Are you a manager or employee in an organization? Or maybe you are your own boss and own an establishment.
Whatever your position, you have a pretty good understanding of why project management is essential.
The subject is as old as man himself, but it was only recently it started getting the attention it deserves.
And we owe those thanks to organizations like Project Management Institute.
Of course, other institutions are also working hard to shine the torch for others as far as project management is concerned.
But for the sake of this review, we are focusing on Project Management Institute (PMI).
It is the oldest and most respected authority on the subject.
Find out in this review why it has become the world’s standard for project management expertise.
Sit back and enjoy!
Overview of Project Management Institute (PMI)
Project Management Institute is a professional organization created to take the lead in developing the field of project management.
It is also a training platform for those who want to further their career in project management.
After the training, PMI will award you prestigious certificates that you can add to your resume or CV for better chances of landing a management job.
To become more familiar with PMI, it would help to have some background in project management.
Project management had been a feature of people’s lives and businesses for ages, but few people knew that.
Even when the concept started attracting attention, it wasn’t taken seriously as a formal course.
However, in time, those who understood it appreciated how useful it would be.
It didn’t take long before famous people in the pharmaceutical, engineering, civil and business fields came together to pool their ideas and define project management as a subject.
That’s how PMI was born in 1969. Since then, the institute has gotten a lot of experience serving as a guide to those who want to pursue a career in project management.
As of now, the organization has established its presence in more than 200 countries worldwide.
Over three million professionals globally use PMI to advance their project management careers.
Of course, it’s rare for an organization of PMI’s caliber to have that kind of international presence and not boast of many achievements.
That’s not the case here. Here are just two of PMI’s many achievements.
#1. PMI’s industry-standard titled “A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge” has been recognized by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI).
#2. In 2012, the International Standard Organisation (ISO) adopted the project management processes from the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) Guide 4th edition.
All that goes to say is that PMI is waxing strong in experience and achievements.
For career people who want to upskill or reskill, PMI offers many nifty features. Let’s briefly look at some of them.
- They can provide training for a team and not just individuals. In that sense, companies can enroll their staff with them.
- PMI takes networking very seriously. That is why it allows its millions of students worldwide to connect through live events, seminars, and online communities.
- Tools and templates are other features of PMI. They are exclusive to members and can be helpful as references when planning your projects.
- PMI has branches in over 200 countries around the world. These branches are called chapters.
- PMI organizes events in its local chapters regularly. These events are like workshops where you can learn various topics and hone your skills. You also collaborate with others to create and share content, resources, and tools.
To sum up, everything we’ve said so far, PMI is an international organization dedicated to exploring the ever-growing field of project management.
PMI Certifications and Programs
Very likely, the next question is, what form does this exploration take?
PMI has developed more than a hundred programs that study a particular aspect of project management.
You get it. Project management is the subject, and these programs are the courses under it.
These courses are taught by PMI-affiliated universities and other learning centers.
PMI creates the syllabi for these courses, and they closely supervise the training.
Students decide how they want to take the courses, whether online or in a physical location, although the exams and certificates may require a physical location.
Let’s now get down to the certificates and programs themselves.
Programs
When writing this review, PMI has up to 160 programs.
They are all regulated by PMI’s Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC).
Many of the programs are placed in one, two or all three of the core levels of tertiary learning.
In other words, the programs can be taken at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree levels.
Continue reading for a brief look at twenty of the programs along with their details:
1. Amberton University, Business Division B.B.A. in Project Management
2. Amberton University, Business Division | M.B.A in Project Management
3. Amberton University, Business Division Master of Science in Agile Project
4. Amity University School of Construction, BICS School of Built Environment Master of Business Administration in Construction Project Management
5. Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation | Master of Project Management
6. Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, School of Economics and Management | Master of Engineering Management
7. Bellevue University, College of Science and Technology | Bachelor of Science in Project Management
8. Bellevue University, College of Science and Technology | Master of Project Management Program
9. Bellevue University College of Science and Technology | Master of Science in Management of Information Systems, Information Technology Project Management Concentration Program:
10. Bond University, Faculty of Society and Design Master of Project Management
11. Bond University, Faculty of Society and Design | Master of Project Management (Professional)
12. Boston University – Metropolitan College | Master of Science in Computer Information Systems concentration in Information Technology (IT) Project Management
13. Boston University-Metropolitan College | Master of Science in Project Management (MSPM, MSCPM)
14. British University in Dubai, Faculty of Engineering & IT| Master of Science in Enterprise Project Risk (EPRM)
15. British University in Dubai, Faculty of Engineering & IT Master of Science in Information Technology Project Management (ITPM)
16. British University in Dubai, Faculty of Engineering & IT Master of Science in Project Management (PM)
17. British University in Dubai, Faculty of Engineering & ITI Master of Science in Infrastructure Project Management (IPM)
18. British University in Dubai, Faculty of Engineering & IT | Master of Science in Construction Management (CPM)
19. Capella University Master of Science in Information Technology program with a specialization in Project Program Management (MS-IT-PM)
20. Capella University Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business with a Specialization in Project Management
And many more.
Certificates
One of the merits of joining a world-renowned organization for coaching lessons is getting a certificate with international recognition.
These certificates can add that glamour to your profile that you need to convince potential employers.
PMI has certificates for all experience levels. Even professionals with less than a year of experience can have a certificate for their niche in project management.
Below are details of PMI’s certificates according to the years of experience.
0-3 Years of Experience
These certificates are for when you are just dipping your feet in the vast waters of project management.
They are the awards applicants aspire for if all they want is to be junior project managers in their organization.
1 PMI Project Management Ready™
This certificate is what you get after receiving foundational training in project management, including basic business analytics and agile methodologies.
The certificate does not have any education, experience, or certificate maintenance requirement.
2 CAPMⓇ (Certified Associate in Project Management)
The CAPM certificate is given after candidates are assessed based on the fundamental knowledge, processes, and terminology as defined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) that are needed for effective project management performance.
Candidates must have finished high school, although no experience is required.
Starting with this certificate, the need for certificate maintenance comes in.
#3 PMI-ACP® (PMI Agile Certified Practitioner)
A PMI-ACP certificate is an award given to candidates for showing their skills with agile principles and techniques.
Agile is a project management method that emphasizes flexibility and teamwork over intensive documentation.
The requirements include a high school diploma or bachelor’s degree and 12 months of general project experience within the last five years.
#4 Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM™)
The journey to getting this award is similar to that of the previous award. An applicant now has to know how to implement the Disciplined Agile tool kit to choose his way of working (WoW™) based on the situation in question.
A person must have a 2-day DASM™ training from a Disciplined Agile™ partner. Aside from that, no formal education is required.
#5 Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master ((DASSM™)
To qualify for this course requires no formal education. Training is given through a 2-day class on the Disciplined Agile (DA) toolkit.
Students will have to be able to use the knowledge from the course to lead a team and solve a variety of problems.
This certificate also needs the two-year of experience working in an agile team.
3+ Years Experience
The certificates in this category are given to skilled practitioners in a particular field in project management.
#1 Project Management Professional PMP®
Anyone who qualifies for this certificate has demonstrated that he has a knack for excellence in discharging tasks and can lead project teams to victory.
Below are the requirements
- High school diploma or associate’s degree (or global equivalent)
- Bachelor’s degree
- 35 hours of project management education training or CAPM® Certification
#2 PMI Professional in Business Analytics (PMI-PBA)®
This certificate is given to business analysts who have the education requirements of the project management professional award above.
Such a person must have also had two years of experience in business analysis.
#3 Disciplined Agile Value Stream Consultant (DAVSC™)
To qualify for this certificate, you must have gained mastery of Disciplined Agile and be able to use its principles to lead entire organisations.
The only educational experience here is a 3-day class tutored by a Disciplined Agile partner.
You also need three years of agile experience and a Disciplined Agile™ Senior Scrum Master (DASSM™) certification.
#4 Disciplined Agile Coach (DAC™)
A DAC-certified professional is capable of teaching teams in his organization or elsewhere how to apply and optimize Disciplined Agile within and between teams.
They can also help them choose their way of working (WoW) and realize true business agility.
The education and experience requirements are similar to those of no. Three certifications are above.
#5 PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
This certificate and the rest that follow are specialties given to individuals who have exceptional skills in project management.
Risk management professionals are responsible for identifying and assessing project risks, among other things.
Education requirements mean nothing less than a high school diploma, while the experience requirements depend on how much education one has.
#6 PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)
Scheduling professionals take on the job of developing and maintaining project schedules.
Education and experience requirements are highly similar to the risk management certificate.
#7 Agile Hybrid Project Pro (AHPP)
Agile Hybrid professionals have experience applying Agile and Hybrid principles in many situations ranging from managing conflict to leading a team.
They are also the ones that address and remove obstacles for the team.
There are no education requirements for this certificate, and experience is optional. With or without it, you’ll be fine.
Unlike other certificates, the AHPP certificate doesn’t expire.
#8 Agile Metrics Micro-Credential (AM-MC)
This certification is for junior project managers, hybrid and agile team leaders and anyone else who wants to upskill in the agile and reporting experience.
Like the AHPP, there is no education requirement, prior experience is optional, and the certificate doesn’t expire.
#9 Citizen Developer Practitioner (CD-P)
This certification is for those who will be overseeing an application development team.
There is a strict set of principles they must be able to apply from the PMI’s citizen development methodology and framework.
Education, experience requirements, and validity are the same as the other specialty certifications.
10 Citizen Developer Business Architect (CDBA)
The CDBA certification is for leaders implementing citizen development in their organizations.
They are conversant with the methodologies and frameworks for managing the governance process.
11 Built Environment Performance and Materials Management Pro (BEPM)
This course and micro-credential bundle teach metrics-oriented performance management processes to enhance the efficiency and productivity of built environment projects.
12 Built Environment Technology and Innovation Pro (BETI)
The BETI gives all the training needed to leverage technology and innovative approaches to drive the productivity and profitability of built environment projects.
13 Organisational Transformation Foundation (OTF)
This micro-credential packs a course that teaches applicants to identify challenges and success factors that impact change and describe key transformational concepts that can be applied to your business and culture.
14 Organisational Transformation Implementation (OTI)
To get this certificate, professionals must demonstrate the ability to bring about critical initiatives to improve the company further.
They must also know how to chart the best path forward in diverse environments.
15 Organisational Transformation Orchestration (OTO)
This certification is for project managers that have shown leadership abilities in assessing trends and market conditions to oversee people-centered initiatives effectively.
The next set of certifications is for professionals with upwards of eight years of experience in project management.
8+ Years Experience
The certificates in this category are given to senior practitioners in project management.
They are highly competitive due to the kind of talent and skills they require.
These certifications find themselves in fewer hands than the rest of the awards we’ve talked about.
There are only two certificates in this category, and they represent the very highest awards from the PMI.
They are:
- The Program Management Professional (PgMP) and,
- The Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)
Professionals with these certifications are far above handling just individual projects.
They are usually saddled with the responsibility of handling entire programs. These are combinations of multiple complex projects run simultaneously to achieve organizational-level upgrades that an individual project would fail to deliver.
As with other high-profile certifications, the PgMP and PfMP require nothing less than a bachelor’s degree.
Experience requirement is based on the applicant’s level of education.
Project Management Institute Cost
Like in every other platform, becoming a member of PMI comes with a cost.
There are different categories of membership on PMI. Whether you are a student or a working professional, or even a retiree, there’s a plan for you.
So if what you’ve read about PMI has piqued your interest, you can read on to know the different kinds of memberships and their fees.
Registered User (Free)
This is the most basic account a person can have with PMI. It’s free, but as I said, you don’t get much more than that.
PMI Membership ($129 annually)
The PMI membership gives a user unlimited access to almost every feature of PMI.
PMI Membership+Chapter Membership (varies based on chapter membership fee)
When you become a member of PMI, you will pay separate fees to join any of your local chapters.
These fees will be determined by the local chapter you join.
Student Membership ($32 annually)
The student membership is open to those who are enrolled in a full-time, degree-granting program at a college or university that has U.S. accreditation or the global equivalent.
Retiree Membership ($65.00/year to renew)
This membership allows you to stay with the PMI for as long as possible. Only those who have been PMI members for five consecutive years and have retired from active employment can qualify.
Group Memberships
Aside from those membership options we’ve talked about, there are group memberships.
These group memberships are only available to organizations with 15+ members and universities that want to purchase group student memberships for their students.
Project Management Institute reviews
Third-party reviews not on their site but on Reddit, Trustpilot, indeed, quora, etc. avoid competitors’ sites that wrote the reviews. We
FAQs
Welcome to the FAQs section! As is the norm, I’ll try my best to provide answers to the most common questions about the PMI.
Here are some questions that pop up often and their answers
Is Project Management Institute accredited?
Yes. PMI is certified by the ISO (International Standards Organisation).
Don’t forget that the PMI itself is also the world’s leading global accreditation body for any course in project management.
That means that any university that teaches project management must adhere to the standards laid down by the PMI.
Which Institute is best for project management?
The answer is simple. PMI. And the reason(s) is not far-fetched.
Only PMI certifications are globally recognized. That means that any certificates granted by the PMI will surely give you an edge over the competition.
Is PMP a good course?
PMP is no doubt one of the best courses you can take.
That’s because project management is applicable in every sphere of life—big and small.
PMP is the course that teaches you how to make the best use of time—for productivity, efficiency, risk mitigation, and management, name it. No organization or individual can do without those.
Final Thoughts
This review has thoroughly discussed Project Management Institute (PMI) and all there is to it.
We’ve learned its history and touched on its credibility.
Being the global standard for a subject that is at the core of the success of any establishment, what more can we do than to leave the crown where it belongs?
At least, if the whole world likes it, then why not?
Leave a Reply