Advance your project management career without slowing down.
Build the skills to lead projects, programs, and teams across industries. Delivered through a flexible, competency-based format that lets you move forward by demonstrating what you know.
Your experience counts
You've managed timelines, stakeholders, budgets, and risk. You've delivered under pressure, adapted when plans changed, and led teams through complexity. That's not just work experience — that's project management expertise, earned in the field.
At Jayhawk Flex, it counts toward your degree.
The master’s in project management uses a competency-based model that recognizes what you already know. Demonstrate mastery and advance — no sitting through material you've already mastered, no waiting for the rest of the class to catch up. And if you hold a PMI certification, your experience may be evaluated and can help you move more efficiently through competencies.
The amount you complete depends on your pace, experience, and the competencies you demonstrate. Your knowledge. Your speed. Your degree.
How the program works
Progress by demonstrating mastery, not logging hours. 33 competency units, each focused on a specific skill or knowledge area. Complete each one by demonstrating real-world capability through practical assessments and projects. Submit when you're ready. Advance when you've shown what you know.
Every competency builds toward something. The curriculum is organized across five domains — project planning and execution, tools and techniques, leadership and communication, strategic and analytical thinking, and professional skills. Each unit is focused and self-contained, making progress visible and momentum easy to maintain.
Built for professionals who can't press pause. 100% online and asynchronous. No required class meetings, no fixed schedule. Study on evenings, weekends, or between projects — the program works around your professional life, not the other way around. Personalized learning plans and continuous faculty support keep you on track without locking you into someone else's timeline.
What sets the program apart
A degree that works with your certifications, not around them. The master’s in project management is specifically designed to recognize and build on existing PMI credentials. Whether you hold a CAPM® or a PMP®, your experience may be evaluated and can help you move more efficiently through competencies. This isn't a program that ignores what you've already earned. It starts from it.
Curriculum aligned with how the profession actually works. Every competency in the program reflects current project management methodology, tools, and leadership practice. Faculty are active practitioners with industry certifications and advanced credentials — bringing real-world perspective into every assessment, not just the occasional guest lecture.
Career mobility across sectors. Project management leadership roles exist in technology, healthcare, construction, finance, government, and beyond. The master’s in project management is built around transferable competencies that open doors across industries — not a narrow credential for a single career path. Whether you're advancing in your current sector or making a strategic move into a new one, the degree is designed to travel with you.
Not sure if Jayhawk Flex is the right fit?
If you prefer a more structured experience with set deadlines and a traditional course schedule, KU also offers a course-based online master’s in project management.
Learn More about Project Management Flex
Fill out the form to receive details about KU’s Project Management Flex (M.S. in Project Management CBE) program, including admissions requirements, tuition, and upcoming start dates.
How Jayhawk Flex works in Project Management
In a traditional project management program, you move course by course—following a fixed schedule and completing assignments alongside a cohort. Jayhawk Flex is built differently.
- You progress one competency at a time. The program is structured as 33 focused units, each tied to a specific project management skill—like risk management, stakeholder engagement, or project planning.
- You demonstrate what you can actually do. Each competency is completed through applied assessments and real-world scenarios—not exams or seat time.
- Your certifications give you a head start. If you hold a CAPM® or PMP®, your prior learning reduces the number of competencies required—shortening your path to the degree.
- You move at your own pace. Complete multiple competencies in a term or take more time where needed—your progress isn’t tied to a fixed academic calendar.
- Tuition is structured around time, not courses. You pay a flat rate per term and can complete multiple competencies within that period—so your pace can directly impact your total cost.
The result: a degree built around how project management actually works—focused, applied, and aligned with your experience.
Program details
Let’s get specific. Use the following resources to break down the details behind KU's Flex Online M.S. in Project Management CBE.
Costs
You pay one flat rate per term, not per class or credit hour.
- $4,165 per 16-week term (Fall and Spring)
- $2,083 per 8-week term (Summer)
Because tuition isn’t tied to individual courses, your total cost depends on how quickly you move through competencies.
Make more progress in a term, and you may need fewer terms overall.
Funded Pathways to Get You Started
The master’s in project management supports multiple funding options — because the right degree shouldn't be out of reach.
Employer tuition assistance is common among project professionals, and the program is structured to support learners whose employers contribute to continuing education. Federal financial aid is available for qualifying students. Veterans and military-affiliated learners may be eligible for VA education benefits and military tuition assistance. And if you live in Johnson County, Kansas, JCERT scholarships may further reduce your costs.
Admission
Applications for the project management master’s open in May, with a final deadline of August 13. The program begins August 25, 2026. Admissions are reviewed on a rolling basis, so applying earlier is encouraged.
To apply, you'll submit an online application and provide official transcripts from your previous college or university.
The program is designed for working professionals and welcomes applicants with diverse academic backgrounds. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is recommended, though applicants may be considered based on the strength of their overall experience.
Additional requirements may apply for international applicants, including proof of English proficiency.
Curriculum
Coursework is delivered online and structured as 33 competencies, each focused on a specific project management skill.
These competencies are organized across five core domains:
- Project planning and execution
- Tools and techniques
- Leadership and communication
- Strategic and analytical thinking
- Professional skills
Each competency is completed through applied assessments, case-based scenarios, and practical exercises that reflect real project environments.
If you hold CAPM® or PMP®, your experience may be evaluated and can help you move more efficiently through competencies.