How to Become a Project Manager Without a Degree

Project management may be a fitting career choice if you are highly organized, good at managing people and processes, and an excellent problem-solver. As a project manager, you might start as an expert in your field and progress to a management-level position. Alternatively, you can start learning project management skills and gaining qualifications, which you then apply to a chosen field.

Project management is a high-level position; you generally need a bachelor’s degree with a relevant major. However, with the right experience, skills, certifications, and commitment to professional development, pursuing a career in project management without a degree is possible. 

What does a project manager do?

A project manager oversees a project or several projects, managing a team of people to take each project from concept to completion. As a project manager, you ensure projects meet deadlines and align with budgets by developing and adhering to a project plan. In doing so, you’ll delegate tasks, communicate with stakeholders, and solve problems that arise.

Duties and responsibilities

As a project manager, you may work in a number of industries, such as information technology (IT), construction, or health care, to name a few. Your duties and responsibilities vary depending on the industry, who you work for, and the type of project you’re working on. In general, project managers have the following core responsibilities:

• Communicating with senior management and stakeholders to determine the project scope, timeline, and budget

• Managing a team of people working on the project and delegating tasks

• Creating project plans and project schedules

• Implementing and managing a budget

• Ensuring the project adheres to deadlines and targets

• Addressing issues quickly and decisively

• Effectively communicating with and supporting team members

• Conducting quality assurance tests

• Communicating progress to stakeholders

How to become a project manager without a degree

According to Zippia, 68 percent of project managers hold a bachelor’s degree [1]. While this is a high percentage, it is possible to have a successful career as a project manager without a degree. However, it involves a great deal of work, gaining experience, certifications, skills, and proving yourself in your industry. 

Step 1: Get an entry-level project manager position.

Having relevant and substantial experience is essential if you want to work as a project manager without a degree. Firstly, look to become an expert in your field. You may start in entry-level roles, or if you already have experience in a particular sector, build on this. Aside from your industry experience, you must gain experience in project management. This may be in your current role or moving on to something different. You may find you have developed workplace skills in previous roles, such as time management, leadership, and decision-making, as a starting point. 

Apply for work within project teams, or consider related positions such as project coordinator or project administrator so you have experience working on projects. Any management and leadership experience you gain is beneficial. Even if you hold a degree, you can expect to need at least seven years of experience to become a project manager, which demonstrates how important experience is in gaining a position of this kind [2]. 

Careers in project management

If you have no experience in project management, you’ll find a number of project-related positions to help you qualify for a project manager role, including:

• Project coordinator

• Project administrator

• Project scheduler

• Team leader 

• Assistant project manager

Step 2: Develop essential project manager skills.

Working as a project manager requires both workplace skills and technical skills. Some of the technical skills depend partly on the field you’re working in. Aside from on-the-job experience, you might hone these specific skills through a boot camp or course. However, you’ll also find some general technical and workplace skills to be important. These include:

Technical skills

• Project management methodologies

• Budgeting

• Project scope

• Quality management

• Performance management

• Process management

• Stakeholder management

• Resource management

• Risk management

• Conflict management 

Workplace skills

• Leadership

• Problem-solving

• Decision-making

• Critical thinking

• Communication

• Organization

• Collaboration

• Adaptability

• Time management

Step 4: Practice self-study.

Showing your knowledge and skills is especially important if you don’t have a degree, and self-study is an excellent way to demonstrate your learning, build your confidence, and prove you’re dedicated to professional development. 

Self-study doesn’t have to involve a credential. It can include informal learning, such as books, articles, podcasts, skill sharing, and event attendance. If you’re looking for something more formal, consider an online course, boot camp, or certificate. 

Step 5: Become a certified project manager.

Without a degree, it’s important that you have a project management certification to prove your skills. Even if you have a degree, a recognized certification can boost your chances of employment and is considered essential for some jobs. The industry standard certification is the Project Management Professional (PMP), delivered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

In addition, PMI offers a range of project management certifications to fit the industry and position you want to work in, including PMI Construction Professional (PMI-CP) and PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP). Aside from PMP, you’ll find a number of certifications to consider, including:

• CompTIA Project+

• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) from Scrum Alliance

• Certified Project Manager (IAPM) from International Association of Project Managers

• Certified Project Director (CPD) from Global Association for Quality Management (GAQM)

• PRINCE2 7

Can I get a PMP certification without a degree?

You can work toward a PMP certification without a degree as long as you meet the other requirements, which include substantial experience in project management over an eight-year period and at least 35 hours of project management training. If you have a bachelor’s degree, the experience requirement is lower.

Step 6: Network.

Networking by getting to know people in the industry who can help you, answer questions, or provide you with an introduction is a great way of putting yourself out there. You may find a mentor this way who can guide you and give you feedback.

Step 7: Create your resume.

Before you start applying for internships and entry-level positions in project management, you need to build a strong resume. Use your resume to demonstrate your skills, experience, and certifications. Make sure your resume is highly tailored to the role you’re applying for by using applicable keywords from the job description. 

Read more: Navigating the Applicant Tracking System (ATS): A Job Guide

Project manager salary and job outlook

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual salary for a project management specialist in the US is $100,750 [3]. Glassdoor reports similar data, with a project manager’s average annual base salary being $83,824 and rising to an average of $112,083 for a senior project manager [4,5].

The job outlook for project managers is good. The expected job growth is 7 percent, which is above average and would create 77,000 job openings per year across the nation [3].

Learn more about careers in project management with Coursera

Project management is an advanced role that spans a range of industries, from finance to construction to manufacturing and many more. To start your career in project management without a degree, it’s important that you showcase your skills through certifications, relevant experience, and self-directed learning. 

If you’re considering project management as a career, you can take an online course as part of your self-directed learning. Look at the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate or the Project Management Specialization by the University of Colorado, Boulder, both conveniently hosted on Coursera. Upon completing either program, gain a shareable Professional Certificate to include in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.