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What Jobs Can You Get With a Master’s Degree in Project Management?

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Here we’ll explain what jobs you can get with a Master of Project Management degree, along with explaining what project managers do, why you’d want to consider a career in this field, and where you should go to get your master’s degree.

Completing your Master’s Degree in Project Management is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a job in the industry, especially if you’re aiming to secure a position in leadership or management.

Whether you’re brand new to project management, or already have experience in the field, completing a master’s program is one of the best ways to set yourself up for long-term career success.

Earning your master’s degree will ensure that you’ve developed the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities required to serve as an efficient and effective professional project manager.

This post will introduce you to some of the best jobs available to graduates, as well as include a detailed explanation of the typical tasks assigned to these roles, the projected employment demand for each position, and the average salary that they command.

We’ll also explain why you should consider getting your Master of Project Management degree and why you should choose to study with CSU Global.

When you’ve finished reading this post, fill out our information request form to receive additional details about CSU Global’s 100% online Master of Project Management degree, or if you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.

What is Project Management?

Project management is the practice that helps organizations keep their projects and initiatives on track, on time, and on budget.

Project managers are responsible for ensuring project success, and thus support organizational success. They are tasked with selecting, initiating, and planning projects, as well as acquiring the resources needed to successfully complete a project. They establish and achieve the project’s objectives, and optimize the time and costs associated with delivering whatever product or service they’re overseeing.

In short, project management is a vital process for virtually every project, at every organization, as it’s the best way for companies, corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits to ensure that their plans are executed and their goals are achieved.

Why Does Project Management Matter So Much?

Project management is important because it’s the best way for organizations to ensure they deliver a successful product, project, or service on track, on time, and within budget.

Project managers themselves are essential to achieving organizational success, as they’re typically tasked with several mission-critical responsibilities, including:

  • Leading large-scale, organizational projects.
  • Overseeing the project selection process.
  • Providing direction to the team members involved in the projects they run.
  • Monitoring and controlling resource levels and skills requirements for their projects.
  • Creating a total organization perspective that goes beyond silo thinking.

These tasks are so vital to ensuring workplace success that the demand for effective and efficient project managers is virtually universal, regardless of industry.

Why Should You Consider a Career in Project Management?

First, the fact that project managers are needed by nearly every organization means that becoming a skilled project manager is likely to lead to excellent career opportunities. 

Next, demand for project managers continues to be quite strong, especially as several factors continue to drive additional needs for project management experts, including:

  • Shorter life cycles for products and services, regardless of industry.
  • The explosion of knowledge and technological advancement across virtually every sector.
  • Widespread adoption of the triple bottom line philosophy (planet, people, prosperity).
  • Increases in the rates of mergers, acquisitions, and corporate downsizing. 
  • An increased focus on customers, across every industry.

If you’re organized, detail-oriented, and capable of providing effective leadership, then you may be the perfect candidate for becoming a professional project manager.

But you should keep one thing in mind; project management is a challenging and competitive career, and the best jobs in the field are not easy to land.

If you’re aiming for employment at top-rated organizations, then you’ll certainly want to consider completing academic credentials before applying for those roles.

In fact, anyone who wants to secure employment as a professional project manager would be well-advised to consider earning a Master’s Degree in Project Management, as this is one of the best ways to prove that you’re prepared to provide effective leadership from day one.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Project Management Master’s Degree?

After completing your master’s program in Project Management, you’ll be ready to start applying for job opportunities, including management and leadership-level positions.

Since demand for project managers remains high, it’s also likely that you’ll have options for pursuing roles in different industries and at different types of organizations, including private or public corporations, nonprofit organizations, and state or federal government agencies.

You may want to pursue a role as a Project Manager, especially if this is your first time securing full-time, dedicated employment in the field.

As a project manager, you’re likely to be tasked with responsibilities that include:

  • Establishing and achieving project objectives using effective techniques.
  • Utilizing industry best practices during the planning and execution of projects.
  • Monitoring and controlling projects.
  • Optimizing time and cost restraints to manage resources efficiently.

Other job titles you could consider pursuing include: 

Computer and Information Systems Manager

Computer and information systems managers are responsible for planning, coordinating, and directing computer-related activities in an organization, which makes it an excellent role for people with technical skills and training in project management.

This is a challenging role that requires a complex set of skills and abilities, but it’s also widely regarded as being an excellent career opportunity thanks to high salaries, and an optimistic outlook for future rates of employment. 

In fact, The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that computer and information systems managers earned a median salary of $159,010 per year as of May 2021, and they also project employment for this role to grow 16% between 2021 and 2031, which is faster than the average rate of growth for all occupations.

If you’ve got a technical background or an interest in technical systems, and you want to put your project management skills to use in a high-tech arena, then this could be the perfect position for you.

Construction Manager

Construction managers are responsible for planning, coordinating, budgeting, and supervising the construction projects, all the way from initial conception to completion.

This is a challenging role, but one uniquely suited to people with project management backgrounds, as the work requires exceptional attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to plan, coordinate, and adapt resource utilization strategies on the fly.

It’s also a role that the BLS projects will continue to see demand, as they project 8% growth in the employment of construction managers between 2021 and 2031, a rate that’s faster than the average for all occupations.

As for salaries, construction managers tend to do quite well too, with the BLS reporting the median annual salary at $98,890 in 2021.

Project Management Specialists & Business Operations Specialists

As of May 2021, the BLS reports a $94,500 median pay for project management specialists, projecting also a 7% employment growth between 2021 and 2031, which is as fast as for other occupations. 

Anyone who completes a master’s program in Project Management will naturally be a great fit for a role as a project manager, as the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities developed in the master’s program should translate perfectly to the daily responsibilities faced while working in the industry.

If you’re not interested in pursuing a more niche, specialist-type role in a field like IT or construction management, then simply serving as a general project manager could be the perfect fit for you.

This is an especially good option right after you’ve finished your master’s program, but haven’t developed industry experience, and primarily if you haven’t yet decided what niche you want to specialize in.

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

Yes, it’s worth completing a Master of Project Management degree because it’s one of the best ways to develop the knowledge and skills needed to get a job in the industry, as well as an excellent way to represent that you’ve got the required skills and abilities needed to provide value to an organization from day one.

Listing master’s degree credentials on your resume is a great way to increase the chances of getting noticed by hiring managers, as it helps you prove that they can trust you with the mission-critical job functions ordinarily assigned to project managers.

No matter what specific role you choose to pursue in the field of project management, completing a master’s degree program is likely to improve your marketability, and thus increase the chances that you’ll be able to secure a competitive, rewarding role.

It’s critical, however, that you choose to attend the right program at the right school, as you’ll absolutely need to make sure that your graduate program is regionally accredited, otherwise you risk wasting time and money on a degree that won’t be respected in the marketplace.

Can You Get an Accredited Master of Project Management Degree Online?

Yes, you can get a regionally accredited Master of Project Management online from CSU Global, an online university that’s not just regionally accredited, but also widely respected by industry professionals. 

Our accelerated online master’s program offers far more flexibility and freedom than traditional in-person programs, as ours was specifically designed to help students juggle their educational credentials with existing work and family responsibilities.

Choosing to get your Master of Project Management degree online from CSU Global offers several advantages over traditional programs, including not needing to appear at any set times or locations for classes, access to monthly class starts, and accelerated eight-week courses.

Why Should You Consider Studying Project Management At CSU Global?

Enrolling in CSU Global’s online master’s program in Project Management is one of the best ways to gain the foundational knowledge, skills, and credentials you need to achieve long-term success as a professional project manager.

Our master’s program is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and accredited by the Project Management Institute (PMI)’s Global Accreditation Center (GAC) for Project Management Education Programs, meaning that our students and alumni are granted substantial credit toward the experience requirement if they choose to apply and pursue any PMI certifications.

All of our instructors have direct, recent experience in the field, and our program was designed to prepare you to assume command of large-scale, organizational projects, providing you with the training and skills needed to oversee project selection, direct teams of people, monitor resource levels, and create a total organizational perspective.

Our Master’s program in Project Management also holds several excellent rankings, including:

CSU Global itself also holds a series of great rankings for higher education institutions, including:

Finally, we also offer competitive tuition rates and a Tuition Guarantee to ensure your rate won’t increase as long as you remain enrolled as a student.

To get additional details about our fully accredited, 100% online Master’s Degree in Project Management please give us a call at (800) 462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form.

Ready to get started today? Apply now!