Should a PM have an MBA?

Andy Jordan is President of Roffensian Consulting S.A., a Roatan, Honduras-based management consulting firm with a comprehensive project management practice. Andy always appreciates feedback and discussion on the issues raised in his articles and can be reached at [email protected]. Andy's new book Risk Management for Project Driven Organizations is now available.

  Career Development  

A couple of separate events happened recently that got me thinking. First, I was talking to someone about an opening they had for someone to run their PMO. They were looking for some advice as to what type of skill set they should be looking for and what kind of experience would be important. They mentioned that they were thinking that an MBA would be a significant differentiator over an applicant who “just” had the PMP. Secondly, someone contacted me through ProjectManagement.com asking for some career advice--and whether I thought that an MBA would be a worthwhile addition to their project management skills and PMP certification when it came to their career progression.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but I suspect that if two people who I spoke with in the space of just a couple of weeks were thinking about an MBA, then many more people are as well. So here are my thoughts on the pros and cons of an MBA for those in the project management profession.

Let me start by saying that I cannot think of a single reason why education and certification are negatives. The benefits may vary from program to program (and for each individual and their circumstances), but the benefits are always there. What may not be present is the kind of return on investment that we need to ensure that the commitment is worthwhile. Whether it is the PMP, an MBA or any other …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.