Best Online Master’s in Project Management

Best Online Master’s in Project Management

By James Barham

Published: Jul 7, 2021
Updated: May 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in project management degree programs for students wanting to gain employment as project managers, project administrators, and associate project managers.

Top 10 Online Project Management Master's Degrees

University of Southern California

72%

Boston University

69%

Brandeis University

65%

Saint Louis University

54%

Stevens Institute of Technology

49%

University of Texas at Dallas

45%

Thomas Jefferson University

43%

Liberty University

40%

Morgan State University

39%

Central Michigan University

38%

New England College

100%

Liberty University

99%

Troy University

95%

Missouri State University

94%

Southern New Hampshire University

92%

Maryville University

92%

Montclair State University

91%

University of North Alabama

90%

Lamar University

88%

University of Texas at Dallas

87%

Purdue University Global

28 to 1

26 to 1

University of Texas at Dallas

25 to 1

Northern Arizona University

22 to 1

Southern New Hampshire University

21 to 1

Missouri State University

20 to 1

Lamar University

19 to 1

Central Michigan University

18 to 1

Troy University

18 to 1

Montclair State University

18 to 1

University of Southern California

$61,503

Brandeis University

$60,006

Boston University

$59,816

Stevens Institute of Technology

$56,920

Saint Louis University

$48,824

Thomas Jefferson University

$43,116

New England College

$40,642

$29,152

Maryville University

$27,166

Liberty University

$22,713

University of Southern California

$60,446

Boston University

$58,560

Brandeis University

$53,498

Stevens Institute of Technology

$38,076

$28,110

Thomas Jefferson University

$22,068

Saint Louis University

$21,960

Golden Gate University

$19,620

Southern New Hampshire University

$18,900

Central Michigan University

$15,194

22%

Maryville University

24%

Lindenwood University

25%

New England College

28%

Purdue University Global

28%

University of North Alabama

29%

Western Carolina University

30%

31%

Missouri State University

35%

Southern New Hampshire University

35%

University of Southern California

13%

Boston University

19%

Brandeis University

39%

Stevens Institute of Technology

53%

Saint Louis University

70%

Lindenwood University

75%

Central Michigan University

77%

Thomas Jefferson University

78%

Northern Arizona University

78%

Western Carolina University

79%

University of Southern California

9 to 1

Saint Louis University

9 to 1

Boston University

10 to 1

Brandeis University

10 to 1

Golden Gate University

12 to 1

12 to 1

Stevens Institute of Technology

12 to 1

New England College

13 to 1

Thomas Jefferson University

13 to 1

Maryville University

13 to 1

Western Carolina University

$1,000

Morgan State University

$5,477

Lamar University

$6,228

Missouri State University

$7,196

$8,356

Troy University

$9,312

University of North Alabama

$9,600

Purdue University Global

$10,080

Northern Arizona University

$10,381

Golden Gate University

$11,088

Western Carolina University

$4,435

Missouri State University

$5,760

Lamar University

$6,471

University of North Alabama

$6,600

Liberty University

$7,847

Morgan State University

$8,190

Troy University

$8,550

Purdue University Global

$8,730

Lindenwood University

$9,684

Northern Arizona University

$10,724

Table of Contents

Learn to plan, analyze, measure, maintain and adapt projects from beginning to end with this specialized online MBA that you can earn in 1 year from Southern New Hampshire University. No GRE/GMAT required. Courses include: Project Management, Human Behavior in Organizations, Leading in an Organization and Economics for Business. Request degree information now.

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Project Management Degrees

An MBA with concentration in Project Management is an excellent option for students needing a foundation in basic business knowledge. In an online MBA in Project Management, you’ll likely have 9-12 electives (3-4 courses) focused on project management, while the majority of your credits hours are spent on business essentials. A Master’s in Project Management is focused on the specialization of project management. The master’s in project management will give you more time to go deeper into a specialization. If you have a background in business, a focused master’s program in project management may be right for you.

Recent graduates and professionals in the field can earn their master’s in project management online or on campus. This advanced degree program will prepare students to plan, manage, and execute plans in a variety of industries, including business, construction, technology, and engineering.

Graduate students will take courses like Agile Fundamentals, Applying Project Management Principles in IT, Transforming Organizations, Analytical Tools for Strategic Decision-Making, and Six Sigma Quality Management.

Most 30-credit programs can be completed in about two years, and graduates can then sit for the PMP certification exam.

Most students will go on to gain employment as project managers, project administrators, and associate project managers.

Learn more about what you can do with a master’s degree in business administration (MBA).

Best Online Master's in Project Management

How do we determine the best online project management master's degree programs?

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Project Management Specialists Salaries by Percentile in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of Project Management Specialists for each percentile in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

SVG Attribution: Wikipedia

Total Employed: 743860

10%

15%

50%

15%

10%

bell-curve

497506425094500125430159140

10th Percentile25th Percentile75th Percentile90th Percentile

Best Online Master’s and MBAs in Project Management Degree Programs

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

Image Attributions

Image Source for Purdue University Global