Special projects manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a special projects manager. Special projects managers usually study business, accounting, or communication. 68% of special projects managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,491 real special projects manager resumes to see exactly what special projects manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for special projects managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain special projects manager certifications that you should consider. These special projects manager certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma Green Belt.

What education do you need to become a special projects manager?

What degree do you need to be a special projects manager?

The most common degree for special projects managers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of special projects 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 10%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 10%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a special projects manager?

You should major in business to become a special projects manager. 31% of special projects managers major in business. Other common majors for a special projects manager include accounting and communication.

Business, 31%

Accounting, 8%

Communication, 6%

Political Science, 6%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for special projects managers

Special projects managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for special projects managers in the US based on their resumes.

Special projects manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	13.45%
New York University	8.23%
Pennsylvania State University	5.82%
George Washington University, The	5.42%
Purdue University	5.42%

Show more common special projects manager colleges

Best majors for special projects managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	30.9%
2	Accounting	7.6%
3	Communication	6.4%
4	Political Science	6.2%
5	Marketing	6.1%

Show more common special projects manager majors

Best colleges for special projects managers

The best colleges for special projects managers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A special projects 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 special projects 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 special projects 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 special projects managers

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Learn how to estimate costs for any project, how to determine budget and how to use Earned Value Management tools. 3 PDU...

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Project Management tips to manage a million dollar IT Project budget from start to finish...

4. Project Management: Becoming a Successful Project manager

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5. Project Management: Simple Software Project Management

4.4

(1,144)

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

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

4.6

(494)

Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...

7. Master Course in Project Management 2.0

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(490)

Project Management, PMP, Agile project management, Project manager, Prince2, Scrum, Project Planning, Project risk cost...

8. Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One

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(28,219)

Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager...

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Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...

10. Project Management Course: Master Project Scope Management

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Review and master agile development & scrum methodologies for your career...

18. Project Management Professional Certification Program (PMP)

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

19. Project Management Fundamentals: Run projects effectively

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Learn how to effectively analyze, plan, execute, and manage projects that consistently accomplish company objectives...

20. Project Schedule: Monitor & Control Specialist (Accredited)

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Schedule Management: Monitor & Control Schedule, Analyze Schedule, Solve Project Schedule Problems Earn CPDs & PDUs...

Top 10 most affordable universities for special projects managers

The most affordable schools for special projects 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 special projects 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 special projects 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 special projects managers

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

Some great schools for special projects 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 special projects 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

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

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

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for special projects managers

The easiest schools for special projects 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 special projects 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 special projects 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 special projects manager salary by education level

Special projects managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $110,028 annually. With a Master's degree, special projects managers earn a median annual income of $105,492 compared to $96,683 for special projects managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Special projects manager education level	Special projects manager salary
Master's Degree	$105,492
High School Diploma or Less	$80,575
Bachelor's Degree	$96,683
Doctorate Degree	$110,028
Some College/ Associate Degree	$83,692

Special projects manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Special Projects Managers?

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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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