A Master’s degree in Project Management is one of the most popular programme choices next to the MBA. What makes the programme so interesting is the fact that it provides solid qualifications and develops skills in areas such as communication, teamwork, leadership, critical evaluation, and time management. This goes with acquiring practical techniques and in-depth knowledge of best practices when managing projects of any size. Project management involves effective leadership and management within project teams, including managing a portfolio of projects.
This is especially important for individuals wishing to grow their careers to managerial functions without restricting themselves to strictly managerial roles in business. Project managers skills are highly demanded in management consultancy, IT, finance, marketing, sales, as well as more specialist industries such as healthcare, construction, architecture or property. The fact that project management skills are easily and directly transferable to a wide range of industries makes the programme so popular among prospective students.
Job opportunities with a qualification in project management
Entry-level project management jobs usually involve assisting with one specific aspect of the project management function. This may include working as a procurement agent in a construction company or on an IT project management team as a Project Management Administrator or as cost estimator analyzing data to help determine the financial, logistical, human and material resources needed to carry out a project.
Mid- and upper-level project management jobs involve running projects and project teams, including other project managers. Experienced project managers may work directly for organizations or for a consulting firm. Job titles could include IT project manager, purchasing manager, construction project manager, engineering project manager, healthcare manager and many more.
Demand for project management
The persisting demand for project talent is strong around the world and opens up a host of new job opportunities in project management-oriented employment (PMOE) for project professionals. Project Management Institute (2021) identifies three reasons for the persistence of the talent gap. These include:
- growing number of jobs requiring project management-oriented skills,
- higher demand for project professionals in emerging and developing countries enhanced by economic growth,
- the rate of retirement from the workforce.
According to PMI’s 2021 Talent Gap report the global economy needs 25 million new project professionals by 2030. Only in order to close the talent gap, 2.3 million people will need to enter PMOE every year just to keep up with demand and this includes project managers and all changemakers. Areas with greatest need for project managers include manufacturing and construction (61,4 million), information and publishing (19,7 million), finance and insurance (11,1 million), management and professional services (9,4 million).
Source: PMI 2021
Career growth opportunities
Based on the PMI’s 2021 Talent Gap report modeled on selected countries including Asia Pacific (Indonesia, Japan), China (Mainland China), Europe (Germany, United Kingdom), Latin America (Brazil, Colombia), MENA (Egypt, Saudi Arabia), North America (Canada, United States), Sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa, Nigeria), and South Asia (India) career opportunities for individuals working in project management look very promising and just as their earning power will keep on emerging.
Source: PMI 2021
How to start or advance project management career?
In order to become a professional project management or advance your career in project management field, investing time and effort in gaining solid education is the answer. Chosen programme of studies does not need to be project management but should at least concentrate in project management. Studying a business or general management degree, may not be sufficient to put you in the right path as it does not include courses specific to the project management function.
An additional and important benefit of having a degree in project management is that it is required for applying for the Project Management Professional® (PMP), Professional in Business Analysis® (PMI-PBA), or other industry PMI specific certifications.
Find My Programme Project Management courses and programmes
In the Find My Programme portfolio we offer two master degree programmes in project management: Liverpool’s master in Project Management and Essex Online master’s in Project Management. The programmes are taught 100% online, thus do not require physical presence on campus. Both institutions offer also post graduate certificates and post graduate diplomas upon completion of 60 and 120 credits respectively. What it means is that you do not need to commit straight away to a full master’s degree but can take it step by step, making sure at the same time that earned credits translate into certification awards. For more details about any of the programmes you can always reach out to us by clicking on “enquire for this programme” button. We will be happy to discuss with you programme details and answer any questions you may have.
In case you are looking for a professional qualification only, Singapore Management University offers a 2-month long project management course. You can check details here. Also, ISB Executive Education offers a 12-week long course in IT project management course. Details can be found here.
Is the project management something for me?
The answer to this question you need to find yourself. However, if you are an individual with a strong sense of personal responsibility and a problem-solving attitude, who thinks strategically and communicates well, project management might be a right career choice for you.
Thinking of project management you need to think about analytical and operational skills for completing projects, effective planning, controlling and monitoring, being able to manage resources, having an eye for detail, being good at time management, having people skills, being able to prioritize and work simultaneously under pressure on a couple of projects (https://www.apm.org.uk/jobs-and-careers/career-path/what-does-a-project-manager-do/skills-you-need-to-become-a-project-manager/).
References:
Association for Project Management (2022) “What skills do you need to become a project manager?”https://www.apm.org.uk/jobs-and-careers/career-path/what-does-a-project-manager-do/skills-you-need-to-become-a-project-manager/ (Accessed: 21 November 2022)
Project Management Institute (2021) “Talent Gap: Ten-Year Employment Trends, Costs, and Global Implications”. Available on: https://www.pmi.org/learning/careers/talent-gap-2021 (Accessed: 23 November 2022)
Project Management Institute (2022) “2022 Jobs Report” Available on: https://www.pmi.org/learning/careers/jobs-report-2022 (Accessed: 23 November 2022).