University Headquarters (HQ) is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that provides independent college rankings using a proprietary formula to create first class, unbiased rankings. The team at University HQ strives to provide accurate and trustworthy rankings that highlight the best programs for a bachelors in project management.
Overview of a Bachelor’s in Project Management
An associate is the lowest possible level of available degrees, but a bachelor’s degree is the most commonly received. A bachelor’s in project management is also often the expected entry-level degree that employers are looking for when they start hiring project managers. While an associate project management degree gives you a narrow focus on the field you are entering and will allow you to learn on the job and work your way up into a management position, an online or traditional bachelor’s gives you the breadth of knowledge necessary to deal with the unexpected and challenging tasks of working day-to-day in the field and can boost you into project manager positions without requiring nearly as much experience. It also often prepares you for promotions and earning certificates, which allow you to distinguish yourself among your colleagues. If you’re considering entering a bachelor’s in project management program, whether you are doing so online or on-campus, you’ve come to the right place.
Featured Online Programs
PROS
Completing an online bachelor’s in project management programs can raise salary and increase career options. The increase in wages over persons that have not completed bachelor’s programs is significant. Over the course of a lifetime of earnings, a bachelor’s degree can provide up to one million dollars in income above a high school graduate’s earnings.
A bachelor’s degree is also the current entry-level degree for the field of project management. Students can take online or on-campus project management courses in risk management, business management, and global project management. Many schools offer a BS in Business or Business Administration with a project management concentration or focus. The BS in Project Management opens pathways to new occupations as a project management professional and high levels of responsibility. The overall scope of a project manager's responsibilities supports long-term career development for professionals of all kinds. Many experts regard project management education programs as excellent building blocks for leadership roles, including CEO.
CONS
A bachelor’s in project management program, whether online or in-person, requires a four-year commitment of time and resources and this can be a drawback for some students. By contrast, a project management certificate might take a matter of weeks, such as the CAPM, which is accessible to professionals with an associate degree. While bachelor’s programs are entry-level in the field of project management, some employers prefer candidates with higher levels of formal education such as a master’s-level project management degree. College-level faculty positions, for example, might favor master’s and doctoral degree holders over bachelor’s degree and certificate holders.
The cons of a bachelor’s in project management include the fundamental factor of experience in a field. Project management consists of techniques, skills, and strategies for organizing and overseeing work and risk management. This project management knowledge is distinct from the actual experience of working in the field. In many fields, such as data management or construction, project managers and other professionals must have a depth of knowledge and sharp insights into the technical aspects of the business. Bachelor degree holders in the field of project management must still master the subject matter of the field in which they intend to work.
Top 25 Best Online Bachelor's in Project Management Programs
Northeastern University
Score: 82.77
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,141
- Out-of-State: $63,141
- Net Price: $35,827
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 91%
- Total Enrollment: 30,013
- Undergrad Students: 16,302
- Graduate Students: 13,711
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
University of Arizona
Score: 77.09
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,626
- Out-of-State: $41,095
- Net Price: $17,075
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 68%
- Total Enrollment: 49,403
- Undergrad Students: 38,751
- Graduate Students: 10,652
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Regis University
Score: 76.37
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $43,980
- Out-of-State: $43,980
- Net Price: $26,377
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 72%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 4,668
- Undergrad Students: 2,398
- Graduate Students: 2,270
- Grads Salary: $89,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Arizona State University
Score: 76.09
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,051
- Out-of-State: $32,193
- Net Price: $14,808
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 80,065
- Undergrad Students: 65,492
- Graduate Students: 14,573
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Score: 75.34
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,896
- Out-of-State: $33,751
- Net Price: $16,926
- Acceptance Rate: 91%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 33,403
- Undergrad Students: 25,777
- Graduate Students: 7,626
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Saint Louis University
Score: 73.43
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $53,244
- Out-of-State: $53,244
- Net Price: $29,651
- Acceptance Rate: 85%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 15,755
- Undergrad Students: 10,662
- Graduate Students: 5,093
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Linfield University
Score: 70.54
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $49,530
- Out-of-State: $49,530
- Net Price: $31,585
- Acceptance Rate: 89%
- Retention Rate: 81%
- Graduation Rate: 71%
- Total Enrollment: 1,754
- Undergrad Students: 1,720
- Graduate Students: 34
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
College of Charleston
Score: 70.36
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,978
- Out-of-State: $36,858
- Net Price: $21,120
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 10,885
- Undergrad Students: 9,972
- Graduate Students: 913
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Central Washington University
Score: 70.17
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,192
- Out-of-State: $26,771
- Net Price: $15,864
- Acceptance Rate: 93%
- Retention Rate: 68%
- Graduation Rate: 52%
- Total Enrollment: 9,257
- Undergrad Students: 8,743
- Graduate Students: 514
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Ferris State University
Score: 69.13
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,630
- Out-of-State: $13,630
- Net Price: $13,978
- Acceptance Rate: 88%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 49%
- Total Enrollment: 10,072
- Undergrad Students: 9,000
- Graduate Students: 1,072
- Grads Salary: $72,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Score: 68.84
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,142
- Out-of-State: $18,706
- Net Price: $15,510
- Acceptance Rate: 86%
- Retention Rate: 72%
- Graduation Rate: 52%
- Total Enrollment: 7,234
- Undergrad Students: 6,254
- Graduate Students: 980
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Score: 68.57
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $41,010
- Out-of-State: $41,010
- Net Price: $37,901
- Acceptance Rate: 92%
- Retention Rate: 82%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
- Total Enrollment: 3,920
- Undergrad Students: 3,713
- Graduate Students: 207
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Score: 67.48
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,336
- Out-of-State: $10,336
- Net Price: $17,939
- Acceptance Rate: 57%
- Retention Rate: 72%
- Graduation Rate: 55%
- Total Enrollment: 4,682
- Undergrad Students: 3,729
- Graduate Students: 953
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
George Fox University
Score: 67.34
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $40,940
- Out-of-State: $40,940
- Net Price: $28,840
- Acceptance Rate: 92%
- Retention Rate: 79%
- Graduation Rate: 71%
- Total Enrollment: 4,028
- Undergrad Students: 2,531
- Graduate Students: 1,497
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Score: 67.23
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $35,524
- Out-of-State: $35,524
- Net Price: $23,391
- Acceptance Rate: 85%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
- Total Enrollment: 1,941
- Undergrad Students: 1,628
- Graduate Students: 313
- Grads Salary: $66,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Touro University Worldwide
Score: 66.22
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,600
- Out-of-State: $14,600
- Net Price: $17,068
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 56%
- Total Enrollment: 2,249
- Undergrad Students: 413
- Graduate Students: 1,836
- Grads Salary: $61,000
- Student-to-faculty: 8:1
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide
Score: 66.08
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,665
- Out-of-State: $11,665
- Net Price: $17,002
- Acceptance Rate: 58%
- Retention Rate: 59%
- Graduation Rate: 17%
- Total Enrollment: 11,574
- Undergrad Students: 8,479
- Graduate Students: 3,095
- Grads Salary: $90,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
University of the Incarnate Word
Score: 65.59
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $35,660
- Out-of-State: $35,660
- Net Price: $20,832
- Acceptance Rate: 94%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 53%
- Total Enrollment: 7,305
- Undergrad Students: 4,724
- Graduate Students: 2,581
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Cleary University
Score: 65.43
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $24,842
- Out-of-State: $24,842
- Net Price: $27,209
- Acceptance Rate: 68%
- Retention Rate: 52%
- Graduation Rate: 64%
- Total Enrollment: 891
- Undergrad Students: 719
- Graduate Students: 172
- Grads Salary: $72,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Saint Leo University
Score: 65.4
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $28,360
- Out-of-State: $28,360
- Net Price: $20,390
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 54%
- Graduation Rate: 49%
- Total Enrollment: 10,242
- Undergrad Students: 7,320
- Graduate Students: 2,922
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Malone University
Score: 64.32
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $36,120
- Out-of-State: $36,120
- Net Price: $21,571
- Acceptance Rate: 78%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 51%
- Total Enrollment: 1,199
- Undergrad Students: 947
- Graduate Students: 252
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Davenport University
Score: 63.98
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $23,324
- Out-of-State: $23,324
- Net Price: $18,350
- Acceptance Rate: 99%
- Retention Rate: 74%
- Graduation Rate: 50%
- Total Enrollment: 5,073
- Undergrad Students: 4,069
- Graduate Students: 1,004
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
South College
Score: 63.33
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $17,935
- Out-of-State: $17,935
- Net Price: $14,831
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 59%
- Graduation Rate: 39%
- Total Enrollment: 6,182
- Undergrad Students: 4,906
- Graduate Students: 1,276
- Grads Salary: $72,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Park University
Score: 62.23
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $16,400
- Out-of-State: $16,400
- Net Price: $15,858
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 59%
- Graduation Rate: 23%
- Total Enrollment: 7,662
- Undergrad Students: 6,238
- Graduate Students: 1,424
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Columbia Southern University
Score: 61.83
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,808
- Out-of-State: $5,808
- Net Price: $12,366
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 42%
- Graduation Rate: 33%
- Total Enrollment: 15,948
- Undergrad Students: 11,330
- Graduate Students: 4,618
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 28:1
Associate's Vs. Bachelor’s
An traditional or online project management degree provides a comprehensive education that includes business and management coursework, as well as general education courses. An online project management degree at the bachelor's level prepares graduates for further study at the graduate level, whether they continue in the project management field or not. A certificate project management program is narrower in scope than bachelor’s degree programs, and certificates from the Project Management Institute (PMI) focus on developing practical skills and abilities that project managers might need to manage people, organizational elements, project scope, and tasks. There are certificates available for online students at the undergraduate and graduate levels that help you to prepare for project management oriented jobs.
An undergraduate certificate in project management is a short path to gaining a project management credential approved by the Accreditation Center for Project Management. The areas of study include strategic planning, cost management, leadership, and partnership in project management. Undergraduate certificate programs prepare graduates for the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) examination and certification. The undergraduate certification requires a high school diploma, GED, or associate in project management. Some schools offer an online or in-person graduate certificate, which requires an online bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related field as a prerequisite. The graduate project management certificate focuses on managing projects and activities at an intense level that would be typical of leadership positions. This is the certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP).
What Online Project Management Bachelor’s Degrees are Available?
A Bachelor of Arts (BA) in project management is a liberal arts degree available from a variety of institutions. Graduates experience a wide-ranging project management education and a broad range of business background courses. The BA is an excellent path for those seeking a Master of Arts or a doctoral level degree. A bachelor's in project management degree online usually requires completing about 120 semester hours of study, though this is true whether you attend online or in-person. The advantages of a BA program include the flexibility to meet a student’s goals and content needs. Students spend less time in the specific areas of business and project management than in a BS program, but gain a breadth of knowledge they may not in other programs. This can emphasize support skills and knowledge that can also provide long-term success such as English, writing, and communications.
A Bachelor of Science (BS) in project management has a stronger technical focus than the BA degree. The online bachelor of science degree may take more than 120 hours and more classwork than a BA in project management or business management. The BS degree contains more courses that directly connect to the field of business management or project management. Students in BS programs can accomplish a depth of knowledge in the technical areas in which they intend to work or develop a career.
Find Your Online PM School
Online Admission Requirements
Applicants for an online or traditional degree program in project management must have a high school diploma, a GED, or an equivalent such as homeschooling. There are advantages for students that carry a focus on mathematics and science courses. There are also advantages for focusing on communications, English, and writing. Students will study business principles including computer science, information technology, and international or global business management.
The fundamentals of project management include accounting, finance, budgeting, contracts, and strong skills in verbal and written communications. In fact, some students complete a business administration degree before moving into project management, and students should be eager learners and curious about the details of the businesses and industries they wish to join.
How long does it take to earn an Online Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management?
An online Bachelor of Science in Project Management or Business Management is a four-year degree. The typical requirements are 120 or more semester hours of study. When studied online, students can reduce the time needed to complete the BS requirements if they increase their workload. They can also attend summer sessions and add extra courses during the regular terms. Some schools grant credit for life experience, past educational achievements, and proficiency testing. These items include courses taken at community colleges and online. By using these resources, students can reduce the time needed to complete the program by as much as two full years.
However, you should also be aware that, by taking your courses online part-time or skipping semesters, you could also lengthen the time frame for completing your degree by several years. This is why students who study online must have good time management and work ethic. Without a specific class to attend each day, some online attendees have a hard time sticking to a schedule and completing their work.
Potential Careers in Project Management with a Bachelor’s
The project management degree offers a wide range of potential industries and business settings. Construction, public administration, manufacturing, and marketing are among the fields that use project managers extensively.
- CEO is the top decision maker in a company or other type of organization. The CEO has final responsibility for reaching the organization’s goals. Project management is an excellent preparation for CEO responsibilities; project managers often oversee an activity from its early planning stages and must know about all the parts and stages. The median salary is approximately $155,400.
- Business Managers oversee the general and specific processes of a business or organization. Many business managers learn on the job, but today most candidates have at least a bachelor’s degree in a related major such as business management, business administration, or project management. The median salary for business managers is approximately $62,400.
- Construction Managers oversee all or part of a building or other type of construction project. They must manage supplies, labor, subcontractors, and schedules to keep a project on time and under budget. The median salary is approximately $77,900.
- Information Systems Managers often control the IT section of a company or organization. They manage systems and personnel to ensure that information operations run smoothly and carry out their needed roles. The median salary for Information Systems Managers is approximately $83,800.
- Logisticians manage an organizations flow of goods and materials, which includes all transportation and storage aspects of the business. Timing and availability are essential parts of keeping business processes running efficiently. The median salary for logistics managers is approximately $58,500.
Options to Advance
The online bachelor of arts or bachelor of science is an entry-level degree in the field of project management. The master’s degree in project management is the full participation level for the profession, and the doctoral level can establish business and academic expertise. Education in one specific business sector can also increase earning; data analytics, information technology, and marketing are examples of subject areas for further study.
Project management professionals can distinguish their qualifications and increase opportunities by additional education in project management and in their substantive area of business or commerce. Project management is a competitive field, and often the differences among applicants for a position or competitors for a contract rests with experience in the technical field. Experience can boost earnings and increase the numbers of opportunities for a project manager.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is project management a difficult degree?
The majority of students would say that project management is not necessarily a difficult degree to earn. There aren’t incredibly high math requirements, though you might need to have above-average math skills, and other than that you’ll mostly need to know how to run the proper software programs and how to think about things using the big picture and to stay above the minutia. However, there are a lot of required soft skills in this field that you will need to ace in order to be a great project manager, and some students can find that to be a tricky proposition. Project managers are one of the only people on a team who will need to interact with all stakeholders; they will talk to clients, employees, vendors, contractors, management of the company, and more. So, while your classes may seem easy enough, don’t forget to spend some time focusing on your soft skills while you’re still in school.
What are some common issues you might have to deal with in project management?
One major issue that all project managers have to deal with is scope creep. This is when the scope of a project keeps expanding to include more objectives and it can eat away at your time and your budget very quickly. You’ll need to be on the ball to ensure that you maintain the original view of the project as being the main goal for the outcome. If there are enough additional needs, you can track them and have a conversation with management or clients in order to determine if they wish to add to the current project or set up a secondary goal/project. Another main issue is a lack of specific objectives. This is uncommon in construction projects, but might be more likely in IT projects, where they want an outcome but they might not be particularly clear about it. After all, “a better website” is not a goal. A website that gets more visitors or leads to more sales, that is a clear goal that can be budgeted for and achieved. It’s important for project managers to be the voice of reason in the room at all stages, making sure the initial plan isn’t too vague and that the final project doesn’t become too cumbersome.p>