What Will I Learn in a Project Management Program?

Often associated with the field of construction, project management is relevant to many fields of study. The Healthcare, Engineering, and Information Technology fields, among others, are all in high demand of project managers who can plan and execute projects within their organizations. Many project managers will acquire some working knowledge of the intricacies of their chosen path whether through on-the-job training or through a graduate degree in a specialized program. One of the best ways to get started in a career as a project manager is through an online bachelor's degree in a well-accredited university.

Many of the nation's top programs offer students the chance to learn about the fundamentals of business, accounting, and management that will continue to serve them well for years into their chosen career paths. But what do these degrees entail? Let's look at a few of the best online bachelor's degrees with a focus in project management.

The Bachelor's of Arts in Project Management at the University of Arizona Global Campus is one of the best online undergraduate degrees in project management in the nation. Receiving its excellent business accreditation through the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, this program will train students in all aspects of planning, executing, and overseeing a well-documented project. Offered with five-week courses, the 120 credit hours of this program are divided between 43 credits of general education, 45 credits of major course requirements, and 35 elective credits. Required courses within this degree include Principles of Accounting I, Human Resource Management, Statistics for Managers, Business Law I, Principles of Microeconomics, Project Procurement Management, Management for Organizations, Leadership for Organizations, Organizational Change, Personal & Organizational Ethics, and Introduction to Project Management. Tuition fee for this program is an estimated $54,240.

Another high quality online bachelor's degree worth considering is the Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management offered at Columbia Southern University. This program has been designed to help students "apply managerial decision making through utilizing best practices in business, interpret business concepts, principles, and financial strategies, examine the effects of globalization on their work environment, and analyze financial statements." In addition to the major requirement courses including Principles of Marketing, Business Law, Financial Management, Leadership, and Business Ethics, this program also features Project Management-intensive courses like Organizational Communications, Introduction to Project Management, Project Management Overview, Managerial Decision Making, Project Planning, Risk Management, and Procurement & Contract Management.

Receiving its regional accreditation through the North, Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission, Bellevue University, located in Bellevue, Nebraska, features a nationally-recognized online Bachelor's of Science degree in Project Management. The focus of this program is to equip it students with the ability to "create project management plans using appropriate techniques and tools per the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMOK Guide) to initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close, prioritize project needs with regard to scope, resources, cost, schedules, and risks, analyze the five project development process groups and nine knowledge areas within the PMOK Guide, and assess the communication and leadership effectiveness of members within an interdisciplinary project team." Courses within this program include Advanced Project Management, Applied Project Management, Project Risk Management, Project Procurement Management, Project Quality, Project Cost, Project Leadership, Business Communications, Fundamentals of Project Management, and Foundations for Professional Success. Divided between 27 general education credits, 51 elective credits, 40 major credits, and nine Kirkpatrick Signature Series Credits, this 127-total credit program features a tuition rate of $52,070.

These online bachelor's degrees in project management will help build the foundation for project management professionals in the future. The curriculum will hold universal general education courses and build into the business and project management focused curriculum. Plus these degrees also hold the benefit of an online format which not only allow students optimal flexibility, but also the experience of working with others within a virtual environment.

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