Program manager internship education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a program manager internship. Program manager interns usually study business, psychology, or social work. 73% of program manager interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,019 real program manager internship resumes to see exactly what program manager internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for program manager interns are the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

There are also many online program manager internship courses to help get the education required to be a program manager internship.

There are certain program manager internship certifications that you should consider. These program manager internship certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).

What education do you need to become a program manager internship?

What degree do you need to be a program manager internship?

The most common degree for program manager interns is bachelor's degree, with 73% of program manager interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 10%

Doctorate, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a program manager internship?

You should major in business to become a program manager internship. 22% of program manager interns major in business. Other common majors for a program manager internship include psychology and social work.

Business, 22%

Psychology, 12%

Social Work, 11%

Communication, 6%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for program manager interns

Program manager interns often get their degrees at University of Illinois at Chicago, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Southern California. Here are the most common colleges for program manager interns in the US based on their resumes.

Program manager internship common college	Percentages
University of Illinois at Chicago	10.09%
Pennsylvania State University	6.42%
University of Southern California	6.42%
University of Phoenix	6.42%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	5.50%

Show more common program manager internship colleges

Best majors for program manager interns

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	21.5%
2	Psychology	11.7%
3	Social Work	11.1%
4	Communication	5.7%
5	Computer Science	5.4%

Show more common program manager internship majors

Best colleges for program manager interns

The best colleges for program manager interns are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A program manager internship with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for program manager interns. 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 program manager interns.

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

20 best online courses for program manager interns

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6. Project Management Professional Certification Program (PMP)

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15. Technical Program Management

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20. Business Communication Skills: Handling Clients & Customers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for program manager interns

The most affordable schools for program manager interns are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for program manager interns 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 program manager interns.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

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 program manager interns

The hardest universities for program manager interns to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for program manager interns 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 program manager interns 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for program manager interns

The easiest schools for program manager interns 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 program manager internship 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 program manager interns.

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. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average program manager internship salary by education level

Program manager interns with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $58,563 annually. With a Master's degree, program manager interns earn a median annual income of $55,436 compared to $49,481 for program manager interns with an Bachelor's degree.

Program manager internship education level	Program manager internship salary
Master's Degree	$55,436
High School Diploma or Less	$39,020
Bachelor's Degree	$49,481
Doctorate Degree	$58,563
Some College/ Associate Degree	$40,999

Program manager internship education FAQs

What is the best college for Program Manager Interns?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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