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Senior proposal manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior proposal manager. Senior proposal managers usually study business, english, or communication. 73% of senior proposal managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 732 real senior proposal manager resumes to see exactly what senior proposal manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior proposal managers are the George Mason University and the George Mason University.

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

There are certain senior proposal manager certifications that you should consider. These senior proposal manager certifications include Advanced Pain Management Practitioner Certification (APMP) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become a senior proposal manager?

What degree do you need to be a senior proposal manager?

The most common degree for senior proposal managers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of senior proposal managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a senior proposal manager?

You should major in business to become a senior proposal manager. 24% of senior proposal managers major in business. Other common majors for a senior proposal manager include english and communication.

Most common colleges for senior proposal managers

Senior proposal managers often get their degrees at George Mason University, University of Maryland - College Park, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for senior proposal managers in the US based on their resumes.
Senior proposal manager common collegePercentages
George Mason University12.63%
University of Maryland - College Park10.53%
University of Phoenix6.32%
University of Florida5.26%
University of Pittsburgh5.26%

Best majors for senior proposal managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business24.0%
2English12.8%
3Communication8.6%
4Marketing6.8%
5Political Science6.2%

Best colleges for senior proposal managers

The best colleges for senior proposal managers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

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

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 senior proposal managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Digital Project Management

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Build confidence translating business requirements into project scope statements, creating project plans in Waterfall or Agile, and developing a high-performing team...

2. Capstone: Creating A Sustainability Proposal

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Congratulations on reaching the Capstone Class of the Become a Sustainable Business Change Agent specialization. The class will help you apply material from the previous three classes. We have developed a case about a hypothetical ski resort that offers lots of opportunities to develop sustainability recommendations. A second option is do develop a proposal for a change in your company or organization. Or you can do both the case and your own proposal. The goal of the class is to have you...

3. Research Proposal: Initiating Research

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Market Research is a growing and important field that is used in many industries around the world. Given all the data that is collected whether by organizations, industries, social media, governments, etc., it’s important that someone can review and sift through all the noise to provide valuable insights. And that’s where you come in as a market researcher. This course will only scratch the surface and provide you a foundational understanding of this field. In this course, you will be able to...

4. How To Write A Business Proposal - Upwork - Proposal Writing

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Secrets to Writing Business Proposals to Get Clients, Double/Tripple Your Success Rate and 10x Your Business!...

5. Proposal Writing & Management (+APMP Foundation Exam Prep)

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Everything you need to win big!...

6. Advanced Upwork Proposals: Tips to Help Get More Responses!

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Secrets to Write Better Upwork Proposals and Get a Response Even When 20-30 People Already Applied!...

7. Project Management Master Class: Government Projects

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Learn How To Win Big By Always Successfully Completing Government Projects Using Ninja Project Management Techniques...

8. Basic Grant Proposal Writing for Nonprofits

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Crafting Winning Proposals that Get Funded, with Effective Outcomes Statements and Proven Communications Methods...

9. ISO 31000. Risk manager training

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Understand the framework for managing risk proposed by ISO 31000 and the risk techniques of IEC 31010...

10. Grant Writing: Keys to a Successful Proposal

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Project Management...

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13. Performance Management and Compensation Management in HRM

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Performance Management and Compensation Management Complete Course...

14. Project Management: Simple Software Project Management

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Project Management for NEW Project Managers - knowledge, tools, techniques, skills, checklists, guidelines, pitfalls...

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

16. Project Management Essentials

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A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...

17. Presales Management - IT Solutions & Service Providers

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A Framework for effective management of Presales processes...

18. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers

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19. Great Product Manager: Product Management by a Big Tech's PM

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20. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants

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How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...

Top 10 most affordable universities for senior proposal managers

The most affordable schools for senior proposal managers 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 senior proposal managers 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 senior proposal managers.

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 senior proposal managers

The hardest universities for senior proposal managers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for senior proposal managers 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 senior proposal managers 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 senior proposal managers

The easiest schools for senior proposal managers 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 senior proposal manager 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 senior proposal managers.

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 senior proposal manager salary by education level

Senior proposal managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $119,492 annually. With a Master's degree, senior proposal managers earn a median annual income of $113,044 compared to $100,776 for senior proposal managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Senior proposal manager education levelSenior proposal manager salary
Master's Degree$113,044
High School Diploma or Less$79,265
Bachelor's Degree$100,776
Doctorate Degree$119,492
Some College/ Associate Degree$83,330

Senior proposal manager education FAQs

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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.

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