Online Degrees and Certificates in Project Management
A degree or certification in project management prepares professionals for the challenging task of overseeing projects for a company. Projects managers are trusted with the task of managing a group of people in the completion of a project that is done in a timely and cost-efficient manner, and also delivered on time and on budget. Most of those who study project management do so after achieving a degree in another discipline, and then seeking certification in project management from the Project Management Institute.
Click on the “request info” button next to the school of your choice to receive more information about specific project management degree programs.
Project Management Course Topics
Project managers are in an inherently unique position, in that they are entrusted to run a business’ main operations or tasked with being in leadership positions that affect the company as a whole. Project managers focus on one specific goal, the completion of a project – or multiple projects. That means a set beginning and end time, as well as creation of a timeline that will involve hitting certain goals at certain times.
The Project Management Institute is one of the major providers of project manager credentials. Some of the areas in which a project manager can expect to learn are:
- Business ethics
- Business organizations
- Business communication
- Finance
- Cost accounting
- Managerial accounting
Job Duties for Project Managers
As a project manager, skills are required that allow for effective oversight of a project. These include, but are not limited to, such areas as:
- Analyzing stakeholders. Determining the people who have a stake in the project and its successful conclusion, for executives at the top of the chain to employees doing the actual work.
- Defining expectations. Determining the scope of a project and then sticking to it is an important aspect of project management.
- Developing schedules. It is the project manager’s duty to develop a schedule for all involved with a project, one that is ambitious but also realistic.
Job Outlook in the Field of Project Management
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not keep numbers on project management specifically. According to numbers from Villanova University, who offer a project management certification prep course, the number of new jobs in project management should be about 1 million every year through 2016.
This amazing growth is attributed to expansion of project manager roles in healthcare, technology and green industries, as well as the overall growth in the number of projects worldwide.
Villanova also reports that project managers make about $112,000 per year, with pay varying depending on industry and job location.
