Do you thrive in a leadership role? Are you an effective communicator able to delegate tasks? If you answered yes, project management could be a career option for you. 

These professionals have a variety of responsibilities and are essential to a wide range of industries, from construction to banking, both big and small. However, if you are serious about taking on a project management role, it’s time to explore degree options. Continue reading to learn more about project management degree programs and career options for project managers. 

Project management involves planning and organizing a company’s resources to move a particular task or event to completion, although some projects can be deemed ongoing. In addition to resource management, project managers are responsible for initiating, designing, and monitoring, and in the case of a finite undertaking, closing a project. One such example would be launching a new product or service.

While you could learn and develop the skills necessary for a project manager on the job, most companies and organizations look to hire professionals with a degree. Either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in project management allows a candidate to gain the industry certification of Project Management Professional (PMP). Note, it is possible for someone without a degree to earn their PMP, it will just require additional work experience than someone with a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Minus the degree and/or certification, you may find yourself at a disadvantage when competing for higher-paying positions in project management. 

Although education requirements differ among employers, many colleges and universities offer varying levels of project management degrees. If you’re interested in learning about project management, but don’t want to go back to school, you may want to consider earning a project management certificate.

Unlike many occupations that require a degree in a specific field of study, a project management professional may find a degree related to their current career path such as engineering, construction, or business more relevant and advantageous when combined with their on-the-job experience. 

The length of time it takes to become a PM varies based on the education path you choose, along with the required years of experience a company may want you to have. While earning a CAPM or PMP certification can anywhere from three to secen years, neither one can guarantee a PM job immediately upon completion.

To be successful, a project manager relies on a wide set of skills every day. Here are some examples of them:

Since a large part of project management is leadership, one must practice leadership daily to succeed.

Effective communication is important for any employee, more so for a leadership position like a project manager. The difference between excellent and poor communication skills could be the success or failure of a project.

When working as a team, discrepancies, setbacks and conflicts are likely to arise. In your role as a project manager, it will be beneficial to the success of any project that you can manage such situations.

As a project manager, it is your responsibility to be objective when addressing project issues. Critical thinking can help you analyze and evaluate the situation without emotion or bias.

Although most projects have time constraints, practicing patience will come in handy. Rushing through the process can lead to mistakes and project failure. 

To achieve project goals within your timeframe, it’s a good idea to set up a realistic schedule and manage your resources to ensure your project stays on track.

Knowledge of the business or industry you are in, along with its platforms and systems, can build your team’s confidence in you and make communicating with and leading the group easier.

Overseeing the tasks and activities involved in bringing your project to fruition requires you to ensure the end product or service will be of the best quality.

As a project manager, it is important to stay proficient with technological tools such as the project management software used throughout the project process. Any lapse could cause interruptions in the project and threaten the project’s completion.

Accountability can impact the success of any project. The project manager must accept the overall responsibility of the project while making team expectations clear. 

Any time you consider a career option, you should question the benefits of choosing a particular path. Becoming a project manager is no different. Here are a few reasons why a role in project management could be a fulfilling career choice is a win-win.

For a project manager, the work opportunities are vast, as this role is not limited to a particular industry or sector. 

Each project you oversee as a PM is diverse and can provide you with exciting challenges to keep you interested and motivated.

If you love to learn, a project manager’s role will expose you to a host of learning opportunities in almost every project. 

Having success as a PM can make you a highly marketable and valued employee. The knowledge and skills gained from each critical phase of a project can help you grow professionally.

There are so many industries that need project managers for client success, including construction, engineering, health care, information technology and financial services. Employers are projected to need to fill almost 2.2 million new project-related roles each year until 2027, according to the PMI Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap report (PDF, 2.4 MB) .

Project management roles demand better-than-average salaries. The median salary for project management personnel with a PMP certification was $112,000 in 2017. Those with less than three years of experience earn an average of $75,000, according to the Project Management Salary Survey 10th Edition (PDF, 3.5 MB).

According to the PMI Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap report (PDF, 2.4 MB), employers will need 87.7 million people working in project management roles, with manufacturing and construction leading the way with 9.7 million openings, followed by information services and publishing with 5.5 million. 

Last Updated August 2020