Every project needs one schedule that outranks the others — the master. This Excel template holds the full project timeline: phases, milestones, dependencies, and dates, in a format that stays readable as the plan grows.

Master schedule vs. working schedules

Look-aheads and sprint plans change weekly; the master schedule changes deliberately. It’s the baseline you measure drift against and the document you show owners and sponsors. Keeping it in a structured Excel format means anyone can open it — no scheduling-software license required on the reader’s side.

What’s inside the template

• Phase and milestone structure with start/finish dates
• Timeline visualization built from the schedule table
• Room for baseline vs. actual comparison as the project runs

How to use it

1. Build the phase structure and key milestones first.
2. Add detail tasks under each phase with dates.
3. Freeze the baseline; update actuals as the work lands.

All our templates run in Microsoft Excel 2010 or later on Windows. They use macros for their built-in automation — when you first open one, click Enable Content in the yellow bar and everything works.

Get the template

Download the Master Project Schedule Template — $7.99, one-time payment, lifetime use, backed by our refund guarantee. It arrives as an instant download with a quick-start guide.

Need more than one template? The Plus Plan includes 150 professional project management templates for $60 — this one and everything around it.