Online Master of Science in Agile Project Management
American University presents a unique offering that rounds out our ranking of the best online masters in project management degrees. Some elements that pushed Americans program into this year’s ranking include an accelerated time until degree, the unique focus of the program, and the range of electives that students may choose from within their course of study.
Students may elect to finish their course of study in as little as 20 months with full-time study, or slow their study down if that better suits their work and life commitments. Online students in all American University programs have the chance to attend on-campus networking and program-specific events. Additionally, all students are required to complete a capstone project before graduation from their degree program.
About American University
American University, located in Washington D.C., is a private research university with a long history of providing education to prominent diplomats, public servants, and politicians. Americans offerings, however, don’t stop there, with policy-related educations. This mid-sized school of slightly over 13,000 students is known for innovative degrees in a wide range of schools. In recent you’re they’ve also expanded their online offerings.
More InformationIs a Masters Degree in Project Management Worth It?
Let’s put it this way, while you don’t need a degree in project management to gain a job as a project manager, the most competitive and compelling projects often feature highly educated and skilled managers. If you’re looking to gain entrance into a project manager role with little experience or are already a project manager and want to take on more high-profile projects, a master’s in project management is by no means a bad idea.
Additionally, if you’re truly dedicated to the craft of project management, you’ll want to stay up-to-date with the latest developments within the field. Many organizations require project managers to currently hold or be seeking their PMP (project management professional) certification. Many master’s in project management degrees can help to prepare students for their PMP exam. Additionally, for students who already hold their PMP, many masters in project management programs can help you to keep your PMP licensure up to date with professional development units.
One final argument in favor of gaining a master’s in project management – even if you already work as a project manager – is that research has shown that employees with higher-level business degrees are less likely to be let go as well as more likely to earn more throughout their career.
What Jobs Can You Get With an MBA in Project Management?
MBAs are unique degrees in that MBA recipients are found at nearly every level of public and private organizations. While an MBA won’t get you immediately promoted to the “C suite,” MBAs are unique in that they provide a framework through which to understand most business disciplines at most levels. This makes them particularly useful degrees as you continue to work your way up the corporate (or public) ladder.
Additionally, MBAs provide coursework in a wide range of business disciplines, so they can prepare you to move “sideways” within an organization. If you were working in project management related to construction, you may be able to move into a project management position in marketing or logistics with an MBA.
While you can gain a position as a project manager with a general MBA, project management has become increasingly specialized in the past few years. A project management concentration within an MBA can help you to secure an initial job working in project management, and then support your career growth through other roles afterward.
Additional jobs that an MBA in project management can help to prepare you for include program manager, product manager, and nearly any other lower management position that you have some experience related to (logistics, marketing, IT, and so forth).
What Jobs Can You Get With a Masters in Project Management?
Masters in project management provide greater depth of project management-centered courses than MBAs in project management. They require roughly the same number of credit hours, and commonly two years of study for completion. But all courses within those two years are at least somewhat related to project management.
This is to say that there’s potentially no single degree better at preparing you for a project management role than a master’s in project management. While you can certainly gain advancement to higher management roles from a project management role, this degree primarily prepares you for the project level of management.
Additionally, many project management master’s degrees provide specialization areas that can help you move into exactly the type of project management role you would like to move into. For example, while there’s a great deal that’s the same between project management in an IT setting and a construction setting, there are also specialized methods and concepts for both. Moving into the exact field you’re interested in is easier with a master’s in project management that either provides a choice of electives or a concentration area.
What Colleges Offer Project Management Degrees?
Thousands of colleges and universities offer degrees in project management. But when you narrow your list down based on the delivery method, the price, the location, and the accreditation of schools, the numbers shrink dramatically.
Most project management programs offered in the United States are regionally accredited, which is the highest form of accreditation available to a college or university as a whole. Worldwide, only 127 programs are PMI GAC accredited, which is considered the highest form of accreditation specific to project management degrees. Of online providers at the masters level, just a handful are PMI GAC accredited.
This is to say that while there are many colleges and universities that offer project management degrees, the more important question is, “How many schools do I have to choose between for project management degrees that meet my specifications?”
One final note on this question is that you don’t need a degree with project management in the title to gain a valuable degree that can land you a project management job. Degrees in many subjects can lead you to a project management role, though will likely require more experience before you are promoted than if you straight up had a project management degree.
What is PMI GAC Accreditation?
The PMI GAC accreditation is considered the premier accreditation standard for project management programs. So what does it stand for?
PMI stands for the Project Management Institute, which is a global non-profit professional group that advocates for and promotes knowledge and standards related to project management.
GAC stands for Global Accreditation Center, which is a component of PMI. The global accreditation center performs specialized monitoring and assessments of academic programs related to project management.
In order for a program to obtain the PMI GAC status, it must jump through a wide range of hoops. Perhaps most noteworthy is the program’s alignment with the PMBOK (the Project Management Body of Knowledge). The PMBOK helps to dictate what is on the PMP exam, perhaps the most important and official project management exam available today. Many PMI GAC programs are centered around the aim of preparing students to sit for their PMP exam.
Other requirements for obtaining PMI GAC standing (among many) include:
- Having processes in place to hone educational quality
- Programs must have a clearly worded mission statement that aligns with PMI standards
- And programs must have proper permissions to operate their programs as they do
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