Project Management Degree versus MBA

You can study project management online with Australian universities. Postgraduate (masters) programs are available 100% online, allowing you to complete a degree from the comfort of your home or office.

Project management is a specialist subject for experienced professionals.
Most students combine online study with full-time or part-time work.

Studying project management is a sound way to extend your management capabilities and communication skills. You'll learn principles and practices that are relevant to any complex project.

You can study online for a Master of Project Management (MPM) degree. Shorter professional programs – Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma courses – are also offered via distance learning.

Should you study project management or get a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree instead? The answer depends on what kind of work you do (or aim to do in the future).

If you work mainly on discrete projects which have distinct stages (e.g. planning and development, closing), a project management program may be the one.
If your role is more corporate (managing parts of an organisation and team performance), an MBA may be better.
A project management masters degree may be more useful if the financing of projects is more relevant to your work than corporate finance.

But there is significant overlap between the 2 study areas. Project management courses are often run by business schools. An MBA can be a variation of an MPM, with many common units.

I hold both an MBA and an MPM. I disagree that the 2 degrees are essentially the same. The MBA focused on business management. The MPM was a deep dive into project management. It was not industry-specific (e.g. construction or IT) but took a broad view.

I find the degrees complementary. My MBA better enables me to speak the "management language" with executive sponsors and couch decisions with a business mindset. The MPM gives a deeper understanding of the issues faced in projects and helps me formulate approaches and apply different techniques.
~ Dave Violette

In project management, becoming accredited is about experience and knowledge.

The main professional accrediting bodies are PMI, AIPM (for Australia) and PRINCE2.
You become accredited by demonstrating project management experience (hours worked on projects) and knowledge (by sitting a test).
A university degree helps with gaining accreditation by expanding your knowledge and lessening experience requirements.

Doing a university course provides a career asset and complements professional accreditation.

The best online degrees in project management allow you to learn effectively with minimal life disruption.

Generally speaking, the best programs are purpose-built for online study. You can complete units in sequence, focusing on just 1 or 2 at a time. They offer flexible timing, including the option to study year-round. Learning materials and tools are created (or professionally adapted) for distance learning.

You may also prefer a shorter study option than a 12-unit masters. Graduate certificates (4 units) and diplomas (8 units) are good preparation for gaining professional accreditation.