Is project management a profession or a discipline?

Answer 1

Project management is a discipline, meaning a field of study. It looks how to get things done efficiently, timely, and cost-effectively.

There are people who have the job title Project Manager, meaning their job is to manage projects and get them completed. Others use project management skills in their jobs, but don't work specifically as Project Managers.

For example, if you have a mass mailing to do and your official job is Admin Assistant, you'd be using project management skills to ensure that the addresses are right, they're mailed out in time, and responses are tracked.

Answer 2

What do you mean by profession? What do you mean by discipline? In my experience, project management in aerospace is quite a portable skill. Most project managers are very senior at waht they do (again, in my experience.) So, if your experience is as the project manager for building an aircarft carrier, I very much doubt that you could get a job as a project manager for a housing tract or to build a new freeway.

The management skill is portable. Project specifics are not.