Project Management Bachelor’s Degree Online
Is a Project Management Degree Right for You?
Project management degrees prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to excel in working with other staff, creating budgets, policies, procedures, and schedules, and other important aspects in businesses and organizations. They give students the tools to complete projects on time and within a budget. Even with the downturn in the economy, the employment outlook for project managers is positive due to a growing shortage of project management talent, according to the Project Management Institute. The key is to seek out positions in growing industries, such as health care, infrastructure development, and green technologies.
Advice for Earning Your Project Management Degree Online
Project management majors are offered at many online colleges and universities. Whether you decide to earn an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree, or a master's degree, the school from which you earn your degree should be accredited. Accreditation ensures that the learning institution strives to provide a high quality education. There are regional and national accrediting agencies, and it is possible for individual programs to be accredited as well. Many employers that require employees to possess degrees will also require that their degrees were granted by an accredited institution.
Required Courses
Project management degrees prepare students with the training and knowledge they need to excel as team workers and leaders. Students begin their education by taking general education course work, like English, math, and sciences. They then take specific project management and business courses, like business perspectives, fundamentals of management and leadership, e-business, marketing and sales, human resources management, and communication. Project management students also take classes in ethics.
Common Career Paths
Many businesses and companies hire project managers; they are very common in software, architecture, construction, design, and Internet technology fields. Career options for project management graduates include (but are not limited to):
- Cost Estimators
Cost estimators are responsible for making a realistic prediction about an entire project's cost based on research into the prices of line items like materials, equipment and labor. Cost estimators may break down a project into phases and provide their client with an estimate of each phase of a project. When a company or government entity sends out a request for proposals (RFP) to general contractors for projects they need completed, the contractors often enlist the help of a cost estimator to provide an accurate budget breakdown in the proposal. Part of a cost estimator's job is to research the duration of the project, and thus come up with a close approximation of how much workers must be paid during that timeframe.
The majority of cost estimators work in the construction industry, but a solid 15% find employment with manufacturers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The average annual salary of cost estimators is $56,510, but pay varies significantly depending on the type of industry, education level, and years of experience. Job prospects are good, however, as employment is projected to grow a whopping 25% between 2008 and 2018, the BLS notes.
- Construction Managers
Construction managers are the men and women in charge of a keeping construction works on task. They are responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating various construction projects, typically specializing in a particular type of construction, like residential or industrial construction. Construction managers set schedules, hire workers, assign tasks, select subcontractors, acquire any needed permits or licenses, and ensure construction projects are completed on time and within a budget. They typically aren't responsible for completing the actual labor, but they do have to make sure the construction workers assigned to the project are doing a high quality.
The majority of construction managers (61%) are self-employed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Many work as general contractors. The field anticipates faster than average growth, according to the BLS. However, today's economy has led to a slowdown in certain types of construction which could limit job expansion. Bachelor's degree-holders and those with a construction background should have a better chance of landing jobs, the BLS notes. The BLS estimates 17% employment growth between 2008 and 2018. The average annual salary of a construction manager is $79,860, according to the BLS.
- Industrial Production Managers
Industrial production managers oversee production activities at manufacturing plants. Tasks include managing staff, making sure the manufacturing equipment is in working order, and ensuring the plant meets goals for production quality and quantity. For small plants, there may be just one industrial production manager on site, but for large manufacturing plants, the manager may work as part of a management team and only be responsible for a single department. The industrial production manager must implement strategies to keep production churning, including motivating and training staff and correcting any problems that crop up that slow production. They also have to make sure that the goods being produced at the plant meet certain high quality standards—everything must be packaged, sealed and assembled in a way that is attractive to the consumer.
A moderate decline in employment is expected between 2008 and 2018 due to the decline of overall manufacturing in America, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, individuals who hold a college degree will have better job prospects in this field. Industrial production managers earn a respectable income as well. The average annual salary for industrial production managers was $83,290, according to the BLS. It is important to keep in mind that education, experience, geographical location, and industry have a strong effect on salary.
