This study aims to investigate the impact of Project Management courses offered by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Public and Private Sector Project Management in Malawi. Project Management (PM) is offered as a course by Higher Education Institutions to impart knowledge to students which is essential for the success of projects. The study was conducted in five (5) HEIs out of thirteen (13) HEIs available in Malawi, representing 40%. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The study found out that despite HEIs offering Project Management courses, the Public and Private PM Sector in Malawi does not conform to the four (4) fundamental criteria of PM, which include: project scope; budget; timeframe, and quality requirements. This is so because Project Management in Malawi is not offered at undergraduate making it difficult for students to grasp PM principles. This has resulted in the untimely completion of several projects in Malawi mainly in the construction industry. There is a low success rate of projects in Malawi indicating a very low impact on the Public and Private PM sectors in Malawi. The study, therefore, recommends that HEIs should consider offering the PM course earlier to students. Policymakers must set effective and realistic policies to bring about project success and ensure that the projects bring about meaningful development in Malawi.
Keywords:Project Management; Private and Public Sector; Higher Education Institutions; Policy Makers.