Every year, there are hundreds of opportunities to earn professional development units (PDUs) towards maintaining your PMI credential. If you hold the PMP®, PgMP®, PMI-SP®, or PMI-RMP® credentials, you are required to adhere to the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program, which supports ongoing professional development.
PDUs quantify approved learning and professional service activities. While courses and seminars are ideal ways to stay up-to-date with project management best practices, many other activities occurring in your daily professional life may count toward PDUs, too. Here are 10 ways to earn PDUs this year:
1. Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) Courses: There are more than 900 PMI R.E.P.s worldwide who offer courses that are pre-approved for PDUs. Find an R.E.P. near you.
2. PMI Global Congresses: Congresses offer opportunities to network with colleagues and attend seminars that go toward receiving PDUs. Find information on all of PMI’s congresses on PMI.org.
3. PMI Community Offerings:PMI’s chapters, specific interest group (SIGs) and colleges hold events, meeting and educational sessions that pre-approved for PDUs. PMI members are welcome to join these communities and take advantage of their offerings. Search for chapters in your region, or view the full list of PMI SIGs and colleges.
4. SeminarsWorld®:Held throughout the year, SeminarsWorld events provide educational activities for beginning, mid-level and experienced project professionals—PMI members and nonmembers alike. Seminar topics tend to cover one of five areas: core competencies, specific application areas, people and leadership skills, tools and techniques, and strategic applications. View a complete listing of SeminarsWorld, events.
5. eSeminarsWorldSM: While face-to-face training has its obvious merits, online courses are some of the most convenient ways to earn PDUs. Each eSeminarsWorld web-based course includes discussion questions, individual and group assignments with classmates from all over the world, and timely feedback from qualified instructors. Find the right courses to suit your schedule.
6. Web-based Self-Study: All you need to complete the Project Management Methods & Mechanics course is an Internet connection and about 14 hours. Focused on the current edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), this course is a perfect way to receive 14 PDUs on your own time. Once registered, you will have 24-hour online access to this 10-module course for one full year. More information and online registration.
7. Professional Activities: Authoring an article about project management or speaking at a project management event can quickly earn you 10 to 30 PDUs. PMI has specified a number of professional activities—things you may already be doing—that can translate to varying amounts of PDUs. Find out more information and PDU calculations in the CCR section of your respective credential handbook.
8. Self-Directed Learning: Obtain PDUs by sharing project management knowledge with your colleagues. PMI will recognize activities that involve personally conducted research or study. This includes discussions or coaching sessions with colleagues or clients that put to use informational materials such as CD-ROMs, articles, books, videos or instructional manuals. Review the information under self-directed learning activities under the CCR section of your respective credential handbook.
9. Volunteer Service: Earn PDUs for providing your professional services to an organization outside of your employer. You could serve as an elected officer or volunteer committee member for a project management organization. Or you could provide a project/program management-related service to a community or charitable group. PMI also has multiple volunteer opportunities.
10. Educational Programs by Outside Providers: PMI recognizes relevant educational activities or programs offered by organizations not registered with PMI. Use the following formula to calculate the number of PDUs earned: One hour of learning relevant to project management within a structured activity or course equals one PDU.
Remember: Activities must be related to project management topics that are substantially consistent with the knowledge areas and processes outlined in the latest edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) and involve appropriate expert resources.