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Director, program and project management education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a director, program and project management. Directors, program and project management usually study business, electrical engineering, or computer science. 67% of directors, program and project management hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 789 real director, program and project management resumes to see exactly what director, program and project management education sections show.
The most common colleges for directors, program and project management are the George Washington University, The and the George Washington University, The.
There are also many online director, program and project management courses to help get the education required to be a director, program and project management.
There are certain director, program and project management certifications that you should consider. These director, program and project management certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL).
What education do you need to become a director, program and project management?
What degree do you need to be a director, program and project management?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a director, program and project management?
- Business, 29%
- Computer Science, 9%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for directors, program and project management
| Director, program and project management common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| George Washington University, The | 12.63% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.42% |
| University of Washington | 6.32% |
| New York University | 6.32% |
| Wichita State University | 6.32% |
Best majors for directors, program and project management
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 28.9% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 9.3% |
| 3 | Computer Science | 9.3% |
| 4 | Project Management | 8.1% |
| 5 | Management | 6.4% |
Best colleges for directors, program and project management
The best colleges for directors, program and project management are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A director, program and project management with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors, program and project management. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become directors, program and project management.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
20 best online courses for directors, program and project management
Advertising disclosure
1. Digital Project Management
Build confidence translating business requirements into project scope statements, creating project plans in Waterfall or Agile, and developing a high-performing team...
2. Practical Project Portfolio Management
Selecting & Managing The Right Projects...
3. The Agile Methodology for Project Risk Managers
The Agile Project Management and Risk Management for Project Professionals Full Course...
4. Project Management: Simple Software Project Management
Project Management for NEW Project Managers - knowledge, tools, techniques, skills, checklists, guidelines, pitfalls...
5. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers
Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...
6. Project Management Essentials
A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...
7. Project Management Course: Master Project Scope Management
Practical guide to scope development and management - Project Management Certification (PMP, CAPM) Training [Earn 11PDU]...
8. Project Management Office (PMO) for Management Consultants
A practical guide on how to build and run PMO on the level of top consulting firm Mc Kinsey, BCG, Bain, Pw C...
9. Project Management Office (PMO) Setup Guide
PMO Step-by-Step Implementation Plan...
10. Master Course in Project Management 2.0
Project Management, PMP, Agile project management, Project manager, Prince2, Scrum, Project Planning, Project risk cost...
11. Project Management Professional Certification Program (PMP)
Your Guide to the Gold Standard of Project Management Certifications (PMI-PMP) (PMBOK7 updated) (40 PDUs minimum)...
12. Project Management Master Class: Government Projects
Learn How To Win Big By Always Successfully Completing Government Projects Using Ninja Project Management Techniques...
13. Software Project Management - The complete course
Project management in software development in traditional and agile projects...
14. Manage Project Risks Impeccably (12 PDUs, RMP - PMP) PMBOK 7
PMI Project Risk Management RMP Certification Program Course. Practical & easy to follow Use Case Project. PMBOK 7...
15. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants
How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...
16. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery
Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...
17. Project Management Fundamentals: Run projects effectively
Learn how to effectively analyze, plan, execute, and manage projects that consistently accomplish company objectives...
18. Project Management Fundamentals: Risk Management
Without risk, there can be no reward. Learn how to your risks it into your allies...
19. Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One
Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager...
20. Project Management: Becoming a Successful Project manager
Project Management...
Top 10 most affordable universities for directors, program and project management
The most affordable schools for directors, program and project management are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for directors, program and project management are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for directors, program and project management.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors, program and project management
The hardest universities for directors, program and project management to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for directors, program and project management are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for directors, program and project management based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors, program and project management
The easiest schools for directors, program and project management to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director, program and project management without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for directors, program and project management.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average director, program and project management salary by education level
| Director, program and project management education level | Director, program and project management salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $158,421 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $109,475 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $140,564 |
| Doctorate Degree | $167,839 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $115,326 |
Director, program and project management education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025