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How long does it take to become a Program Director?

By Zippia Team - Mar. 2, 2022

It takes 6 years of professional experience to become a program director. That is the time it takes to learn specific program director skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 9 to 11 years years to become a program director.

There are certain skills that you need to obtain in order to become a successful program director. Some of the most common skills are listed below. Along with each skill, we provide an actual example of how someone included the skill on their resume:

  1. Procedures -- Established new office with responsible for day-to-day operations and implementation of new business practices including the development of policies and procedures.

  2. Oversight -- Budget oversight, development and execution of Memorandums of Agreement/Understanding, partnership development, developing and implementing policy and procedure documents.

  3. Professional Development -- Implemented a training curriculum for professional development and regulatory compliance for adolescents, adults and families for outpatient and residential programs.

  4. Mental Health -- Worked collaboratively with multiple agencies and individuals including Regional Center, County Mental Health, educators, physicians and families.

  5. Facility -- Ensured adequate staffing for the facility and completed human resource responsibilities including conducting performance reviews, disciplinary actions, and promotions.

Common Educational Background For A Program Director

The education needed to be a Program Director is normally a Bachelor's Degree. Program Directors usually study Business, Psychology or Social Work. 62.0% of Program Directors hold a Bachelor's Degree and 21.0% hold a Master's Degree. We found these by analyzing 59766 Program Director resumes to investigate the topic of Program Director education more precisely.

The most common colleges for students to pursue their goal of becoming a Program Director are University of Phoenix and New York University. We also broke down what colleges provide the best overall education for a Program Director. Students have a great path to earning their Program Director qualifications at the following schools:

  1. Stanford University
  2. University of Pennsylvania
  3. Northwestern University

If you're interested in getting a college degree in an affordable college for Program Directors - SUNY Farmingdale is an excellent option for you. If your SAT or ACT score aren't as high as you'd like, you can look at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, as the admission requirements aren't too selective. On the other end of that spectrum are the Stanford University, Northwestern University and University of Pennsylvania.

For those who would rather stay in your pajamas during the day, we prepared some online courses that can help in Program Director education paths.

Common Certifications For A Program Director

The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is most common among Program Directors. This certification is awarded by the Project Management Institute. The advanced certification is for more experienced employees as it often requires some work experience to acquire. To become a certified Program Director with Project Management Professional (PMP), You need to pass the exam. This certificate requires more than two years of work experience. Renew certification every 3 year.

How long does it take to become a Program Director?

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