Project and Engineering Management Certification
Publication: Leadership and Management in Engineering
Volume 9, Issue 4
Abstract
This paper summarizes the requirements for eight major project management (PM) certificates—including new program management, risk assessment, and scheduling management certificates—and two major engineering management certificates that are offered in the United States by professional societies. We provide information on the number of people holding the certification, eligibility to obtain the certification, exam format, cost for the certification, and contact information for the organization offering the certification. We also include information about societies outside the United States that offer PM certifications in 83 countries. Finally, we discuss international PM certifications offered by a U.S.-based organization. Many organizations are starting to require certifications for their project and program managers. This paper will help readers decide what certifications are applicable and the requirements for obtaining a specific certificate.
There has been an increasing trend in professional and engineering circles to place greater emphasis on official credentials. These credentials commonly come in the form of certificates, which provide documented recognition by a professional body that an engineer or other professional has the qualifications and technical knowledge to be a practitioner in that field. These certificates are somewhat analogous to merit badges in scouting; that is, the certification is evidence that the holder has a certain minimum level of competence in the subject area. Many employers are starting to require these certifications for project and program managers.
Recently, the trend has been to extend the range of project management certifications offered by professional organizations. Newly offered credentials now focus on specific aspects of management, such as the Project Management Institute’s (PMI’s) risk and scheduling management certificates, and broad aspects of management such as PMI’s program management certificate.
We first discuss the eight general project management certifications offered in the United States: (1) Certified Associate in Project Management, (2) Project Management Professional, (3) Program Management Professional, (4) PMI Scheduling Professional, (5) PMI Risk Management Professional, (6) PMI Certified Assessor, (7) PMI Certified Consultant, and (8) Certified Construction Manager. We then discuss the two engineering management certifications: Engineering Management Certification Fundamentals, and Engineering Management Certification Professional. Finally, we discuss two international certification programs available in 83 countries.
Certifications Offered in the United States
The first seven certifications mentioned in this paper are all offered by PMI. The first three of these are designed to show proficiency in general project and program management. Although not required to do so, many people progress from the basic Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), to the more advanced Project Management Professional (PMP), and finally to the highly rigorous Program Management Professional certificate.
Certified Associate in Project Management
The CAPM certificate offered by PMI is designed for project team members, project managers, and undergraduate or graduate students to gain project management credentials, and it is the most basic certificate offered by PMI. Applicants must have either a high school diploma or equivalent, and of work on a project team or of project management education to qualify. The CAPM exam is administered by Thomson Prometric testing centers in 83 countries around the world. The three-hour, computer-based exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. Individuals who have a PMP or PgMP credential cannot attain a CAPM certificate.
Project Management Professional
One of the most globally recognized project management credentials is the PMP, offered by PMI. Generally, those who hold a CAPM certificate will become a PMP to increase their proficiency in project management, though a CAPM is not a prerequisite for the PMP certification. The PMP is designed to objectively assess and measure professional knowledge in all areas of project management. The subject area weights for the PMP exam are shown in Table 1. Further information on the PMP is given in PMI’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (www.pmi.org).Table 1. Subject Area Weights for the Project Management Professional Exam
Subject area | Weight (%) |
---|---|
Project initiation | 11 |
Project planning | 23 |
Project execution | 27 |
Project monitoring and control | 21 |
Project closing | 9 |
Professional and social responsibility | 9 |
Total | 100 |
To be eligible to take the PMP examination, the applicant must either have (1) a bachelor’s degree, of project management experience, of project management education, and of experience in project management within an eight-year period prior to application; or (2) a high school diploma, of project management experience, of project management education, and experience in project management within an eight-year period prior to application. The PMI now checks the applicant’s professional experience more carefully than in the past. Thomson Prometric testing centers administer the PMP exam in 83 countries throughout the world (to check if the exam is available in your country, visit http://securereg3.prometric.com). Five countries have recently been added: China, Jamaica, Latvia, Luxembourg, and Slovenia. The four-hour, computer-based exam consists of 200 multiple-choice questions. A passing score is 106 or more correct answers out of 175 scored questions. The exam has recently become more practice oriented and less academically oriented.
Program Management Professional (PgMP)
The PgMP certificate, offered since 2007, is designed to demonstrate project and large-program management skills and is considered the culmination of the CAPM, PMP, PgMP progression. Management experience, education, and professional knowledge are all carefully assessed during the application process.
To be considered for the PgMP certificate, applicants must either have (1) a bachelor’s degree, four years of project management experience, and four years of program management experience within a period prior to application; or (2) a high school diploma, four years of project management experience, and seven years of program management experience within a period prior to application. PMI staff and a panel of professional program managers comprehensively review eligibility requirements. The four-hour PgMP exam is administered by Thomson Prometric and consists of 170 multiple-choice questions designed to measure one’s ability to apply knowledge, skills, and techniques used in program management. The final part of the PgMP certification process is a Multi-Rater Assessment (MRA) in which the applicant must select a team of 12 colleagues and peers to evaluate his or her performance as a program manager via a Web-based survey.
PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)
One of the newest professional certifications is the PMI-SP certification for those who provide expertise in the area of developing and maintaining project schedules. It is designed to offer proof of one’s ability to help project managers through contributions of specific project scheduling skills. To be eligible for this credential, one must have a high school diploma, associate’s degree or global equivalent, at least spent in a specialized area of professional project scheduling within the last five years, and 40 contact hours of formal education in project scheduling. Alternatively, one must have a bachelor’s degree or global equivalent, at least spent in the area of professional project scheduling within past five years, and 30 contact hours of formal education in the area of project scheduling. If an applicant meets the eligibility requirements, they must then pass a 170-question, three-and-one-half-hour multiple-choice exam to receive the PMI-SP credential. This examination is based upon the PMI-Scheduling Professional Examination Specification (www.pmi.org).
PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
Strong emphasis is placed on evaluating project risks during the implementation phase and before a project is approved. As a result, PMI has introduced a new risk management professional certificate. Accordingly, individuals whose specialties lie in recognizing and analyzing project risks as well as resolving threats and capitalizing on opportunities, would be well-served by this particular PMI credential. To be eligible, interested persons must have a high school diploma, associate’s degree or global equivalent, at least spent in the area of professional project risk management within the past five years, and 40 contact hours of formal education in project risk management. Or, a person must have a bachelor’s degree or global equivalent, at least spent in the area of project risk management within the past five years, and 30 contact hours of formal education in project risk management. Like the PMI-SP credential, a passing grade on a 170-question, three-hour multiple-choice exam is required.
PMI Certified Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3) Assessor and PMI Certified OPM3 Consultant
The assessor and consultant certifications have been offered since April 2006 by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), with approval from PMI (Larry Bull, personal communication, February 22, 2006). The OPM3 certifications are for assessors and consultants to improve their project management maturity and capability. To become a PMI Certified OPM3 Assessor or Consultant, the applicant must pass a two-hour, computer-based online exam consisting of 100 multiple-choice questions related to OPM3 topics, and submit a project management and assessor or consultant experience portfolio. After passing the online exam and portfolio review, the applicant must attend a three-day, instruction-based assessment training session if applying for assessor certification; or a five-day, instruction-based assessment and improvement training if applying for consultant certification. The training sessions are offered around the world. A multiple-choice assessor or consultant exam is given at the end of the course. After the exam is passed, the applicant can apply for certification and become registered as a PMI Certified OPM3 Assessor or PMI Certified OPM3 Consultant.
At the time this paper was being written, the assessor and consultant training courses were on a temporary hiatus to allow PMI to revise the course content to reflect the updates included in the 2008 revision of the Project Management Body of Knowledge. New training schedules will be posted on PMI’s Web site as soon as they are released (www.pmi.org).
Certified Construction Manager (CCM)
The CCM certificate is offered by the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA). To be eligible to become a CCM, the applicant must have (1) four years experience as a construction manager as well as a four-year degree in construction management, architecture, engineering, or construction science; or (2) a two-year undergraduate degree or certification in one of the above fields and four years experience in general design/construction (in addition to the four-year requirement); or (3) eight years in general design/construction (in addition to the four-year requirement). In the past, the applicant was required to enroll in a self-study “capstone” course on construction management and pass the capstone test with a score of 80 percent or higher. This requirement has recently been dropped. The CCM exam is a true-false and multiple-choice, 200-question test taken over six hours. There are test sections on cost management and time management, quality management, professional practice/project management, contract administration, and safety and risk management. Table 2 details the certification exam breakdown. The exam is offered quarterly at Construction Manager Certification Institute-sponsored locations around the United States, in addition to being offered at CMAA’s national and spring conferences. Since 2008, these exams have been offered on proprietary computer platforms.Table 2. Subject Area Weights for the Certified Construction Manager Exam
Subject area | Weight (%) |
---|---|
Project management | 20 |
Cost management | 18 |
Time management | 18 |
Contract management | 18 |
Quality management | 10 |
Professional practice | 8 |
Safety and risk management | 8 |
Total | 100 |
Engineering Management Certification Fundamentals (EMCF) and Engineering Management Certification Professional (EMCP)
The EMCF and EMCP certificates are offered by the Engineering Management Certification International (EMCI), an organization developed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in cooperation with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME); the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE); the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME); and the American Society of Engineering Management (ASEM). Started in 2005, the society certifies engineers in engineering management, a broad certification that includes, but is not limited to, project management (George Ji, personal communication, April 11, 2005). Similar to the engineer’s license process, which has two levels of certification—Engineer in Training (EIT) and Professional Engineer (PE)—the EMCI also offers two certifications reflecting different levels of experience.
To become eligible for the EMCF, an applicant must have either (1) a bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or technology, and three years experience; (2) two years education in engineering, science, or technology, and five years of experience; or (3) a master’s degree in engineering management, in which case all experience requirements are waived. To become eligible for the EMCP, an applicant must either have a bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or technology, or have their EMCF certification. Additionally, the candidate must have five years engineering practice including two years of engineering management.
Both the EMCF and EMCP tests are three-hour, computer-based exams with 150 multiple-choice questions. Both exams test the same eight subject areas but with different weights, as shown in Table 3. A passing score is an overall 70 percent correct, with no less than 50 percent correct in any single subject area. The exams are offered at nearly 300 locations in the United States and Canada at Thomson Prometric testing centers. These are the same testing centers that are used for the PMP, PgMP, and CAPM exams.Table 3. Subject Area Weights for EMCI Exams
Subject area | EMCF exam (%) | EMCP exam (%) |
---|---|---|
Market research, technology updates, and environmental scanning | 10 | 10 |
Planning and adjusting business strategies | 10 | 16 |
Developing products, services, and processes | 17 | 10 |
Engineering operations and change | 18 | 10 |
Financial resources and procurement | 5 | 16 |
Marketing and sales | 5 | 10 |
Leading individuals and engineering project teams | 18 | 18 |
Professional responsibility and legal issues | 17 | 10 |
Total | 100 | 100 |
Note: Management Certification Fundamentals; Management Certification International; and Management Certification Professional.
The EMCI offers reduced exam fees to members of any of their sponsoring organizations: ASME, ASCE, AIME, AIChE, and SME (Table 4 shows membership fees for each of these five sponsoring organizations). The exams range in cost from $500 to $650 for members and $700 to $850 for nonmembers. These costs include a necessary, one-time application fee of $100. The first set of exams was given in June 2005. The EMCI program has recently been expanded to offer certification in China (for further information, readers should contact EMCI, www.engineering certification.org).Table 4. Annual Membership Dues for EMCI-Sponsoring Organizations
Organization | Standard annualmembership fees ($US) | Notes |
---|---|---|
ASME | $129 | Reduced rates exist for recent graduates, retirees, and students |
ASCE | $180 | Reduced rates exist for recent graduates and international persons |
AIME | $50–205 | The AIME is an “umbrella” society of six other societies; rates vary among each society and based on age, experience, and benefits |
AIChE | $199 | Annual dues are $199 for persons who graduated prior to 2005; reduced rates exist for students and unemployed |
SME | $125 | Reduced rates for those who purchase multiple years at once |
Note: Institute of Chemical Engineers; Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers; Society of Civil Engineers; Society of Mechanical Engineers; Management Certification International; and of Manufacturing Engineers.
International Certification Information
The International Project Management Association (IPMA), headquartered in the Netherlands, offers a four-level certification program designed to meet the various competence levels of project managers. Competence, as defined by the IPMA, comprises knowledge, experience, and behavior. This is distinct from PMI’s PMP certification, which assesses knowledge and experience. The four certification levels are (1) Certified Project Management Associate-IPMA Level D, (2) Certified Project Manager-IPMA Level C, (3) Certified Senior Project Manager-IPMA Level B, and (4) Certified Projects Director-IPMA Level A. The IPMA Level D certification only tests knowledge, while the other three levels test competence. The eligibility requirements for the four IPMA levels are listed in Table 5. Further information regarding these certification levels is in the IPMA Competence Baseline (www.ipma.ch).Table 5. Eligibility Requirements for IPMA Levels A–D
Certification | Eligibility requirements |
---|---|
Certified Project Management Associate—IPMA Level D | Project management knowledge |
Certified Project Manager—IPMA Level C | At least three years project management experience |
Certified Senior Project Manager—IPMA Level B | At least five years project management experience |
Certified Project Director—IPMA Level A | At least five years project portfolio management experience, program management, or multi-project management |
Note: Project Management Association.
To maintain competence standards worldwide, the IPMA approves certification programs offered by international organizations. These organizations may then certify people with the internationally recognized certification. Table 6 presents 35 organizations around the world that offer IPMA-approved certifications. Norway, Serbia, and Montenegro were added in 2008.Table 6. List of Certification Bodies Offering IPMA Certification
Table 7. General Information about U.S.-Based Certifications
Table 8. Eligibility and Certification Requirements for the U.S.-Based Certifications Offered by PMI and DNV
Table 9. Eligibility and Certification Requirements for the U.S.-Based Certifications Offered by CMAA and EMCI
Table 10. Exam Information for the U.S.-Based Certifications
Table 11. Certification Contact Information for U.S.-Based Organizations
Table 12. Contact Information for International and Upcoming U.S. Certification
Country | Organization | Country | Organization |
---|---|---|---|
Austria | pma-zertifzienungsstelle | Norway | Certification Body Norway |
Azerbaijan | AzPMA Certification | P.R. China | Project Management Research Committee |
Brazil | Certification Body Brazil | Poland | SPMP-Cert |
Croatia | CAPM-Cert | Portugal | APOGEP |
Czech Republic | Co SPR | Romania | Certification Body Romania |
Denmark | Association of Danish Project Management | Russia | SOVNET-Certification |
Egypt | MES PM-CERT | Slovakia | SIPR |
Finland | National Certification Board Finland | Serbia-Montenegro | YUPMA Certification |
France | AFITEP | Slovenia | ZPM—Slovenian PMA Certification |
Germany | PM-ZERT | South African Rep. | Certification Body of South Africa |
Hungary | Project Management Profession Excellence Foundation | Spain | AEIPRO |
Iceland | VSF-CB | Sweden | SPF Projecktkraft i Norden AB |
India | Centre for Excellence in PM Certification | Switzerland | Verein zur Zertifizierungim Projektmanagement |
Ireland | Institute of Project Management Ireland | The Netherlands | Cito Certification |
Italy | ANIMP Certificazioni | Ukraine | UPMA Certification |
Kuwait | Kuwait Society of Engineers/Kuwait PM Certification Body | United Kingdom | APM Certification |
Latvia | Latvia-Cert | Serbia-Montenegro | YUPMA Certification |
Mexico | — |
Credential | Organization offering thecredential | Number ofmembers inorganization | Number ofpeople withthe credential | Certificationsissued in 2006and 2007 | First yearcertificationoffered | Web address to register online |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAPM | PMI | 265,000 | 4,616 | 2006–1,2522007–1.995 | 2004 | www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/Obtaining-Credential.aspx |
PMP | PMI | 265,000 | 270,476 | 2006–44,8152007–56,080 | 1984 | www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/Obtaining-Credential.aspx |
PgMP | PMI | 265,000 | 68 | 2006–02007–35 | 2007 | www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/Obtaining-Credential.aspx |
PMI Scheduling Professional | PMI | 265,000 | 2008 | www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/Obtaining-Credential.aspx | ||
PMI Risk Management Professional | PMI | 265,000 | 2008 | www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/Obtaining-Credential.aspx | ||
PMI Certified OPM3 Assessor | DNV | — | 6 | 2006–02007–6 | 2006 | www.opm3productsuite.com |
PMI Certified OPM3 Consultant | DNV | — | 73 | 2006–02007–73 | 2006 | www.opm3productsuite.com |
CCM | CMAA | 3,525 | 648 | 2004–1592005–105 | 1996 | not available online |
EMCF | EMCI through ASME | ASME: ASCE: AIME: AIChE: Total: | — | — | 2005 | www.prometric.com/asme.htm |
Note: Institute of Chemical Engineers; Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers; Society of Civil Engineers; Society of Mechanical Engineers; Associate in Project Management; Construction Manager; Management Association of America; Norske Veritas; Management Certification Fundamentals; Management Certification International; Management Professional; Management Institute; and Management Professional.
Credential | Organizationoffering thecredential | Eligibility | Requirements to maintain thecredential |
---|---|---|---|
CAPM | PMI | High school diploma or equivalent AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:A. of work on a project team;B. of project management education. | Re-exam at end of cycle |
PMP | PMI | ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:A. Bachelor’s degree, PM experience, experience within eight-year period prior to application, 35 contact hours of PM education;B. High school diploma, PM experience, PM experience within eight-year period prior to application, 35 contact hours of PM education. | 60 PDUs every three years. PDUs accumulated through formal education, article authoring, registered providers, etc. Additional maintenance fee of $60–150. |
PgMP | PMI | ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:A. Bachelor’s degree, four or more years PM experience, four or more years PgM experience within prior to application;B. High school diploma, four or more years PM experience, seven or more years PgM experience within prior to application. | 60 PDUs every three years. PDUs accumulated through formal education, article authoring, registered providers, etc. Additional maintenance fee of $60–150. |
PMI Scheduling Professional | PMI | ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:A. Bachelor’s degree, project scheduling experience, project scheduling education;B. High school diploma, project scheduling experience, project scheduling education. | 30 PDUs every three years. PDUs accumulated through formal education, article authoring, registered providers, etc. Additional maintenance fee of $60–150. |
PMI Risk Management Professional | PMI | ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:A. Bachelor’s degree, project risk experience, project risk education;B. High school diploma, project risk experience, project risk education. | 30 PDUs every three years. PDUs accumulated through formal education, article authoring, registered providers, etc. Additional maintenance fee of $60–150. |
PMI Certified OPM3 Assessor | DNV | Pass a computer-based online exam related to OPM3 topics, AND submit a project management and assessor experience portfolio | Annual assessor certification and registration fee ($900). Assessment tool software license fee ($1000). Annual minimum number of OPM3 assessments and/or services. Attend refresher course and pass exam within six months of OPM3 revisions. Must inform DNV of complaints received. |
PMI Certified OPM3 Consultant | DNV | Pass a computer-based online exam related to OPM3 topics, AND submit a project management and assessor and consultant experience portfolio | Annual consultant certification and registration fee ($1000). Assessment and improvement tool software license fee ($1500). Annual minimum number of OPM3 assessments and/or consulting services. Attend refresher course and pass exam within six months of OPM3 revisions. Must inform DNV of complaints received. |
Note: Associate in Project Management; Norske Veritas; development units; Management Professional; management; Management Institute; and Management Professional.
Credential | Organizationoffering thecredential | Eligibility | Requirements to maintain thecredential |
---|---|---|---|
CCM | CMAA | Four years experience as a construction manager AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:A. A four-year undergraduate or graduate degree in construction management, architecture, engineering, or construction science;B. A two-year undergraduate degree or certificate in construction management, architecture, engineering, or construction science AND four years experience in general design/construction;C. Eight years experience in general design/construction. | Initial certification valid for five years; thereafter, every three years by points (24 points every three years—employment as a construction manager, membership in organizations, writing papers, professional development, etc.) |
EMCF | EMCI | A. Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science or technology and three years of engineering practice;B. Two years education in engineering, science or technology and five years engineering practice. | Every three years by earning 45 PDUs. PDUs can be accumulated by college-level teaching, attending or speaking at conferences, seminars, publishing articles or books, etc.; 15 PDUs must be obtained through an EMCI Authorized Knowledge Provider. |
EMCP | EMCI through ASME | Five years of engineering practice including two years of management experience AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:A. Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or technology;B. EMCF certification. | Every three years by earning 45 PDUs. PDUs can be accumulated by college-level teaching, attending or speaking at conferences, seminars, publishing articles or books, etc.; 15 PDUs must be obtained through an EMCI Authorized Knowledge Provider. |
Note: Society of Mechanical Engineers; Construction Manager; Management Association of America; Management Certification Fundamentals; Management Certification International; Management Certification Professional; and development unit.
Credential | Organizationoffering thecredential | Exam type | Cost | How frequently exam isoffered |
---|---|---|---|---|
CAPM | PMI | Three hours, computer-based, 150 multiple-choice questions | $225 for members, $300 for non-members (membership fees: $119 annually) | Continuously throughout the year (computer-based) |
PMP | PMI | Four hours, computer-based, 200 multiple-choice questions | $405–555 for computer based, $250–400 for paper based (membership fees: $119 annually) | Continuously throughout the year (computer-based) |
PgMP | PMI | Four hours, computer-based, 170 multiple-choice questions; Multi-Rater Assessment performed by 12 applicant-chosen colleagues and peers | $1,500–1,800 for computer based, $1,200–1,500 for paper based (membership fees: $119 annually) | Continuously throughout the year (computer-based) |
PMI Scheduling Professional | PMI | Three and one-half hours, computer-based, 170 multiple-choice questions | $520–670 for computer based, $415–565 for paper based (membership fees: $119 annually) | Continuously throughout the year (computer-based) |
PMI Risk Management Professional | PMI | Three and one-half hours, computer-based, 170 multiple-choice questions | $520–670 for computer based, $415–565 for paper based (membership fees: $119 annually) | Continuously throughout the year (computer-based) |
PMI Certified OPM3 Assessor PMI Certified OPM3 Consultant | DNV | Exam 1: Computer-based, online, 100 multiple-choice questions | Assessor: $4,950 if paid in advance; $5,600 otherwise Consultant: $6,950 if paid in advance; $7,900 otherwise | Exam 1: Continuously throughout the year (computer-based) |
CCM | CMAA | Six hours divided into two three-hour parts, 200 multiple-choice questions | $275 for the application, $275 for exam registration, $75 annual maintenance fee (membership fees: $120 to $450 annually) | Six times a year; two at CMAA conferences, four at other sponsored locations |
EMCF and EMCP | EMCI through ASME | Three hours, computer-based, 150 multiple-choice questions | $100 one-time application fee, $400 exam fee for members, $550 exam fee for non-members (membership fees: see Table 4) | Continuously throughout the year (computer-based) |
Credential | Organization offering the credential | URL | Phone/Fax # | Address | E-mail address |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PMP | PMI | www.pmi.org | 610-356-4600/610–356-4647 | PMI Global Operations Center14 Campus BoulevardNewtown Square, PA 19073-3299 | [email protected] |
PgMP | PMI | See above | See above | See above | See above |
CAPM | PMI | See above | See above | See above | See above |
PMI Certified OPM3Assessor | DNV | www.opm3productsuite.com | 877-368-3530/281-721-6903 | DNV Certification USA16340 Park Ten PlaceHouston, TX 77084 | [email protected] |
PMI Certified OPM3Consultant | DNV | www.opm3productsuite.com | 877-368-3530/281-721-6903 | DNV Certification USA16340 Park Ten PlaceHouston, TX 77084 | [email protected] |
CCM | CMAA | www.cmaanet.org | 703-356-2622/703-356-6388 | Construction ManagementAssociation of America7926 Jones Branch DriveSuite 800McLean, VA 22102 | [email protected] |
EMCF | EMCI through ASME | www.engineeringcertification.org | 800-843-2763(U.S./Canada)973-882-1167(outside N.America)/212-591-7143 | EMCI Certification DepartmentASMEThree Park AvenueNew York, NY 10016-5990 | [email protected] |
EMCP | EMCI trough ASME | www.engineeringcertification.org | 800-843-2763(U.S./Canada)973-882-1167(outside N.America)/212-591-7143 | EMCI Certification DepartmentASMEThree Park AvenueNew York, NY 10016-5990 | [email protected] |
Note: Society of Mechanical Engineers; Associate in Project Management; Construction Manager; Management Association of America; Norske Veritas; Management Certification Fundamentals; Management Certification International; Management Certification Professional; Management Professional; Management Institute; and Management Professional.
Certification | Organization offeringthe certification | Country | URL | Phone/Fax # | Address | E-mail address |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PMP | PMI | SeePMIWeb site | www.pmi.orgwww.prometric.com | 610-356-4600/610-356-4647 | Project Management InstituteFour Campus BoulevardNewtown Square, PA 19073 | [email protected] |
EMCF andEMCP | EMCI through CAIEPand TsinghuaUniversity | China | www.engineeringcertification.orgwww.caiep.orgwww.tsinghua.edu.cn/eng | 800-843-2763(U.S./Canada)973-882-1167(outside N. America)/212-591-7143 | EMCI Certification DepartmentASMEThree Park AvenueNew York, NY 10016-5990 | [email protected] |
IPMA Four-Levelcertification | IPMA | SeeTable 5 | www.ipma.ch | 31 33 247 3430/31 33 24604 70 | International ProjectManagement Association3860 BD NijkerkThe Netherlands | [email protected] |
Note: Society of Mechanical Engineers; Association of International Exchange of Personnel; Management Certification Fundamentals; Management Certification Professional; Project Management Association; Management Institute; and Management Professional.
U.S.-Based Certification Information
In Table 7, we summarize the general information about the 10 U.S.-based certification programs. PMI is by far the largest organization, with more than 250,000 members. It has grown extremely rapidly in the last decade. In 2006, PMI issued 44,815 PMP certificates; in 2007, that number had grown to 56,080 PMP certificates (Bernard Smith, personal communication, April 24, 2008). The only industry-specific certification in this study is the Certified Construction Manager certificate, offered by CMAA. This certificate is targeted specifically at the construction industry and 1,008 people have received this certification.
In Tables 8 and 9, we summarize test requirements and the recertification requirements for U.S.-based certifications. To obtain a certificate, each organization has combination of education and experience requirements. In general, as formal education increases, the experience requirement decreases. All certification programs require recertification every three years, based on a continuing education point system. In Table 8, we include PMI and DNV requirements, and in Table 9, we include CMAA and EMCI requirements.
Table 10 contains information about the exams for U.S.-based certifications. The exams typically range from three to six hours. The exam cost, including required application fees, varies from $405 to $795. All exams are offered continuously throughout the year via computer, with the exception of the CCM exam, which is offered six times a year.
Finally, the last two tables contain contact information for organizations offering certification. Table 11 includes information on how to contact the U.S.-based organizations offering each certification. All of the organizations have Web sites and e-mail addresses. Table 12 includes contact information for international and U.S. organizations offering PM certification.
Donald S. Remer is the Oliver C. Field Professor of Engineering at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, and can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. Michael A. Martin is a professional services engineer at BigMachines in San Mateo California and a recent graduate of Harvey Mudd College.
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Received: Jun 24, 2009
Accepted: Jun 25, 2009
Published online: Sep 15, 2009
Published in print: Oct 2009
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