Why We Love It
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$141,650Potential Avg. Salary*
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Growing DemandJob Outlook
* Salary & growth data is based on the recent Bureau of Labor and Statistics data published at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119041.htm for 11-9041 Architectural and engineering managers 11/2021. Based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.
A bachelor of science in project management is a specialized business degree tailored to individuals who want work as project managers. Project managers work in a variety of industries—everything from IT to construction.
They manage project budgets, keep projects on track, and ensure the outcome of projects meet stakeholder expectations. This degree program prepares students for successful careers as project managers.
What is a Degree in Project Management?
After completing a bachelor’s degree program in project management, you’ll be prepared to take and excel on the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam.
This credential is expected by most industries that hire project managers to oversee project progress and budgets. In a bachelor’s degree program, students will study concepts that are crucial to success, such as data-driven decision-making, management theory, resource management, and different project management methodologies.
Project management methodologies that students may study include Waterfall, Agile, Lean, and Kanban approaches, among others. Students will learn how to develop a project lifecycle that dictates the different phases of projects, and they’ll learn to define the deliverables expected at each phase that dictate phase completion.
Additionally, they’ll study management and leadership techniques and theories, enabling them to successfully manage a team of individuals from a variety of disciplines.
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What Courses Would I Take For a Major in Project Management?
- Technical and Professional Writing
- Data-Driven Decision-Making
- Accounting
- Spreadsheet Applications
- Management Fundamentals
- Project Risk Management
- Project Cost and Scheduling
- Project Management Tools
What Jobs Can You Get with a Degree in Project Management?
Project managers are crucial for businesses of all types to oversee the progress and budgets of projects, making sure projects are completed on time and within budget. They are also employed by a variety of businesses in many different industries, including healthcare, construction, and government.
For these reasons, demand for effective and educated project managers is expected to be strong throughout the coming decade. Students should be able to find well-paying work as project managers for many different types of businesses.
How Long does it take?
A bachelors in Project Management will have a typical length of 4 years in a full time schedule. That said, there are many ways to speed up the timeframe by either taking more units via online coursework, community college, or taking free classes at OnlineDegree.com that could transfer to universities in the US.
Online Project Management Degree
Project management is among the most popular programs for part-time working students who want to develop their careers. Students are required to complete around 120 credit hours which can typically be completed within 2.5-4 years.
Practical experience is an essential part of project management programs and almost all programs require the delivery of a capstone project for graduation. Master’s degree programs are also available but they are less common compared to undergraduate programs.
What Can You Do With a Project Management Degree?
Project management is a division of management studies that is focused on leadership of business teams to achieve the goals of a project within specified time and using the allocated resources.
Generally, the project is defined by its scope, time, quality and budget along with the objectives set for the project. The aim of applying project management concepts is to develop specified products or services to satisfy target clients. There is high demand around the world for project management graduates and the demand is expected to continue growing in the future.
What does a project management student study?
Project management is a division of business management that focuses on 4 main principles known as the 4 Ps: plan, process, people, and power.
There is a variety of approaches for project management including benefits realization management, critical chain project management, earned value management, iterative and incremental project management, and lean project management.
The following list shows the courses commonly offered in project management degree programs:
- Principles of management: this is the fundamental course of the program which introduces the main management concepts including the six stages of decision making and performance of SWOT analysis.
- Applying leadership principals: this course helps students develop leadership skills including problem-solving and motivation methods.
- Project management tools: this course introduces tools that are used for planning and monitoring the progress of a project. The course includes practical training as students are required to manage a simulation web development project. Tasks include planning, estimation of cost, definition of scope, trade-off decision making, and quality management.
- Project procurement and contract management: students learn the process of procuring projects and drafting of contracts for these projects.
- Risk management: this is an essential part of project management which deals with uncertainties related to projects that may result in undesirable results.
Now I have a degree in project management … what career options are available?
Estimates indicate that there are more than 200,000 project management job openings. Almost all companies, particularly large companies, apply project management methods to achieve specified goals. Project management graduates can specialize in certain field of business.
The following list shows examples of career options available for project management graduates:
- Construction and remodeling: this field has a high demand for project managers since the construction of a building, roads, or other structures is not a continuous process. It is limited by a timeframe and has specific objectives and designs that fit perfectly project management models.
- Web, Software and game development: a website, program or a video game is a separate project which has specific designs. Project managers have the skills to lead the teams of designers, developers, and content creators to fulfill the objectives of these projects utilizing the available resources.
- Market and business analyst: project management graduates have the common management skills and knowledge qualifying them to work as market and business analysts. The role of this position is to determine investment opportunities, and risks in the market and determine the best approaches for market penetration.
Should I choose project management degree?
Studying project management is not only beneficial for your future career but it also helps you develop several important personal skills that are useful for your life in general.
Important skills that you will develop during your study include:
- Leadership skills: this is the core of project management. Students learn how to lead effectively a group of diverse people with different skills and backgrounds.
- Negotiation: this is almost a daily task for project managers who need to negotiate project contracts, or employee tasks and compensations among other negotiations.
- Scheduling: effective planning and scheduling of a project is a key step for the success of the project.
- Communication: project managers need to communicate effectively with the upper management, their teams and clients.
- Critical thinking: you will have to monitor and analyze the progress of the project and determine the causes of delays or problems. You will also have to evaluate the availability of resources and deal effectively with unexpected changes.
- Creativity, innovation, and sense of humor: it is usually not enough to follow the rules and you need to propose your methodology and approach.
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Best Jobs for Project Management Degrees
Individuals with bachelor’s degrees in project management can work as project managers in a variety of industries and sectors. But the skills they learn in school qualify them for a variety of other roles as well.
Many experienced and educated project managers may work as finance managers, controlling business finances; or as risk managers, helping businesses manage the risks of their investments.
How to save time and money
Our mission is to help you to avoid paying full price for college. We want your Project Management degree to be affordable and accessible. Here’s how you could save:
Create Your Free SmartPlan
There are many ways to make college affordable and accessible.
That’s why we created a helpful tool called SmartPlan.
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Think of it as your “college blueprint”, to help you instantly craft a path to your degree:
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Create My SmartPlanGet a Certificate in Project Management First
A certificate program in project management focuses solely on the topics students need to know to excel on the PMP exam. With a certificate in project management, students may be able to take the PMP exam and earn their PMP certification.
This may help them find work in the field sooner, allowing them to earn an income and experience while pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
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