Education · 1 of 4
The path
Nobody hires a project manager with no projects behind them. You earn the title by doing the work next to someone who has it.
- 1
High school
Grades 11 and 12
English, math, business and computer science. Run something: a club event, a fundraiser, a team. Notice what goes wrong.
- 2
Degree or diploma
2 to 4 years
Computer science, business, engineering or a college computer systems program. Co-op terms at a large organization show you how projects really run.
- 3
Technical or coordinator job
3 to 6 years
Developer, business analyst, systems administrator, or project coordinator supporting a senior project manager. This is where you learn what can go wrong.
- 4
Certify
6 to 12 months of study
The PMP (Project Management Professional) is the credential most ads ask for. It needs years of project experience, more if you have no degree, plus a training course. An 8-month graduate certificate, such as Seneca's, is one way to prepare, and it can be taken part time.
- 5
Project manager, then program manager
Year 6 to 10 onward
Small projects first, then bigger budgets and several projects at once.