The Value of PM Education

Cindy teaches undergraduate students as well as graduate students and executives in Project Management, Enterprise Resource Planning and Business Intelligence at American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

  Career Development   Education   New Practitioners  

“At the end of the day, the true value proposition of education is employment.”
- Sebastian Thrun

Getting students employed these days is proving harder and harder. For my generation, we were happy to have a job after graduation; for the current generation, they seem to be looking for the job. So how can project management education increase the employability of our students?

For students who want to work in the project management field, the answer is simple. Project management education leads students to the point of obtaining an entry-level certification and their career can move on from there. At my university, “Intro to Project Management” is required for business students and I regularly push my students to sit for the CAPM exam before they start seeking employment. I tell them, “The certification is a great way to distinguish yourself from 800 of your closest friends that are looking at the same jobs you are.” They laugh every time, but they know it’s true. Usually one course in project management meets the qualification criteria for taking the CAPM exam.

Alternatively, for students who don’t necessarily want a career in project management, project management education still adds significant value:

• Project management is a relevant skill in every industry. Even if students are not responsible for guiding, …

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