What is a Bachelor’s in Project Management Degree?

The key to successful leadership today is influence not authority – Kenneth Blanchard, author and management expert.

The days of fly-by-night decision making are long gone. In today’s world of complex problems, elusive solutions, and rising information capture successful organizations prioritize a systematic, structured approach to achieving their goals. Creating, executing and analyzing projects that accomplish organizational goals efficiently has become an educational discipline in its own right, project management.

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), “15.7 million new project management roles will be added globally across seven project-intensive industries by 2020.” PMI, the world’s largest project management member association, represents more than 600,000 practitioners in over 185 countries. PMI’s research also found that “every year, the skills shortage will open an estimated 1.57 million jobs across the globe for workers new to project management.”

To get a better sense of what project management is, take a look at the following pieces:

• What is Project Management?
• Is Project Management a Good Career for Me?
• What is a Project Management Degree?
• What Jobs Can I Get with a Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management?

With that background under your belt, let’s take a look at Bachelor’s in Project Management degrees.

What’s in a Bachelor’s in Project Management Degree?

Every program is different, but Bachelor’s in Project Management degrees generally tackle a core of business courses, including management, finance, statistics, marketing, economics, etc. From there, they more focused on project management that overlap with courses in business ethics, business law, economics, finance, marketing, and accounting, among other business specific courses. Project Management Bachelor degrees are often offered in conjunction with a larger school within a college or university, like the Business school. However, there are other extremely valuable specializations that students can take. One common, but excellent example for building a highly-demanded career is combining your project management education with one in:

• Computer Science

This will typically feature courses in:

• Information Systems
• Programing
• Software design
• Information Security

At Project Management Degrees, we’ve put significant time and effort into profiling, ranking and cataloging project management degrees at multiple levels, and have also categorized them by specializations and special features. Some of our top rankings in your search for a Bachelor’s (or other) degree in Project Management include:

• The 20 Best Online Bachelor’s in Project Management Degree Programs. This ranking took into account the school’s tuition, flexibility options, financial aid, and the presence of online or hybrid programming. We also considered academic prestige of the schools ranked, looking at accreditation, class size, and graduation rates among other data.
• The 20 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s in Project Management Degree Programs. This ranking used the same methodology, but with more focus on keeping costs low.
• The 50 Most Affordable Graduate Project Management Degrees Online. Just in case you’ve already earned a Bachelor’s degree, or are close to one in another discipline, you might want to start looking ahead towards an affordable, graduate Project Management degree. We’ve got you covered here.

A project management Bachelor’s education may be a degree in information technology or business with a specialization in project management, or a project management degree that features a concentration in another field. They often include an immersive component, either a capstone project, an internship, or some other practical component that lets students work on the real-world implications of project management. While Project Management degrees may mirror business, computer science, and other more traditional programs, what makes them different is their focus on accomplishing specific goals with the help of a team. Common Project Management courses that reflect these principles include:

• Risk Management
• Procurement Services
• Contracts
• Resources
• Team Leadership

How Long Does a Bachelor’s in Project Management take to Earn?

Bachelor’s degrees typically take four years to earn, but there are accelerated programs (among other delivery formats) that allow students to take greater control over their schedule.

• What credits do you have that might apply towards a Bachelor’s in Project Management?

• Consider the undergraduate credits you may have already earned, or that you could earn quickly. Many programs will accept applicable transfer credits, letting you quickly get to the heart of your Project Management courses. Figuring out how your individual experience and educational history applies to earning a degree in project management can be difficult. We’ve collected some of the best resources on project management in one place, here on our The 20 Best Project Management Blogs of 2018-2019

• Would you prefer to earn your degree over time without having it take over your life?

• Some programs allow students to take courses one at a time, or in a part-time sequence that lets you truly focus on each course while maintaining your current schedule. It’s far more likely you’ll find programs that have these kinds of options online, which is why we’ve prioritized online rankings in project management, including our ranking of The 20 Best Online Bachelor’s in Project Management Degree Programs.

• Would you like to earn your Bachelor’s in Project Management as quickly as possible?

• Some project management degrees feature accelerated programs, letting you get through them and enter your revamped career in the shortest amount of time possible. For example, we’ve ranked the The 10 Fastest Masters in Project Management Degree Programs here. This is a great start for finding accelerated programs, especially at the next level of project management.

• Do you need the most affordable program in Project Management available?

• Sometimes, the ability to pay for an education in project management is the most important factor. With that in mind, we’ve ranked the The 20 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s in Project Management Degree Programs here. This program prioritized schools with significant financial aid, low tuition, while maintaining standards of academic excellence that can be found in all of our rankings.

A Bachelor’s in Project Management is a great way to begin a highly-demanded career. The skills that you learn within these programs are applicable throughout life. No matter where your education and work takes you, you’ll be able to plan complex projects that meet specific goals with the help of an organized team. Earning a Bachelor’s in Project Management (or another degree level in the field) doesn’t have to completely alter your life financially, or in terms of your schedule. We’ve done our best to provide you with comprehensive information about the field, while organizing the schools that best deliver project management education to you, online, in a hybrid format or in-person. Let us help you in your search for a Project Management education that fits your needs and desires. A great way to peruse our full offerings can be found at our Project Management Degrees Sitemap. Good luck!