Post job

Management development specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a management development specialist. Management development specialists usually study business, psychology, or communication. 65% of management development specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 415 real management development specialist resumes to see exactly what management development specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for management development specialists are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

There are also many online management development specialist courses to help get the education required to be a management development specialist.

What education do you need to become a management development specialist?

What degree do you need to be a management development specialist?

The most common degree for management development specialists is bachelor's degree, with 65% of management development specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 65%
  • Master's, 22%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a management development specialist?

You should major in business to become a management development specialist. 29% of management development specialists major in business. Other common majors for a management development specialist include psychology and communication.

Most common colleges for management development specialists

Management development specialists often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, New York University, and University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Here are the most common colleges for management development specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Management development specialist common collegePercentages
Pennsylvania State University8.33%
New York University6.67%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point6.67%
Grand Canyon University6.67%
University of South Florida5.00%

Best majors for management development specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business28.6%
2Psychology11.3%
3Communication7.4%
4Human Resources Management6.1%
5Finance5.2%

Best colleges for management development specialists

The best colleges for management development specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

A management development specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for management development specialists. 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 management development specialists.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

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. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for management development specialists

Advertising disclosure

1. Relationship Management and Business Development

coursera

Welcome to the "Relationship Management and Business Development" course! Building and managing relationships is a crucial skill set for driving business growth and development. In this course, you will learn effective strategies to identify, cultivate, and nurture relationships with clients, stakeholders, and business partners. Throughout the course, we will explore essential topics such as networking, rapport building, and effective communication in a business context. You will develop the...

2. Conflict Management with Emotional Intelligence

udemy
4.5
(15,044)

Resolving Conflict with Emotional Intelligence Enhancing Communication Building Strong Relationships Manage Stress...

3. Certification Course in Human Resource Management

udemy
4.3
(1,337)

Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...

4. Lean BPM - Lean Business Process Management Change Skills

udemy
4.5
(553)

Lean BPM - learn how to use lean business management techniques to reduce waste and improve your business efficiency...

5. Full Stack Web Development with C# OOP, MS SQL & ASP.NET MVC

udemy
4.4
(918)

Web development with C#, ASP.NET MVC, MS SQL, C# OOP. All gathered for full stack web development in one course!...

6. Understanding Performance Management as an HR Professional

udemy
4.4
(2,134)

This course is designed for human resources professionals or those who wish to learn more about performance management...

7. The Complete Business Process Management (BPM) Master Class

udemy
4.2
(860)

12000+ enrollments Learn the Business Process Management methods used by the world's most successful organizations...

8. HR,HR Analytics, Human Resource Management, Black Friday Ed

udemy
4.6
(1,691)

HR Analytics ,HR Courses, human resource management, ,HR certification, HRM, hr payroll, people management, 2022...

9. Customer Service Training: Dealing with Difficult Customers

udemy
4.5
(1,035)

Learn how to deal with difficult customers Master customer relationship management Gain conflict management skills...

10. Anger Management & Conflict Resolution Program - (4 hours)

udemy
4.3
(676)

How to manage anger and ensure it does not explode into rage. Enhance your life by building quality relationships...

11. Conflict Management: The complete guide

udemy
4.4
(1,057)

Conflict management: effective techniques to better manage conflicts, negotiate, influence and solve problems...

12. Understanding and developing Emotional Intelligence

udemy
4.3
(5,489)

What Emotional Intelligence is, why It matters, and how to develop it...

13. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

udemy
4.3
(312)

Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...

14. Leadership: New Manager Training for Technical Professionals

udemy
4.2
(766)

Learn to establish yourself as a manager and lead your technical team to success. We are PDU Accredited...

15. Project Charter Specialist (Accredited) Project Management

udemy
4.6
(552)

What is Project Charter? Components? Template? Example? Document Project Charter? Project Charter Specialist Earn PDUs...

16. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems

udemy
4.6
(4,741)

Operations Management: Supply Chain & Business Processes in Industry for Manufacturing and Services Organizations...

17. Certified Lean Specialist Lean Management (Accredited)

udemy
4.6
(3,549)

Lean Management Lean Manufacturing Lean in Service Lean Specialist Lean Certification Lean Part 1 Earn PDUs...

18. Developing Emotional Intelligence in Teams

udemy
4.5
(15,367)

Maximise Team Performance: Strategies for Developing Emotional Intelligence In Teams Enhancing Relationships...

19. Leadership, Business Process Improvement, & Process Mapping!

udemy
4.5
(3,086)

Learn the leadership, communication, and process mapping skills to accelerate your career!...

20. Project Management Professional Certification Program (PMP)

udemy
4.2
(2,380)

Your Guide to the Gold Standard of Project Management Certifications (PMI-PMP) (PMBOK7 updated) (40 PDUs minimum)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for management development specialists

The most affordable schools for management development specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for management development specialists 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 management development specialists.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for management development specialists

The hardest universities for management development specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for management development specialists 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 management development specialists 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for management development specialists

The easiest schools for management development specialists to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and ottawa university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a management development specialist 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 management development specialists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average management development specialist salary by education level

According to our data, management development specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $93,300 annually. Management development specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $85,873.
Management development specialist education levelManagement development specialist salary
Master's Degree$93,300
High School Diploma or Less$72,301
Bachelor's Degree$85,873
Some College/ Associate Degree$77,560

Management development specialist education FAQs

Search for management development specialist jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse business and financial jobs