Reasons for a Master's in Project Management

A degree may open the door to a variety of opportunities and diverse career paths. The degree programs offered at AIU will not necessarily lead to the featured careers. This collection of articles is intended to help inform and guide you through the process of determining which level of degree and types of certifications align with your desired career path.

Project managers have existed in the structure of businesses around the world for many years and continue to be important throughout the global economy as roles continue to become more project-oriented.¹ As the degree program establishes seeks to help students to prepare for the project management space, it is helpful to explore the top reasons to pursue a master’s in project management?

Specialize in Project Management

An important set of skills for a project manager often includes not only leadership and the more technical abilities of managing an initiative, but also business acumen and knowledge.¹ In the absence of a project management specialization, a traditional master’s in business administration (MBA) may make sense. However, as this field continues to develop, students also have the opportunity to focus their studies and pursue an MBA with a project management specialization designed to help students prepare to pursue career opportunities within the project management field.

Advance Your Education

A master’s in business administration with a project management specialization is designed to help students prepare for advanced responsibilities and in the project management field. Prior management experience in any capacity can be helpful to aspiring project managers, but a degree program focused on project management specifically can be designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop important skills and prepare to pursue management opportunities within an evolving field.²

The Opportunity to See the Bigger Picture

While some undergraduate and graduate degree programs offer specialized training designed to prepare students for career opportunities in a business, students who plan to a career in project management should also be prepared to see the greater picture of how all activities will affect a business. Specifically, students studying project management may have the opportunity to develop a perspective regarding how to see the grand picture when guiding a project. Aspiring project managers should also study how to balance time, budget and the scope of a project, all within the context of their organization’s broader goals. It is imperative that students planning on pursuing project management also study how to make critical decisions without fuss, like identifying the priorities of a project and task delegation.³

Keep Up With the Industry

One of the benefits of earning advanced education in project management is that it may help individuals keep up with the developments of their industry. It is important for project managers to have a broad understanding of the industry in which they’re working in addition to foundational management skills.⁴

Career Variety

Project management skills are in increasing demand in a variety of industries, particularly in healthcare, manufacturing and construction.¹ In general, project management skills are in demand throughout the economy, in fields as diverse as engineering, architecture and even computer and information systems.^5,6

Hone Your Skills

The ability to see the big picture while leading a group of people to complete a specific task are skills and traits may be important to the project management profession. While some people may find such tasks come to them more naturally than others, studying project management can help hone those skills while teaching important business principles.

Employers are Looking for Project Managers

Project management is a field that’s growing and is projected to continue to grow into the future. The Project Management Institute projects that by 2027 there will be a need for 87.7 million project management professionals.¹ This impressive growth means that studying project management may help students prepare for project management career opportunities in the in future.

Take the Next Step with American Intercontinental University

Given the projected growth in the project management field, now is a great time to take your education into your own hands by requesting information about the degree programs available at American InterContinental University.

1. “Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap | 2017 - 2027.” Project Management Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/job-growth-report.pdf (Visited 10/17/18). This data represents national figures and is not based on school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.
2. “Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Project Manager?” American Management Association. Retrieved from: https://www.amanet.org/training/articles/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-be-a-project-manager.aspx (Visited 10/17/18).
3. “Project Managers Stay in Charge and Out Front.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2006/summer/art03.pdf (Visited 10/17/18).
4. “What are the Core competencies of a Successful Project Manager?” Project Management Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/ore-competencies-successful-skill-manager-8426 (Visited 10/17/18).
5 “Architectural and engineering Managers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/architectural-and-engineering-managers.htm (Visited 10/17/18).

AIU cannot guarantee employment or salary. For important information about the educational debt, earnings and completion rates of students who attended these programs, go to www.aiuniv.edu/disclosures.
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