Top Online Project Management Degree Programs and Industry Salary 2023/2024

Today we will dive in and have a look at the Top Online Project Management Degree and Industry Salary, Careers, Opportunities, etc.

An online project management degree can open a lot of doors for your career. Whether you’re interested in business, retail, marketing, technology or supply chain operation, your industry will likely need project managers, and a good degree program from an accredited university can help you fulfill that role.

Courses for an Online Project Management Degree

Project management degrees are designed to teach the basics of business and leadership while also building specific skills in things like budgeting, scheduling, marketing, financing, and managing employees.

You can get a general project management degree, or you can specialize in a related subject like economics, human resources, or business administration.

Here are a few courses that you will likely see on your degree map:

Organizational Behavior: Organizational behavior is the study of how humans behave in groups. It combines everything from psychological theory to real-world communication techniques, so it’s a standard course in business-related majors.

It can help you learn valuable skills for a career in sales, marketing, communications, human resources, or public relations.

Finance: You don’t need to be a math whiz to be a project manager, but you should get comfortable dealing with numbers. It might be part of your everyday job to analyze budgets, profits, projections, and statistics.

Finance classes go by many different names, but students typically start with “Introduction to Finance” or “Principles of Finance” courses before moving onto harder subjects.

Marketing: Marketing can play a big part in the success of a business, so even if you aren’t pursuing a career in an advertising field, you can benefit from marketing classes. They usually incorporate elements of psychology, sociology, and technology, and they can help you build a solid foundation in things like communication and media studies.

Information Systems: You’ll deal with a lot of computerized systems as a business leader in the 21st century. The software ranges from enterprise resource management (ERM) to customer relationship management (CRM), and you’ll need to understand how it all works if you’re going to keep a company running.

Expect to take multiple classes in information systems.

Principles of Business Management: This is a standard introductory class for students who are interested in business administration or business management. It covers the essentials, and it can also serve as a springboard for further study.

For example, you might go from “Principles of Business Management” to “Business Policy and Strategy” or “Operational Decision Making.”

Business Law: This is another class that can go by many different names, but its fundamental teachings are the same. From the ethics of certain business practices to the complex legal dilemmas that you might face with products, services, vendors, and employees, it can be a tough world out there for project managers.

You’ll need these classes to learn how to navigate sticky situations.

What Can I Do with a Degree in Project Management?

You can potentially make a lot of money with a degree in project management. According to industry estimates, the average salary for U.S. project managers is $112,000 per year, and the top earners can clear as much as $130,000 per year.

You don’t have to become a project manager, however, just because you have a project management degree. There will be a variety of careers to pursue. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some careers in the project management field include:

Keep in mind that these are just average salaries. Your actual salary will depend on things like location, education, experience, certification, job title, and overall industry demand.

For instance, having an online masters in project management has more potential to help you obtain a larger annual salary than a bachelor’s degree.

Professional Organizations for Those with a Degree in Project Management

Professional organizations can offer many resources for project management majors. As a bonus, they can also support you after graduation with workshops, conferences, job opportunities, and up-to-date academic research within your industry.

Here are just a few organizations that you might consider joining.

American Management Association

The American Management Association (AMA) offers a variety of courses that can supplement your education in business management. Whether you’re interested in analytics, customer service, business writing, strategic planning, or even just building your interpersonal skills, they have a variety of courses to consider.

International Project Management Association

With its global focus, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) is for business leaders who don’t believe in borders. It offers everything from special events to online videos about project management, and it’s even qualified to award four different certifications for project managers.

Project Management Institute

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the biggest of its kind, with more than 500,000 members worldwide. It offers workshops, conferences, journals, product discounts, and more. It can help you get certified with a professional title. You can download document templates for typical project management paperwork. PMI does it all.

Online Project Management Certification

If you’re interested in certifying yourself as a project management professional, there are several options available to you:

• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
• Program Management Professional (PgMP)
• PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)
• PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)

The gold standard, however, is becoming a Project Management Professional (PMP). It’s offered by the Project Management Institute, and it requires years of experience as well as a specific number of hours spent in education and training. You’ll also need to re-certify every three years to stay current.

Accreditation for a Project Management Degree Online

Accreditation is a voluntary process that colleges go through to prove their educational standards. Some choose not to do it, but since it’s expected by employers and a requirement to offer federal financial aid, it’s considered the mark of a legitimate, respectable school.

Regional accreditation is the most common. It’s offered by six institutions that have divided the U.S. into regions, so your local accrediting board might be different than the one overseeing students in another state.

There are also programmatic accrediting boards that exist for specific jobs, industries, and degree programs. If you’re a project management major, you might see the following names on your school’s website:

• The Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs is offered by the Project Management Institute. It’s accredited more than 130 degree programs, and it has a searchable database if you want to look up a particular one.
• The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business is for business schools. It isn’t explicitly devoted to project management, but some of those programs are included, and it can also be an excellent resource if you’re considering a business-related degree with a project management specialization.
• The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education is a nonprofit accrediting board for business schools. You can read about their policies and eligibility standards to fully understand what they accredit.
• The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs is for business programs. Rather than accrediting the school, they accredit the school’s individual degree programs. They have a searchable database on their website as well.

These aren’t the only accrediting institutions out there, but they’re some of the biggest names that you’ll see when considering a project management degree. Feel free to look into others.

Financial Aid for an Online Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management

If you need a little help to pay for college, you aren’t alone. Around 85% of college students receive some form of financial aid.

Start by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It’s completely free to submit your application, and you might qualify for several different kinds of financial aid:

• Grants are basically free money for college. You’re offered a specific amount, one that’s calculated from your income and expected family contribution, and you can apply it towards tuition, textbooks, and other college expenses.
• Loans come in two types: subsidized and unsubsidized. If you qualify for a subsidized loan, the government will pay the interest while you’re in school, so that’s one less bill to worry about.
• Work-study programs will help you find part-time jobs to offset some of your expenses. The jobs are usually located on campus, so opportunities can be limited for online students, but the option does exist.

If you need more help than what the federal government can provide, you might want to look into scholarships. They’re offered to all sorts of low-income, high-performing students, and you can also find scholarships for project management students specifically.

Another option is tuition reimbursement offered by an employer. It’s available from many large companies, including Starbucks, Verizon, and UPS, and it’s quite common with other business corporations as well.

If you’re already working a corporate job, ask about educational opportunities for employees. Even if they aren’t willing to pay for your degree, they might be able to put you in a project management training program.

What Degree Is Best for Project Managers?

The best degree is one aligned with your interests. If you’re interested in a career as a project manager, there are several different degrees that can help prepare you for the workforce.

The obvious choice is a project management degree. It can help you learn about business, finance, strategy, technology, and leadership, and if you want to specialize, you can concentrate your studies on something specific like human resources or healthcare administration.

Another option is majoring in business with a project management emphasis. You may also study something industry-specific like construction or supply chain operation while taking project management classes on the side.

Is There a Degree for Project Management?

Yes, there is a degree for Project Management. Many schools offer degrees in project management. They’re available at every level of education, including associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate. There are also accelerated project management degree programs that allow students to finish quicker than normal.

You can also get professional certifications in project management. Some schools don’t have a project management degree, however. They might only offer the subject as a minor or concentration, or they might have folded their project management classes into a different but related degree program. You’ll need to check with your chosen school to learn more about your options.

What Jobs Can You Get with a Project Management Degree?

As you might expect, the most common job for project management degree holders is “project manager.”

Every industry needs qualified professionals to lead their projects, so whether you’re interested in sales, science, healthcare, business, technology, or computer science, you can become a project manager within your field of choice.

If you aren’t interested in becoming a project manager, however, a degree in project management can help prepare you for other jobs as well. There are always corporate positions available for people with business skills.

Are you good with numbers? Consider a job as an analyst, budgeter, or risk assessment specialist. Do you have an organized mind and a keen eye for details? Consider becoming an administrator who runs an entire office.

Is a Master’s Degree in Project Management Worth It?

Yes, a master’s degree in Project Management is worth it for many students. Management jobs are projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to grow at 5% for the next 10 years. Common careers in this sector include event planner, logistics coordinator, business analyst, warehouse director, and marketing manager.

A bachelor’s degree is usually enough to get started with a career in project management though.

If you want to concentrate your studies on a particular area of interest, however, you might be better served with a master’s degree. A higher level of education can help you build stronger skills for specialized jobs.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, master’s degree holders earn an average of $78,210 annually compared to $77,920 for bachelor’s degree holders and $56,590 for associate degrees holders.

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