to develop well-rounded, strategic project leaders.
Check the Status of Our Current Offerings Below. If you have any questions, please contact events@mcaa.org for additional information.
Project Management Education Programs
Offerings of all levels of Project Management Experience.
Preparatory Institute for Project Management (PIPM)
- Teaches the basics of project management to students with -3 years experience
- Taught entirely online, over 12 weeks
- Live weekly lectures by active mechanical contractor istructors
PIPM Course Details
COURSE OVERVIEW
The Preparatory Institute for Project Management (PIPM) is an online 12-week program, taught as a series of 90-minute classes, covering topics fundamental to project management at an introductory level.
CURRICULUM
PIPM is designed and taught by 6 experienced contractors and professional instructors who have first-hand understanding of the challenges facing project managers, and the skills required to meet those challenges.
Each session is a combination of lecture and Q&A, ensuring that students are involved in a dynamic learning experience. Participants will complete weekly quizzes and homework assignments, demonstrating what they have learned. Upon completion of all course requirements (lectures, quizzes, and homework), students will receive MCAA Pre-IPM certification.
- Understanding The Project Manager’s Role
- Planning: The Key to Successful Projects
- The Project Manager’s Impact on Productivity
- Knowing Your Costs, Catching Problems Early, and Getting Paid
- Documentation: Why Great Projects Need Great Records
- Project Scheduling: The Importance of Having a Clear Game Plan
- Relationships Are Everything: Understanding Yourself and Managing Others
- Being A Professional: Problem-Solving and Issue Resolution
- Change Orders 101: Identification, Importance, and Management
- Time Management & Personal Efficiency
- Leadership at All Levels: Your Ability to Influence Others
- Project Completion: Starting Strong and Finishing Stronger
AUDIENCE
Individuals on the project management track, who have relatively little (0-3 years) experience, including Assistant Project Managers, Project Engineers, recent college graduates, and employees transitioning from field to office, or from estimating to project management.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
- Participants must attend all 12 lectures to be eligible for certification. Lectures will not be recorded.
- Students must complete all quizzes and submit all homework assignments by their respective deadlines
- Students must be able to participate on a computer (not a tablet or phone), with audio and video capability and a reliable high-speed internet connection that allows video streaming. Each student must be signed in on their own computer, and must be prepared to come onscreen and ask/respond to questions.
REGISTRATION
- Registration is done via the calendar of events.
- Registration is first-come, first-served.
- There is no limit on the number of participants a company may enroll.
- The course cost of $1,075 per student, is to be paid during the online registration process.
- Refunds will not be issued after the first day of class, nor for partial completion of the program.
CONTACT
Contact events@mcaa.org for additional information.
Institute for Project Management (IPM)
- For Project Managers with 3-5 years of experience
- Two weeks of hands-on learning in Austin, TX, led by volunteer contractors and instructors
- Students build long-tern relationships and learn from peers across the country
IPM Course Details
COURSE OVERVIEW
MCAA’s Institute for Project Management (IPM) is a unique educational opportunity designed by mechanical contractors, for mechanical contractors. This two-week program provides intensive, in-depth coverage of a host of topics essential to successful mechanical project management. The IPM is designed to provide attendees with real-world skills that can be taken back to their companies and immediately applied to their work.
CURRICULUM
Taught as a combination of lecture and problem-solving workshops, sessions are presented by both industry experts and professional educators, all of whom have practical experience in the field of mechanical contracting. The IPM curriculum is constantly evaluated and developed to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of the industry. In addition to practical lessons learned in the classes described below, the IPM provides peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities that are every bit as valuable as the in-classroom learning.
- Interpersonal Skills of the Project Team
- The Mechanical Project Manager: President of your Projects
- Planning for Profitability
- Managing Project Schedules
- Leveraging BIM, Tech, & Fab
- Controlling Project Cost & Cash
- Negotiating Skills for Project Managers
- Strategies for Success
- Contract & Construction Law
- Change Management
- The Busted Play: Change Order Negotiation Workshop
- “Crisis at the Jobsite” – Case Study
- Leadership: The President of Your Projects
AUDIENCE
IPM is appropriate for Project Managers/Engineers with 3+ years of project management experience, foremen transitioning to a PM role, superintendents or general foremen with management responsibility, and estimators transitioning to a PM role or currently managing work that meets the following criteria:
- Managing projects with profit/loss responsibility;
- Assisting in the management of projects;
- Managing projects with or without jobsite staff; and/or
- Managing multiple projects.
Project Managers/PEs/APMs with less than 3 years of experience are encouraged to attend the Preparatory Institute for Project Management (link to above section).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
- NONE
REGISTRATION
- Registration is done via the calendar of events.
- Registration is first-come, first-served.
- Companies may enroll one PM in either class (Sunday-start or Monday-start), but not both.
- Note: For the purposes of IPM registration, each company office that is a separate dues-paying entity will be considered its own company.
- The course cost of $5,000 per student does not include the cost of accommodations. IPM participants are now required to book their own accommodations at the event venue and will receive emailed instructions on how to do so once they have registered for the program.
- Refunds will not be issued after the first day of class, nor for partial completion of the program.
CONTACT
Contact events@mcaa.org for additional information.
Advanced Institute for Project Management (AIPM)
- For Senior Project Managers and Ops Managers – people with 8+ years of project management experience
- A one-week intensive program in Austin
- Addresses the challenges of managing other project managers, and multiple large projects
AIPM Course Details
COURSE OVERVIEW
MCAA’s Advanced Institute for Project Management (AIPM) is designed for seasoned project managers, project executives, and operations managers. This one-week, onsite course provides 40 hours of world-class, industry-specific, project management education.
Graduates of the AIPM will bring back to their companies proven strategies for making projects even more successful and will gain an increased understanding of how projects have impact at the company level. Attendees learn and practice the critical senior level project management skills needed to:
- Develop their teams and those around them through the exploration of leadership best practices
- Avoid legal issues where possible; and be prepared to properly handle claims when they occur
- Understand project accounting within the context of company financials
- Establish goals for productivity and profitability at the project level and beyond
- Implement effective operational management strategies
In addition to practical skill-building, the AIPM offers the opportunity for extensive networking and peer-to-peer learning. Moreover, the program gives attendees the chance to ask questions of leaders from top-tier mechanical contractors and get a broad range of insight and advice on any and all industry issues.
CURRICULUM
Sessions are taught by leaders of MCAA member companies along with professional consultants, and all instructors have extensive experience in the mechanical industry.
Instruction includes the following topics:
- Leadership Skills
- Financial Literacy
- Legal Issues & Claims Avoidance
- Scheduling & Productivity Impacts
- Effective Notice & Negotiation
- Operational Management Best Practices
- Open Forum: Q&A With Industry Experts
AUDIENCE
Experienced project managers, senior project managers, and project executives or operations officers with 8+ years of mechanical project management experience who meet the following criteria:
- Management of other project managers
- Management of large projects with oversight of self-sufficient jobsite staff
- Management of a book of work under individual income statement
- Management of a project management department
- Management of all or project driven portion of company operations
It is recommended that attendees have 8+ years of mechanical project management experience. The Institute for Project Management (link to above section)is not a prerequisite, but the vast majority of participants complete IPM prior to attending AIPM.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
- NONE
REGISTRATION
- Registration is done via the calendar of events.
- Registration is first-come, first-served.
- There is a per-company cap of one student per dues paying office.
- Note: For the purposes of AIPM registration, each company office that is a separate dues-paying entity will be considered its own company. The ‘one participant’ limit will apply to each office individually.
- The course cost of $3,100 per student does not include accommodations. AIPM participants are now required to book their own accommodations at the event venue and will receive emailed instructions on how to do so once they have registered for the program.
CONTACT
Contact events@mcaa.org for additional information.
FEATURED EVENT
2026 NCPWB Technical Conference
April 26-29, 2026
San Antonio, TX
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