MBA Project Management

There is no specific undergraduate degree that prepares you for project management, because every project in each industry is industry-specific. However, once you have an accredited, four-year degree, you can seek an offline or online master’s degree called MBA Project Management.

To prepare for a project management MBA, you may be required to go back to school and take certain business-related courses, depending on your current area of expertise. If you have at least a baccalaureate degree in your field of expertise and want to advance in your field, obtaining the Project Management MBA degree may be an excellent way to proceed.

Project Management Definition

More than just a supervisor or department head, a project manager oversees, guides and coordinates efforts between individuals and departments to accomplish a project mission. The project manager must work well with people, inspire and motivate them and still reach completion within budget and before or on published deadlines. The MBA Project Management degree teaches you theory, best practices, ethics and even legalities involved in those goals, industry and employer guidelines and instructions notwithstanding.

The project manager is the point-person of a project and the one to whom superiors go for progress reports and who is responsible for the success or failure of the assigned project.

Every industry has its own type of projects that reach across department or specialty fences. An effective project manager is the bridge between them and toward goal accomplishment. The MBA Project Management degree is the tool through which you can efficiently coordinate your project team and meet standards and goals.

For instance, you might work for a technology development company within the aerospace industry. Your company has been attempting to develop an engine that runs efficiently and effectively on alternative fuel sources. You are well-positioned for consideration for management of this project; you manage personnel well; your department always operates within budgetary restraints and always on time. You have a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and have an excellent reputation in the industry. You also took the initiative for personal and professional advancement and obtained a project management MBA. Another department head has the same degree, but he has no concept of “expense” and “budget.” Odds are that the company will approach you first for management of this important project.

Degree Options

Because a project management MBA falls within the auspices of the business education department in an offline or online university, advanced, online degree program admissions requirements usually include business-related education history.

Your undergraduate degree may not reflect those credits. If not, you must obtain the foundational courses, without which you would face an uphill battle in the post-graduate program. Many people who are interested in this path of career advancement apply for a shortened bachelor’s degree in business through transferred credits.

If your undergraduate degree is in business, then you are well on your way to the master’s program. However, many advanced programs require verifiable work experience in business management capacity. Be sure to check the specific requirements of the schools that interest you before you submit your admissions application. However, also be aware you may qualify for an accelerated MBA project management degree program; ask your advisor for information and availability.