High School
Introductory computer science classes and specialized courses in programming, database management, computer security, and software design will provide you with good preparation for college and an eventual career in project management. Other useful classes include business, English, speech, mathematics, science, psychology, and social studies.
Postsecondary Education
A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required to enter the field, but some employers prefer to hire applicants with master’s degrees. Project managers have a wide variety of educational backgrounds. Some have degrees in management information systems, database management, computer engineering, software development, or network engineering. Others have degrees in project management. Many project management programs are accredited by the Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs. To view a list of U.S. and international programs that offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in project management, visit https://www.pmi.org/global-accreditation-center/directory#sort=%40gaccourseuniversitytitle%20ascending.
Certification
Some colleges and universities offer certificates in project management. For example, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Villanova University, and the University of New Haven provide project management certificates. Credit and non-credit programs are available. Topics covered in the University of New Haven's noncredit program include project framework and lifecycle, project initiation, activity sequencing, estimating resources, developing the project schedule, stakeholder management, procurement, risk management, quality management, project execution, quality control, managing project teams, project monitoring/control, managing conflict, and an introduction to AGILE Project Management, Critical Chain, and other methodologies.
Many colleges and universities offer certificates in database management, computer security, software design, and other IT-related areas. Contact schools in your area to learn about available programs.
The IEEE Computer Society provides a variety of knowledge area certificates, including those in software project management, software configuration management, and software engineering management.
Other Education or Training
Many professional associations provide continuing education (CE) opportunities via webinars and in-person classes and seminars. For example, the Project Management Institute offers webinars such as Essentials of Project Management, Project Management Fundamentals, Leadership Essentials, and The Complete Agile Project Manager. It also offers educational seminars in U.S. cities such as Dallas, Chicago, and Las Vegas, and overseas in Greece, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Visit http://www.pmi.org/learning.aspx for more information. The IEEE Computer Society offers online courses in project management, software design, quality, and other topics. The Association for Computing Machinery, CompTIA, and other associations at the local, state, and national levels also provide CE opportunities.
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