In a word; absolutely. Bottom line, continuous learning and improvement is a must in far more than just project management, but in life. Saving Changes...
Depends if you mean academic education, or professional education. The former, no. The latter, yes. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Samer -
You need to clarify the question further. Educational background in what? At what levels? For sure we want a PM to be able to read and write and have a basic education but beyond that - it all depends Saving Changes...
I used to thought no but nowadays i believe its important to have an educational background. The most you know about the subject the better. In "complex" projects its important to have an educational background since the PM will be the person that will "glue" the different components. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
'Must' is too strong. Important yes. Depends also on experience and skillset. Saving Changes...
I've known many successful PMs who didn't progress beyond their high school diplomas, but all of them did take some courses in project management to get a grounding in fundamentals and embraced the principle of lifelong learning by continuing to develop their PM knowledge.
Without some educational background in PM, the risk of being an accidental PM is much higher.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
I believe a business regards a Project Manager in much the same way as we would regard a surgeon. Which surgeon would we trust to perform an important operation upon us: a surgeon with no formal education, or one who is educated and certified?
While a person doesn’t *need* an educational background to be a successful Project Manager, having one certainly helps people trust the Project Manager knows what he or she is doing. Saving Changes...
It depends on the size, complexity and nature of the project and the person's ability to handle the situation Practically, project managers require some sort or degree of education to be able to lead the project, however it can not be considered mandatory in all projects Saving Changes...
Mark EckmanSenior Project Manager, PMP| VeoliaEmporia, Va, United States
I think everyone has brought some very valid points to the table.
I really relate to what Kiron and Eric responded with. I also feel that without some type of
formal education and/or professional certification, it is incredibly difficult, if not impossible,
to reach a professional level of standards in project management, (or most professions for
that matter). Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
I agree with Andrew.
Experience is what counts in the project management field but of course if it comes supported with an education background, that is definitely an asset but not a must ! Yet, SOLID experience is a MUST. Saving Changes...
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