Online Project Management Training: What Are the Options?

Getting a degree in project management is the best way to advance in your field, qualifying for better jobs with more responsibilities and higher pay rates. College can be expensive, though, and by going to school online, as well as by finding scholarships and grants, you can cut some of the costs, making a degree more affordable. But when it comes to online project management training, what are your options?

Bachelor’s Degree

Before you can qualify for a master’s degree, you need a bachelor’s degree in the field. Few projects offer bachelor’s degrees in just project management; you’re expected to first complete a degree in a field related to your industry. This can be computer sciences, engineering, information technology, communications, business or any one of the many other bachelor’s degrees related to project management. The best option is to get a degree in the field that interests you most. Some even offer specializations or concentrations in project management.

Masters of Science in Project Management

A masters of science in project management will directly prepare you for a career as a project manager, but will not cover specifics relating to any one industry. In order to enter this type of degree program, you typically need at least a decade of work experience, and some programs require even more. The curriculum will prepare you for problem solving challenges by focusing on teaching you how to lead a team, organize others, participate in research, and more.

Masters of Business Administration in Project Management

With an MBA in project management, your master’s degree will be wider, without quite as much project management focus. However, you’ll qualify to begin working toward this degree much more quickly; many MBA programs even accept students straight from bachelor’s degree programs with little to no work experience. An added benefit of getting your MBA in project management is that you’ll qualify for more jobs, since you’ll have a degree in business. Although you may want a job in project management, it can be hard to find a position open in this field, depending on where you want to live. There are more job opportunities for general business students, so you won’t be out of work while you search for that perfect project management job.

Other Master’s Degrees with Project Management Concentrations

While an MBA with a concentration in project management is most common, you can also find other types of masters degree programs that offer concentrations in this area. Communications and information technology are two of the other common fields to have project management degree concentrations, and like with an MBA, the benefit here is that you can get your degree more quickly. You’ll also be qualified for a wider range of jobs. At the end of the day, though, all of these online degrees lead to one place – a career in project management. How you get there depend on your personal preferences.

Top Master of Project Management Degrees

Project managers are relied on to plan and execute projects within a wide variety of industries, including computer networking/IT, construction, software development, telecommunications, and more. Typically, project managers should have at least a four-year bachelor's degree, but employers usually prefer a master's degree (either an MS, MA, or MBA). The schools below all offer accredited online degree programs specializing in project management.

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