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Major · Computer Sciences

A bachelor’s pipeline into tech management and PM tracks

Information Technology Project Management (CIP 11.1005) prepares students for IT project management, security analysis, and tech-management roles. About 933 students complete it across 38 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $84,407 in tracked five-year wages.

Schools offering
38
Annual completions
933
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$69k

About this major

Information Technology Project Management (CIP 11.1005) is a focused bachelor’s major preparing students for IT project management, security-analysis, and technology-management roles. The CIP definition organizes coursework around project management principles, risk management, procurement and contract management, information security management, software management, organizational principles and behavior, communications, quality assurance, financial analysis, leadership, and team effectiveness. Programs blend general PM coursework with IT-specific topics — software development lifecycles, vendor management, security governance, and infrastructure operations — and most prepare students for the Project Management Institute’s CAPM and PMP certifications. The CIP cross-references general Project Management (52.0211) directly.

The major fits students drawn to operational execution within technology environments rather than to coding or systems engineering, comfortable holding budget, schedule, vendor, and stakeholder communication in their head simultaneously. It rewards organizational discipline, calm communication under pressure, and the ability to translate between technical staff and business stakeholders. The career ladder runs from project coordinator and junior PM into project management specialist and senior PM, with senior management roles like CIS manager arriving at five to ten years.

One grounded observation about scale and named destinations: 933 students complete this CIP across 38 institutions, with the top producers concentrated in online and large-scale adult-learner programs — Arizona State University Digital Immersion (263 graduates, 28% of national output), University of Pittsburgh (129), American Public University System (127). Bachelor’s graduates earn $84,407 in five-year tracked wages, well above general Project Management at $65,686. The named labor-market destinations form a strong stack: project management specialist ($100,750, 5.6% growth), information security analysts ($124,910, 28.5% growth), computer and information systems managers ($171,200, 15.2% growth — but a mid-career outcome), and computer occupations all other ($108,970, 8.2% growth).

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Managers, all other $137k +4.5% Bachelor's degree
Project management specialists $101k +5.6% Bachelor's degree
Computer and information systems managers $171k +15.2% Bachelor's degree
Computer occupations, all other $109k +8.2% Bachelor's degree
Information security analysts $125k +28.5% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$69k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$55k

Bachelor's

$84k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you’re drawn to operational execution within technology environments rather than coding, you can hold budget, schedule, vendor, and stakeholder communication simultaneously, you’re aiming at the IT-PM or technology-management track and willing to commit to the CAPM-then-PMP certification ladder that drives employer pay, you’re already working in IT or coming back to school as an adult learner (the dominant student profile in the top programs), and you understand the bachelor’s shortens the PMP experience requirement by two years versus a high-school-only path. The packet’s $84,407 bachelor’s wage and 15.2% CIS-manager growth signal real demand.

Think twice if your target is software engineering, systems, or hands-on technical work — Computer Science (CIP 11.0701, 50,272 completions) and Information Technology (11.0103, 20,296 completions) are far larger and more flexible, with the management roles reachable from those majors with experience. Reconsider if you saw the $171,200 CIS-manager wage and assumed it was entry-level; that’s a mid-career, five-to-ten-years-of-experience outcome. Also pause if your top school option is a less-recognized for-profit online provider — given the strength of public alternatives like ASU Digital Immersion or Pittsburgh, comparing program reputation and PMP-pass rates matters more than getting any 11.1005 credential.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Information Technology Project Management

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ 0 263 263
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA 0 129 129
American Public University System Charles Town, WV 0 127 127
Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, FL 0 79 79
St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL 0 77 77
Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ 0 65 65
Pace University New York, NY 5 29 34
Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 0 33 33
University of Miami Coral Gables, FL 0 18 18
Campbell University Buies Creek, NC 2 12 14
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Business Administration and Management, General

193,432 completions/yr

Computer Science

50,272 completions/yr

Business/Commerce, General

42,906 completions/yr

Computer and Information Sciences, General

34,556 completions/yr

Information Technology

20,296 completions/yr

Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance

17,632 completions/yr

Information Science/Studies

10,334 completions/yr

Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

3,699 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Information Technology Project Management field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Information Technology Project Management worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do IT Project Management majors actually study?
The CIP definition organizes coursework around project management principles, risk management, procurement and contract management, information security management, software management, organizational principles and behavior, communications, quality assurance, financial analysis, leadership, and team effectiveness. Programs blend general PM coursework with IT-specific topics — software development lifecycles, vendor management, security governance, and infrastructure operations. Most programs prepare students for the CAPM and PMP certifications.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
Named destinations include project management specialist ($100,750, 5.6% growth), computer and information systems managers ($171,200, 15.2% growth), information security analysts ($124,910, 28.5% growth), and computer occupations, all other ($108,970, 8.2% growth) — all bachelor’s typical entry. Bachelor’s graduates earn $84,407 in five-year tracked wages, well above the project-management major and consistent with employers paying a premium for the IT-specialty signal.
Are the CIS manager and info security analyst roles really entry-level?
No. Computer and information systems manager ($171,200, 15.2% growth) is a mid-career outcome reached after five to ten years of IT experience plus demonstrated leadership. Information security analyst ($124,910, 28.5% growth) is more accessible at entry but typically requires hands-on security experience or certifications (Security+, CISSP eventually). The realistic early-career target is project coordinator or junior project manager into project management specialist, with the higher-paying titles arriving with experience.
Why are so many top schools online or large-scale programs?
Top producers — Arizona State Digital Immersion (263 graduates, 28% of national output), University of Pittsburgh (129), American Public University System (127), Palm Beach State (79), St Petersburg College (77) — are predominantly online or large adult-learner programs. That pattern reflects the typical IT-PM student: someone already working in IT or operations who wants the credential to formalize the management track. Traditional residential undergraduates more often choose Computer Science or Information Technology as a broader major and add PM via certification.
Should I pick this CIP or general Computer Science?
Computer Science (CIP 11.0701, 50,272 completions) is roughly 54 times larger and feeds software engineering, systems, and security tracks broadly. IT Project Management narrows in on the management specialty. Choose this CIP if you’re aiming directly at the project-management or technology-management track and willing to commit to PMP certification. Choose Computer Science or Information Technology (11.0103, 20,296 completions) if you want broader optionality — the management roles are reachable from those majors with experience plus PMP later.
How does this compare to general Project Management (52.0211)?
Project Management (CIP 52.0211, 1,001 completions) is roughly the same size and sits in the business catalog rather than the computing catalog. The cross-reference goes both directions. The IT-specialty version (11.1005) is better positioned for the IT-management and security-analyst roles in this packet ($124K-$171K), while the business-version is more flexible across construction, healthcare, and professional services. Choose by the industry you’re targeting — IT specialization commands the highest wages in this packet but narrows the door.