Various state-recognized universities in Germany and abroad (e.g., IU International University of Applied Sciences, Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, University of Sydney, and University of London) also offer bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in project management.  They usually take six (bachelor’s) or four (master’s) semesters to complete.  There are also combined programs that combine project management content with subject-specific content from another field of study (e.g., business administration, business informatics or engineering) (Studis Online 2021).

The number of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in project management awarded worldwide between 2012 and 2020 is approximately 275,000,¹ which is a negligible 0.03 percent of the Project Management Institute’s (2021) estimate of 90 million project employees in project-related industries² worldwide.

In the U.S., the private, for-profit University of Phoenix (3,652 degrees), the public Colorado State University Global (CSU Global) (1,767 degrees), and the private, for-profit Capella University (1,600 degrees) conferred the most project management degrees between 2014 and 2022 (T. K. HAMANN based on Data USA n.d.); all three are 4-year institutions, which are universities and some colleges that offer bachelor’s or master’s degrees.  A total of 29,979 project management degrees³ were awarded in the U.S. during this period; University of Phoenix, CSU Global, and Capella University accounted for 12.2 percent, 5.9 percent, and 5.3 percent, respectively—nearly a quarter of all U.S. project management degrees (T. K. HAMANN based on Data USA n.d.).  Although the University of Phoenix awards the most project management degrees in the U.S., Amberton University and CSU Global have the highest percentage of project management degrees (Data USA n.d.).  In 2022, the most common project management degree in the U.S. was a master’s degree (Data USA n.d.).

What are the relevant project management programs offered by the top three⁴ universities in the U.S.?

Founded in 1976, the University of Phoenix (n.d. a) is an online university for working adults.  It offers two project management programs—the ACBSP⁵-accredited Bachelor of Science in Business with a Project Management Certificate and the Graduate Project Management Certificate; in addition, individual project management courses can be taken to build specific knowledge and skills (University of Phoenix n.d. b; n.d. c; n.d. d).

CSU Global (n.d. a; n.d. b) offers two academic degrees (bachelor’s and master’s) in project management, as well as an undergraduate and graduate certificate.  The Master in Project Management is designed to enable graduates to manage complex modern projects from initiation to completion.  In addition, the program is fully online, allowing students to work full-time, spend time with family and friends, and complete the rigorous course of study.  CSU Global’s (n.d. b) Master in Project Management program is aligned with the Project Management Institute’s scope of knowledge and prepares students for the Project Management Professional (PMP)^® certification exam.

Capella University (n.d. a; n.d. b) also offers two academic degrees—Bachelor of Science in Business with a specialization in Project Management, Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Project Management.  As with the other two universities, these programs are designed for busy, working adults and are therefore online (Capella University n.d. c; n.d. d; n.d. e).